12 Days of Giveaways: Day 7 with Telus and the Samsung Galaxy S4™ Mini

"Mom, I need a new phone!" 

"Dad, can I finally get my own phone?"

"I'm the only one that doesn't have an awesome phoooooone!" 

Sound familiar parents?

Whether you're a parent of a teen that has "hinted" plenty times that they wish for a new smartphone under the tree this year or just in the market for a new phone that won't break the bank, you must consider the Samsung Galaxy S4™ Mini. 

With its 8MP camera and compact design, beautiful and responsive display, and all the bells and whistles that the mini’s big brother the GALAXY S4 is known for, this would surely make the perfect gift! 

I am attached to my Smartphone! It's like a part of me. Organization, social media, keeping in touch with loved ones, taking pictures (and tons of it!), listening to music, reading, checking emails, everything! 

In this day and age, I feel it's a necessity to have one (Yes teens, thank me now!).

Features:

• Compact design – The GALAXY S4 mini’s slim design makes it perfect to take with you anywhere, anytime.
• Premium experience – This device offers the same flagship experience as the GS4, including an 8MP camera, Group Play and Samsung Link.
• Powerful performance – The S4 mini packs a punch with a 1.7 GHz Dual Core Processor and the Android Jellybean 4.2.2 operating system.

One of my biggest issues with smartphone these days is the grip and how big they are for little hands (like mine). Without my case on it, it would probably be kaput by now.

This is one fantastic thing about the new Samsung Galaxy S4™ Mini. Even though it's more compact than it's "big brother", it doesn't compromise on it's features and what it can offer.

Sweet & Petite... with a powerful punch! Much like me. 

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini available at Telus for $0 on a two-year term or $400 outright.

To learn more about the awesome Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, click here.

And for newbies that are still getting comfortable with their phones and have a ton of questions or worrying parents that are concerned about the online safety of their children (you just never know in this digital age!), I absolutely love Telus' unique Services: Telus Learning Centre and TELUS WISE®.

Learning Centre sessions are great for tweens/teens or those just starting out with their first smartphone.

Telus' specialized Learning Specialist can give them a tailored one-on-one tutorial on how to use the phone so they are 100% comfortable using their new device – it’s great for parents too!

They offer one-on-one or group sessions according to what you feel is best or most comfortable for you.

Sessions range from 15 to 45 minutes depending on your learning style and what you would like to learn.

I really wish they offered this when I got my first smartphone. I was so confused! And didn't utilize all the great features I had after many months of owning it.

TELUS WISE® is a great program for tweens and teens! Recently launched by Telus which is peace of mind for parents that are getting their kids on their first smartphone – it’s all about smartphone and Internet safety and how to teach kids to have a clean digital footprint.

You can learn more about TELUS WISE® here. And psst... this service is a PTPA winner!

Courtesy of the wonderful folks at Telus, one of you will win a new Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini!

To enter, simply leave me a comment below telling me who in your family would LOVE this phone and why!

Contest is open to Canadian Residents only.

Ends 12/12.

Good luck!

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She's Making a List... #SearsMom

She's making a list, I'm checking it twice...

3 more weeks till Christmas! 

My daughter turned 5 this year and every year since she was 2 years old and able to grasp a pen properly in her hand, we prepared her Christmas Wish List with her for her letter to Santa.

I cannot think of any other place to go to that is as informative and fun to flip through than the yearly Holiday Sears Wish Book.

We usually do this after our decorations have been put up as we have Ava place her finished letter to Santa anywhere on the Christmas Tree before bed and wake up to find it gone. She thinks Santa has special Elves that pick them up from the tree.

My Mother-in-Law use to tell my husband that when he was little and for some reason that stuck to him and therefore got passed down as something fun to do with our daughter.

Now that she's a big sister (and a very loving and caring one at that), it was a pleasant sight for me to see her circling a few toddler toys on her own. 

