Quality Choo-Choo Time with the New Thomas & Friends™ DVD and Train Sets #FP_Thomas

The other day during a phone chat with my very pregnant sister, I listened, laughed and sympathized as she told me how difficult the easy day-to-day tasks were now that her tummy was the size of a small watermelon.  I remembered very well what she felt like having only been in her position last year.
These conversations I have with my family and friends are always a great way to de-stress during my hectic days.
I grab my warm cup of coffee once the kids are either down for a nap or my husband is home and appreciate the adult conversation -- where talking about anything but imaginary friends, why ice cream is not considered a crucial part of your diet or Baby Jibberish is welcome with open arms.

Once dinner has been enjoyed, my family usually likes to put on our runners, comfiest sweats and take a stroll around the neighbourhood.  It's a great way to decompress for all of us! We get in the fresh air, a little exercise and the kids enjoy looking around and discovering things different in their environment each time.
Especially during Fall and before the sun retreats into the sky - it's absolutely beautiful!

Another thing we love to do with our kids after a busy day after dinner is hang out together in the rec room and either watch a movie together or some creative play time.
It's great because I noticed how much more my daughter talks to us about her day and that she remembers when she's so enthralled in play.
Win-win!

One of my children's favourite character of all-time is Thomas the Train!
They even sing along to the theme songs every single time - it happens to be my son's favourite tune. I admit, I can't help but sing along too! It's so catchy!

"They're 2, they're 4, they're 6 and 8. Shunting trucks and hauling freight. Red and green and brown and blue; they're a really useful crew..."
(You know the lyrics, don't you?)

What I love most it that they deliver messages about important values through imaginative, relatable storytelling and characters… and always in the friendliest, most engaging ways!

Fisher-Price’s Thomas & Friends™ recently came out with a new awesome DVD, King of the Railway, which was released on September 24th.

Join Thomas & Friends as they embark on a legendary movie adventure! The steam team's quest begins when a special guest arrives on Sodor with a big surprise and important jobs for Thomas, Percy and James. The engines meet new friends and discover suits of armour; coats of arms and legends of long-ago heroes. Then their bravery is put to the test when their new friend Stephen goes missing. Will Thomas find him in time? Will the engines discover the truth about the Island of Sodor's biggest mystery? It's a crusade of knightly proportions for Thomas & Friends in this epic movie!

My son LOVES, loves, loves trains! So much so that my husband is really considering constructing him his very own massive Railway from his own design.
But of course, that's wishful thinking right now so perhaps we'll just stick with heading over to our closest toy store and picking up one of the latest Thomas & Friends™ Train Sets!

Have you seen them yet? They are super duper cute!

Thomas & Friends™ Thomas’ Adventure Castle Playset

Inspired by the new Thomas & Friends™ adventure, King of the Railway, Thomas’ Adventure Castle puts movie-size fun right in the hands of your little engineer! It’s time to get Ulfstead Castle ready for the Earl of Sodor’s celebration, so Thomas and the Troublesome Truck are racing down the track to get the job done! As they zoom downward, the flags unfurl and the treasure is revealed! Thomas and Troublesome Truck come together at the bottom to knock down the drawbridge as the knights arrive! Then they load up the King’s treasure to display for all to see!
For ages 3+.

Thomas & Friends™ Trackmaster™ Castle Quest Set

Inspired by the new Thomas & Friends™ DVD movie, King of the Railway, the TrackMaster™ Quest for the Crown Set features Thomas’ journey for the missing King’s crown. Can your little engineer help him navigate the crumbling castle grounds and emerge with the prize? Use the crane to swing the missing track in place so Thomas can continue on his journey as walls collapse around him. He needs to chuff through the castle before the gate drops down, then descend into the abandoned mine and escape with the crown! With excitement around every turn, the TrackMaster™ Quest for the Crown Set provides endless entertainment for your little engineer!
Requires 1 AA Battery
For ages 3+.

If you've got some Thomas & Friends Lovers in your family, these would definitely be a great addition and the perfect way to unwind and spend some quality "choo-choo" time with the kids.

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Disclosure: I am part of the Fisher-Price Thomas & Friends Blogger Campaign 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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Why Hugs Mean So Much featuring #BigHugsElmo plus #Giveaway

I remember the time when I was a 6 and my dad removed my training wheels for the first time.
The feeling of riding freely on two wheels on my big girl bike on my very own was incredible.
But when I fell off and scraped my knees and arms, I also remember the pain. Oh, the pain was so bad. My mom cleaned my horrible wounds with alcohol (how I hated that alcohol) and the stinging made it even worse.
My tears would not stop but the moment my mom wrapped her arms around me and squeezed me tightly close to her (I could feel her beating heart going so quickly because she was feeling my pain too) I felt so much better.
This was one of the first memories of my childhood that I can actually still remember.

I was 15 years old, my parents just picked me up from my close friends house after a day filled with laughter, and you know, all that fun teenage girl stuff.
I was on a natural high when I stepped into my parents car ready to head home for dinner.
I noticed my mom was quiet and didn't even greet me.
My dad looked somber.
What was going on here? Did I do something wrong?
As we moved along, my dad suddenly broke the cold silence. "Your Lola Pay (Lola means Grandma)..." I became frozen in my seat.
My grandma (my mom's mom) was like my 2nd mother. She took care of me for many years and I had a very close bond to her. It wasn't until she moved back to her country across the other side of the world that she got very sick. I didn't even realize how sick she was. I would talk to her on the phone and see pictures of her beautiful, smiling face. She never showed her pain or sorrow around us, ever.
"Lola Pay passed away today."
 My eyes started to burn from forcing my tears in... I didn't want to cry in front of my mom.
When we got home, my mom, like a zombie and without words for the remainder of the night, crawled into her bed and slept for the rest of the day.
I couldn't even imagine how she must have felt. Losing a mom? She was extremely close to her mom.
I remember walking into her room after I had my cry and then embracing my mom for the longest time.
I can't even recall when a hug meant so much then that very moment.
My shoulders wet from my moms tears and mine, it was the hug that mattered so much that night. No words, just the hug.