"I'm picking the ones Talan wants, Mommy!" Because obviously she knows which ones he wants.

They've got a secret sibling code that only they can understand.

What she circled for her lil' brother. He already owns a Big Hugs Elmo! :)

I also find it so interesting to see the growth in my daughter each year depending on the stuff that she circles.

What I sometimes think she may want, surprisingly she doesn't circle. And you think you know your child really well! It goes to show you how much they are growing each day and that they have their own individual interest. Very helpful!

It's usually followed by milk and cookies and a Christmas movie before bed which is why we often do this together as a family on a weekend.

Do you have any traditions for writing Wish Lists with your children? 

Sears is also hosting an amazing contest on right now called the Sears Wishes of Joy Contest on now until December 15 where entrants can SHARE their wish lists (to win!) PLUS many more opportunities to win up to $10,000 in prizes. It's lots of fun! Check it out here! 

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Disclosure: I am part of the Sears Mom Ambassador program with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

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12 Days of Giveaways: Day 4 with Annabelle Cosmetics and Marcelle

Canadian Winters can be harsh! Especially on your skin.

I am a beauty lover and enjoy applying make-up but the ingredients in them have to be compatible to my skin and it's needs. 

This is what I love about Annabelle Cosmetics and Marcelle. They are a Canadian Brand that understands the Canadian Beauty Lovers essentials.

Make-up comes a dime a dozen, but it's not very often you find products that not only look good on, but also priced well for the more budget-friendly beauty lover. 

They have come out with some amazing products this year and have featured my absolute 2013 favourites in the CAC Gift Guide.

TwistUps ($9.95 - now $7.95!)
Dare to be colourful with this easy retractable lipstick + lipliner in one. No sharpener required! Formula enriched with nourishing natural ingredients such as Omega 3 + 6 and Shea Butter. Definitvely a new way to wear lipstick. Try one of these easy-to-wear stunning shades. Paraben-Free. Perfume-Free.
Available in 24 shades!

I LOVE the colours, especially the vibrant pinks and sexy reds. Very pretty on every skin tone!

Biggy Bronzer ($11.95 - now $9.95!)
Bigger size! Get sun-kissed radiant skin in seconds! This powder contains 3 perfectly coordinated shades and a soft texture in harmonies of bronze and gold to create a natural summertime glow. All the glow you want without the damaging effects of the sun. Paraben-Free. Perfume-Free. Gluten-Free. Hypo-allergenic and dermatologist tested.

If you're like me, pale as a ghost especially during the Winter months, this product is heaven-sent!

Retractable Eyeliners ($9.95/each - now $7.95!)
Retractable pencil with integrated sharpener. Rich, intense colours and creamy texture that glides easily.
Waterproff and long-lasting formula. Opthalmologist Tested. Waterproof. 12h wear!
A must-have for a decadent dose of resistant colour!

I love the way this eyeliner glides onto my eyes and the colours are very pretty! One of my favourite eyeliners!

Marcelle DD Cream ($26.95)
Beyond BB Cream, DD defense daytime Cream with SPF 25 is a cream colored all-in-one that not only corrects but also protects your skin from external aggressions.

Courtesy of Annabelle Cosmetics and Marcelle, you can win a lovely Beauty Prize Pack which consists of these CAC favourites featured!

To enter, leave a comment below telling me which of these products you are most excited to try and why below.
Additional entries in rafflecopter.

Contest open to Canadian Residents only.
Ends 12/12.

Good luck!

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12 Days of Giveaways: Day 3 with Mastermind Toys

Before when I use to ask my child or my niece or nephew what they wanted for their Birthday or for Christmas and they would reply with some sort of toy, my response would usually be less than absorbed.

Yes, I sadly caught the BA (Boring Adult) Syndrome.

I forgot how much toys not only brought joy and elation to a child on Christmas morning, but the many adventures and education it actually brought as well.

I learned to count as a toddler using toys. I learned to walk using toys. I grasped math and science growing up with toys. 

We grow up and we forget the value of play.

What I admire about Mastermind Toys is that they carry only the best quality selection of toys that get your brain and body going along with art of play. There's nothing wasted nor humdrum about them.

You can rest assured what you purchase from Mastermind Toys will always be a great buy! 

Two toys that I really enjoyed (along with my children of course) and found to be so interesting is the Tegu Magnetic Wooden Building Blocks and the Hexbug Aquabots!

Create colourful structures with this beautiful set of Tegu Magnetic Wooden Building Blocks! Tinted in bright colours and featuring magnets, Tegu is ready to inspire creative designs and lots of fun for young builders! Complete with a set of 4 Tegu Magnetic Wooden Wheels, this 42 piece, large building set allows for the construction of structures as well as rolling vehicle creations!

ARV $109.99, mastermindtoys.com

My daughter, son, husband, brother, sister, mom, dad, nephew, neighbour, friend... LOVED building with the Tegu Magnetic Wooden Building Blocks. Age on the box says 0-99 for a reason -- it's so much fun! 

Because of their amazing quality and structure, this is one toy that is sure to last many, many years. Possibly even a hand-me-down to my future grand-kids!

My daughter loves underwater life. She is begging me for a big aquarium filled with fish, turtles, starfish, sharks, manta rays, octopus and more. 

I guess for now we will settle with these cool "robo-fish" as my husband likes to call them.

The Hexbug Aquabot is the first water-born Hexbug micro robotic creature with smart fish technology! Powered by electro-magnetic propulsion, this swimming fish propels itself to explore its environment. The colourful Hexbug Aquabot offers kids the fun experience of having a pet fish, without all the messy clean-up. The Aquabots are equipped with an automatic on and off sensor that activates when submerged in water, a design element meant to get kids thinking about the science behind the robot.

ARV $8.99/each, mastermindtoys.com

This is one stocking stuffer of small gift idea that will please any child! No matter how picky they can be!

To learn more, visit Mastermind Toys at www.mastermindtoys.com.

Courtesy of Mastermind Toys, we are bringing the exciting gift of play with a Tegu 42-Piece Wooden Building Block Set (Tints) and 2 Hexbug Aquabots {ARV $128}!

To enter, leave a comment below telling me why you think PLAY is so important for your child.

Open to Canadian Residents only.

Contest ends 12/12.

Good luck!

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12 Days of Giveaways: Day 2 with Nando's

When you get a taste of something absolutely delicious, the essence and aroma of that dish leaves an imprint and makes you craving more.

This was the case the first time I tried Nando's famous Portuguese, flame-grilled, butterfly-cut PERi-PERi chicken. It's just chicken you say? No, my friends, it's not just chicken. It's peri-licious chicken that you will fall head over tail-feathers for.

Nando's chickens are sourced locally in Canada, butterfly-cut and trimmed of excess fat before being marinated for 24 hours so that the flavour goes right through to the bone.  This is what makes Nando’s so tender and flavourful.  All of their chicken is made fresh to order so when you place your order, we flame-grill, baste it first with their delicious Lemon and Herb marinade, and then add your choice of heat from Lemon and Herb, Medium, Hot and Extra Hot PERi-PERi sauce.  Once the chicken has been browned to a golden perfection, it is ready to plate and brought right to your table.

Okay, I don't know about you but I am starving!

I love me some heat in my food, so I love my Nando's Peri-Peri chicken with either medium sauce or my favourite, the garlic sauce (lemon and herb). It adds such a unique yet appetizing piquancy, coupled with the natural juices flowing from the perfectly cooked and marinated chicken. Pair it with your choice of side (I usually grab either the Peri-Peri Fries or Potato Wedges, Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Spiced Rice). 

If you're not really into spicy food, you can go with the lemon and herb (garlic) sauce or none at all (the chicken is good by itself!).

They sell their variety of Peri-Peri sauces in major grocery stores and they are a great addition to your kitchen to zest up your meals!