It's amazing how much hugs can really help and make a difference in how a person feels.
Whether you're a child, a baby, a teenager or an adult... everyone can always use a good hug.

I was thrilled to be selected as a new ambassador for the latest must-have plush toy of 2013 from Hasbro, Playskool's Big Hugs Elmo!

My kids have always had a love for Sesame Street and especially for that happy little Elmo!

There's something about the colour red and his friendly and positive disposition that makes kids feel comfortable and excited.

It's also great to know that Big Hugs Elmo has recently been awarded the PTPA Seal!

I didn't tell my children that they were expecting Big Hugs Elmo to be delivered to us, so I was pleasantly surprised at my daughters reaction when it got to us!

The fact that Elmo finally hugs you back is ginormous in the eyes of a 4 year old and 12 month old (and umm... a 30 year old too).

But that's not all he does!

Elmo is so super smart that he says things and reacts depending on how he's being held. Very responsive!

He also sings 3 different songs including for nap time.

My son takes Elmo ev-ery-where.

It's actually quite challenging to have a Big Hugs Elmo hanging around on an already small change table when trying to change a 12 month old's dirty diaper.
But overall, it's really special seeing how my kids react and feel about having Big Hugs Elmo around.
It's definitely a must-have for your child, especially if they love Elmo! And who doesn't love Elmo?

“A hug is a great gift. One size fits all. And it’s easy to share!” – Playskool

I'm thrilled to be giving a Big Hugs Elmo away courtesy of Hasbro to one of my lucky readers.
I will also be giving away another one for next month as well, so stay tuned!

The contest closes October 18th, 2013.
Open to Canada (including Quebec) and US residents.

1) Leave me a comment below telling me when a hug meant so much
2) Additional entries available via rafflecopter below

Good luck! And don't forget to give someone a nice, big hug today!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure: I am participating in the Hasbro Big Hugs Elmo Blogger Campaign by PTPA Media and received compensation as a thank you for participating. The opinions expressed on this blog are my very own.

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Mastermind Toys Must-Have: The Janod Graffiti 3-in-1 Adjustable Easel & #Giveaway

It takes a village to raise a child they say.

Before I had children, I was always curious as to why this quote came about.

Sure children can be a lot of work but a village really?

Now I totally get it.

As kids get older and older, your role as a parent is not only to be their provider, comforter, kisser of boo-boos, personal chef, diaper changer (I can go on FORever), but also to do your part in making sure they continue to learn each day.

Molding their wings as I say.

As absorbent as these little sponges can be, they can also get quite bored if play is not part of their day-to-day activities.

So, finding the right type of toy that will keep your child engaged, learning and having fun is key.

When we purchase toys for our children, one of the things that we make sure is that we're purchasing quality products.  They're kids! Something will be bound to break or topple over putting not only them in danger physically, but *cough* putting dad and mom's wallet in danger too.

Do you know how much we spent on toys alone solely because of poor construction? What a waste!

My daughter turned 4 a couple of months ago and instead of putting her into JK, we made the conscious decision to home-school her for this year.

Another contributing factor to this was because our newly born son just happened to grace us with his presence the same week she was to start school.  It was very tough to accommodate both schedules at the time, so this truly was the best choice.

One of the best items we added to our pseudo-classroom in the rec room (aka children's playroom), was the Janod Graffiti 3-in-1 Adjustable Easel with Magnetic Dry Erase and Chalkboard from Mastermind Toys.

Going back to what I was talking about when I mentioned quality items, Mastermind Toys is just about the embodiment of top-notch toys.

They are a specialty toy retailer that provides educational toys, books, games and so much more!

They choose products that awaken creativity, encourage curiosity, enhance motor skills, develop imagination, challenge thinking and offer children hours of fun!

QUAL-I-TY.

So I began to incorporate our new Janod Easel into our daily "class" and it has really helped with engaging our little girl in her learning.

She enjoys writing on the chalkboard (it makes her feel like she's really in-class), doodling and writing on the dry erase board and another thing we love about this easel -- the top of the easel  has a paper roll that comes down so she can paint or draw and you can just cut it off and keep to hang.

There's so much included with the Janod 3-in-1 Easel including: adjustable easel with magnetic dry erase board and blackboard, box of 5 white chalk pieces and 5 coloured chalk pieces, 6 magnets, magnetic paper holder, roll of 18" easel paper, eraser, dry erase marker, 2 no-spill paint pots, removable red tray.

The only thing you have to watch for with smaller kids is the residue from the chalk. The chalk board and dry erase board need to be cleaned with a damp cloth often as it does tend to leave some leftover staining.

You'll have to check out the product on their website! To read more, click here.

The Janod Graffiti 3-in-1 Adjustable Easel with Magnetic Dry Erase and Chalkboard retails for $64.95 CDN but truly worth every penny.  It grows with your child and also a great keepsake.  

I think I'd even use it in the kitchen area after the kids get too big to write down daily menus, quotes, messages, etc. Just add a little of your own paint and there you go!

Cool idea, huh?! 

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

So, if the thought of running out and purchasing one of these babies aren't exciting enough for you, here's something that may help!  

Courtesy of Mastermind Toys, one lucky CAC reader is eligible to win a $50 Gift Card to Mastermind Toys.

To be eligible, simply enter via rafflecopter below.

**OPEN TO CANADIANS only**

Ends February 8th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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