This holiday season, give them something they can surely use and appreciate -- Gift Cards are now available at Nando's restaurants across Canada! They are fully reloadable and can be purchased at any amount you like!

It's the PERi-fect gift!

To learn more about Nando's, visit them at www.nandos.ca.

They're also social! Find them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Courtesy of Nando's, win the PERi-fect gift with this amazing Nando's Gift set which consists of Peri-Peri Sauces, a lovely apron, a Coffee Table Book about the history of Peri-Peri including delicious recipes and a voucher for a full Family Meal (an over $50 value!)

To win, leave a comment below telling me which Nando's Sauce you love most or think you'd love -- Are you more Garlic, Medium or Hot Sauce?

Contest open to Canadian Residents only.

Ends December 12th, 2013.

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12 Days of Giveaways: Day 1 with Hasbro

I remember my childhood wish lists so fondly. How each year as I grew, the transformation would show in my selection.

Times have truly changed! Now offering cool technology and inventive and captivating toys that really get your child so involved in play.

Two of the toys that have entertained and become family favourites in our home this year (with both kids and adults) is the brand new Furby Boom and the popular new KRE-O Cityville Invasion.

Get ready, because Furby Boom is the beginning of an adventure! A New Generation Is Hatching on the free Furby Boom app, where you and your Furby Boom can collect digital eggs, hatch them, and raise a city of virtual Furby Furblings. The Furby Boom experience combines real-world interactions with virtual play for a game that will keep you coming back for more.

Your Furby Boom responds to you, changes personalities based on how you treat it, dances to your music, speaks Furbish and, more than anything, wants to connect with you!

What's great about this toy is that your child really feels responsible caring for her/his Furby Boom and the personality changes according to how it's treated. I love that!

So since we decided on no puppy this year (kids still too young) -- this may just be the next best idea for little ones! Their very own Furby Boom pet!

The city-building fun of CityVille comes to life! 

Build your own city with the CityVille Invasion KRE-O sets and defend it from invasion. You can use the 431 pieces in this Skyscraper Mayhem set to build a skyscraper and 3 vehicles. Then it's time for your Vance Valor to battle your Dr. Mayhem figure for control of the city! Will your Amy Apekeeper figure be able to stop your Zape figure from climbing a skyscraper? Get your Banana Boy, TN Teeter, Colonel Bullet figures into the action! Who will your mystery Kreon figure turn out to be? There's only one way to find out! The set's Sonic Motion brick makes real city sounds! Use the 5 motion bricks to make your Kreon figures move. Get building with the Skyscraper Mayhem set!

This is the perfect building set for hours of fun and once it's complete, seeing your CityVille come to life right before your eyes, adds to the thrill of play! This is such a fantastic toy for boys and girls that love construction!

To learn more about these amazing toys and more, click here visit Hasbro.

Enter to win a Furby Boom AND KRE-O CityVille Invasion Skyscraper Mayhem Set!

Leave me a comment below telling me Why your child would LOVE to own one of these toys.

Open to Canadian Residents only.

Ends December 12th, 2013.

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An Arctic Holiday this Holiday Season with The Home Depot #HDHolidays

My favourite Holiday is fast approaching and I thought I would start early at my decorating inside my home.
I wanted something fresh, festive yet elegant. So when I first laid my eyes on The Home Depot's new beautiful Martha Stewart Collection of Holiday Décor, I knew right away which theme I wanted for my home.
The Home Depot recently introduced five brand new Holiday Collections from Martha Stewart:

• Winter Berry Collection: Timeless and classic with with a colour palette of Christmas red, champagne gold and chocolate brown.
• Arctic Holiday: An elegant, snow-covered Arctic theme with a fanciful colour palette of ice white, silver, gun metal and frosted blue.
• Celebrate: A stately and sophisticated play on the classics with this elegant, traditional palette of gold and brown with a touch holiday sparkle.
• Midnight Holiday: A modern twist on traditional favourites with a contemporary colour palette of chartreuse, gun metal and dusty navy.
• Metallic Woodland: Embellishing the classic forest theme with a metallic sheen and gold-luster and silver leaf finishes. Colour palette includes: copper, champagne, charcoal, warm silver and gold.

As beautiful as they all are, my contemporary yet elegant style gravitated very quickly towards the Arctic Theme.

I visited my local Home Depot to begin my holiday decor shopping and felt like a kid in a candy store!

Upon entering, the beauty of the season illuminated throughout with a line-up of The Home Depot's newest collections including old favourites, lights, exterior decor pieces and artificial Christmas trees.

I love how they separated the decor by the themes. Easier to find things!

You can never have enough garland throughout the home!

Do you think my husband would mind if I had the Eiffel Tower on my front lawn? Love it!

These white deer are absolutely stunning. Planning to include in my exterior decor.

I really appreciated how they laid out all the decor items separating by theme which made it so much more easier to find the pieces you wanted.

The items I picked up for my Arctic Holiday Theme included:

• Shatter-Resistant Ornaments Silver And Blue 75 Pieces – 80mm ARV $34.95
• 3 Piece Set Christmas Tree Trim ARV $7.86
• 2 Silver Table Top Penguin, Assorted Selection - 12 Inch (Loved these!) ARV $12.98
• 17 Inch Silver Glitter Star Tree Topper (which I used atop my mantle as part of my mantle top decor) ARV $14.97
• 4 Stocking Hangers - 7 Inch (I got one for each member of my family!) ARV $9.95
• Owls Ornaments - White & Silver - 6 Piece ARV $7.82
• 6 Inch Silver Owl Tea Light Ceramic ARV $7.87
• Polyresin Solid Nutcracker, Silver/White-14 Inch ARV $12.88/each

And a few other decor pieces like large finial ornaments matching the theme and lots of silver and white sparkly picks. I personally love adding picks and flowers to my Christmas tree. It's truly all in the details.

They add some pretty texture and glimmer to your tree and help it to really stand out.

Another thing you want to keep in mind when decorating your tree is to mix it up with the size and shapes of the ornaments. Do a mix of a big and small, finial and round, and of course, ornaments of sentimental value -- those that you have collected over the years -- you want to make sure you display those as well.

For the fireplace mantle, make sure to create a nice vignette -- it is, after all, a visual work of art for you and your guests over the holidays and tells a story!

I love how my mantle turned out! What do you think?

Add some of your ornaments in a Hurricane Vase for a lovely effect.

The beautiful combination of silver, white and frosted blue couples so well with my white bookshelves and fireplace. We also had to purchase new throw pillows to fit in with the theme. Remember to take everything in the environment into consideration when decorating for the holidays.

And less is definitely more. You don't want to overdue your decor either. Grab some key pieces and then add some little touches. A ton of large items or items of the same size and colour, would really throw everything off. Imagine if everything I put up was only silver... wouldn't be as appealing would it?

When decorating our tree, we added a lot of new beautiful Arctic Holiday pieces but also coupled with personal ornaments that we have collected over the years that hold a special meaning to us.

Our tree topper Angel is one of them and thankfully she's in white!

Dragonflies & kids' first ornaments are among a few of the sentimental ornaments on the tree.

And what Christmas tree isn't complete without a little train track?

We definitely had to pick up the Christmas Tree Train from The Home Depot as well for our little ones. 

A must!

Instead of placing around the tree (which you can do), we opted to place on the floor around the tree. Not only was it enchanting and sweet, it also served as distraction away from our ornaments from a very curious toddler! Win-win!

Our little boy was so captivated! 

Thank you to The Home Depot for helping us create more special and beautiful memories in our home this holiday season.

To learn more about The Home Depot's Exclusive Martha Stewart Holiday Collections, click here.

You can also visit them on Facebook and Twitter @HomeDepotCanada.

To view my shopping experience and more photos, enter hashtag #HDHolidays on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Are you excited to start decorating? Have you started already? 

I'd love to know what your holiday decor inspiration is this year!

And here's some more fantastic news! The Home Depot is being featured in my upcoming CAC 2013 Holiday Gift Guide and also donating an awesome prize for the DIYer on your Christmas List!

Stay tuned!

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Disclosure: I received compensation to complete this review and reveal; however, as always all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

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Reflections of Christmas

As the year draws to a close and we near the fun and festivities of the Holiday Season, you start to really reminisce about Holiday visions and what each past Christmas has brought to your memory bank.

Dating back to the days when paying mortgage bills and stressing about work deadlines were virtually non-existent and the only thing that mattered during the Holiday season was if I was finally going to see Santa and especially if the doll I really wanted was going to be wrapped underneath the tree... some of the best memories in my life have been on Christmas Day.

Left: Toothless Grin, happy 7 year old Carol on Christmas Day | Right: 20 year old Carol receiving gift from Grandma         

Age does not exist on Christmas mornings -- I still get that thrill myself (and perhaps even still BELIEVE that Santa does exist... he does, doesn't he?)

Christmas matters a great deal to me and my family.
It's not only another Holiday for us, but a special time to show our love for one another and celebrate the special joy of the season with lots of fun, laughter, and good food!
Our saying: "Always leave with full hearts and full tummies!"

Come with me along the years as I reflect on past Christmas'...

My daughter's first Christmas! [Christmas 2008]

Christmas 2009 - Ava with Grandpa E 

This picture is particularly special to us and Ava. This past year we lost our Father (and her Grandpa) and oh did he adore Ava. This was her first Christmas spent with him at his place when she was a year and a half. Here he is chuckling as he patiently adds the ornaments back to the tree that Ava would constantly remove in her toddler curiousity and playfulness and then run towards her stack of presents!
Such a sweet memory.

Christmas 2010 

Christmas 2011

 Presents!

Santa is here! Ava's excitement cannot be contained. The joy in Children's faces is priceless.

Baby Talan's First Christmas! [Christmas 2012]

What a lovely walk down the candy cane-lined memory lane.

As I prepare for the upcoming 2013 Christmas, one other must-do is to have my children write Santa a letter telling him what was on their Wish list.

Sears makes it so much more easier with their brilliant and jam-packed Sears Wish Book.
We look forward to it every year!

Check out the markings on Ava's Sears Wish Book a couple years back. I told her to mark in purple crayon what she wanted. Can you tell someone loved Hello Kitty? I love that Sears categorizes their Wish Book to fit all ages and preferences for kids of all ages!

Did I mention I was recently selected as a new #SearsMom Ambassador?

This of course is not only exciting for me and my family but fitting as we are loyal and happy customers of Sears! You can follow along on social media via hashtag #SearsMom!

I LOVE their Sears' Top Toys Selection which you can find on their website in their Toy Shop.

Visit the Toy Shop here!

My son has the Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Crawl Around Car and it's definitely a MUST-HAVE for growing and exploratory toddlers.

Big Hugs Elmo is also another great gift idea this year for young kids. He hugs you back! 

My daughter has her sights set on the LeapFrog LeapPad Ultra Tablet (this makes me happy as a mother as she's not only playing but learning!) 

My future doctor also has a LOVE for Doc McStuffins and playing doc so this Top Toy, Disney Doc McStuffins Get Better Check-Up Centre is definitely on her Wish List!

EXCITING CONTEST!

Starting Friday November 15th, and each Friday following (until December 13th), Sears will be hosting a Friday Daily Facebook contest GIVEAWAY! They’ll be giving away one of their top and hottest holiday toys – and all you have to do is leave a comment. How easy is that?

Visit them on Facebook here.

Here's to many more special Holiday memories!

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Disclosure: I am part of the Sears Mom Ambassador program with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

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