Mom Knows Everything

Mother's Day is quickly approaching and many of us mothers have already been asked what we would like for Mother's Day. One of my most precious Mother's Day gifts I received was a ring with the birthstone of my daughter in it that I got for the first Mother's Day after my daughter was born. For this Mother's Day I would like something with a birthstone in it for my son like this one here I found at a great jewelry website called www.GalaxyGold.com. They have a great selection of jewelry and Mother's Day Jewelry at great prices. They even have a Mother's Day Sale going on right now where you can save 15% off on all jewelry with this code: B2011M. Make sure you order now to save as the promo ends on May 15, 2011.

Mother's Day is a special day and it can be even more special with a gift of birthstone jewelry of their child. Not only will it be treasured, but it is also something that can be passed down to the child. Make sure you remember the mother in your life and show her just how special she is by giving her a gift she will treasure for a lifetime.

My family loves cinnamon rolls and here is my recipe for them, but I have to warn you first that they are so good you'll eat more than one and if you eat too many you might need some diet pills like colonoxy because they good, but fattening.

- 2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 6 cups flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup white sugar, 1/3 cup brown sugar & 3 tablespoons cinnamon mixed together
- butter to spread
- icing (optional)

In large bowl dissolve yeast, 1/3 cup sugar in warm water. Stir in salt and 2 cups of flour. Beat the mixture for 2 minutes and then beat in the eggs and oil. Add remaining flour a little at a time. Knead mixture on floured surface for 5 minutes. Let rise in bowl for 40 minutes. Roll out dough,
grease top with butter and sprinkle on cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll up and cut. Place in greased pan and let rise again for 40 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Icing if desired.

With the price of gasoline these days often people do not drive unless they have to. Who can afford to take a Sunday drive? A great way to save money on gas is by having your car running in good working order. Simple things like low tire air can increase the amount of gas you use. Another things like having a 'Check Engine' light also should be addressed quickly.

Now not everyone is a mechanic or knows a lot about cars, but don't worry there is a great website that can help you figure out what exactly is going on with your car. RepairPal.com has a Check Engine Light section gives you lots of useful information about what the 'Check Engine' light means and what could be wrong with your car.

Having a good working car is a necessity, not only for your daily life, but also it's a great way to save money on the cost of gas.


This is a sponsored post to help you with your car and saving money.

Almost every home now has a computer. It's a necessity these days as we use them in our daily lives for work, banking, and managing our bills and budget. A great way to organize all your stuff is by having a secretary desk with hutch. Not only are they stylish, but they are practical too. They help to organize and keep all your paperwork and information in one place. Being a mother means we have so much to do and spending time looking for a certain piece of paper is a waste of precious time we could be spending with our children. Having an organized home office is a practical and prefect way to make life a little more easy.

We all know where Santa Claus lives and recently had much discussion about where the Easter Bunny lives, but what about the Tooth Fairy? Recently my son lost a tooth and started asking all kinds of questions about the Tooth Fairy.

Where does the Tooth Fairy live? In my opinion, like most fairies the Tooth Fairy lives in a secret place, either in the forest some where or up in the sky in a magical invisible place.

Why does the Tooth Fairy do with all the teeth? Now this is a hard one. Some think that the Tooth Fairy turns the teeth into the money or gift she leaves under the pillow and others think she uses the tooth in some way for her magical powers. I guess you would have to ask the Tooth Fairy to be sure.

What do you think?

Have you heard of Matryoshka dolls? They are often known as the Russian Nesting Dolls and basically they are wooden dolls that decrease in size and fit into one another. They have been popular for over a hundred years and have been not only considered a toy, but also a collectors item. I found this great website called www.MatryoshkaNestingDolls.com that has a great collection of them in a variety of themes from Christmas to Fairytale and more. All the dolls are hand painted and vary in height and number according to the type.

If you are looking for Matryoshka dolls or would like to find out more about them then this is the place you need to check out.


This post was brought to you by your friends at www.matryoshkanestingdolls.com . Click here for my disclosure policy.

We all know that as a mother we prefer homemade gifts for Mothers Days. There is nothing more beautiful and special than a gift made by your child's own hands. With the help of Red Toolbox your child can build various things while having fun and learning building skills. We recently received some wonderful tools and a kit from Red Toolbox and my kids were so excited to get started with them.

Red Toolbox is a complete world of tools specifically designed to suit a child's grip, complemented by a wide selection of original woodworking kits and a workbench. These woodworking projects for kids teach and apply various skills according to the level of difficulty.

I was very impressed with their products. These are real quality tools. Not only are they the perfect size for a child's hand, but as a woman I find that my husbands tools are often too big for my hands and these Red Toolbox tools are a much better fit for my hands. The next time I need to use a tool I'll be reaching for these Red Toolbox tools instead of my husbands.

Red Toolbox offers a variety of tools, tool sets, and wood building sets. Here are the ones we received.

Cordless Drill

A cordless drill enables you to drill holes and screw bolts into wood pieces.
Use with different fixtures for various uses.
Technical: Battery 7.2V, NI-CD 800mAh, With Light, 3-5 Hours Charger, 8mm Keyless Chuck. Includes: 1pc PH 1 bit, 1pc bit Holder, 1 pc 3.5mm bit Drill
$19.98 at Lowes




8 Piece Tool Set

Includes: Goggles, Tape Measure, Philips Screwdriver, flat screwdriver, Hammer, Saw, File, 2" clamp
$14.98 at Lowes








Jewelry Case Building Kit

Two drawers and a top shelf for all your prized possessions: from jewelry to notes, junk to knickknacks, this is the place for it all.
$17.98 at Lowes






Not only do I think these are great products, but I also love how it's a great way to spend time with your child by helping them and teaching them how to build. Your child will definitely always remember when they were younger learning how to hammer, saw, and build. Not only will these be special memories for your child, but also special memories for you whether you are the one helping them or the one receiving the gift that they made. If you are looking for a special Mothers Day gift this year then why not give a gift both your children and the mom can enjoy and treasure by getting the kids to make any of the wonderful wooden building kits like a jewelry box or bird house from Red Toolbox.


As you can see from this picture the kids enjoyed making the jewelry box and are very proud of it. I know my mother-in-law will love getting it for Mothers Day and love it even more because it was made by the kids.

You can learn more information about Red Toolbox and their products by going to their website www.red-toolbox.com. Red Toolbox products are available in the U.S. at Lowes.


The products in this review were given to me free of charge. My review and opinions are not influenced by this or any source, they are my honest opinion of the product. No other form of compensation has been given. I am not responsible for the statements made by the sponsoring companies or it's affiliates. Click here for my disclosure policy.

Just because your a parent doesn't mean you can't live out your dreams. I've always thought it would be amazing to learn how to skydive. I was checking out skydiving lessons online and I found this amazing website called www.adrenalin.com.au that offers a lot of exciting adventures that can help you live out your dreams of skydiving, hot air ballooning, race car driving, and more. Not only do they offer a wide variety of adventures to chose from, but they also offer gift vouchers that you can give to someone special to help them live their dream.

It's never too late to fulfill your dreams and your never too old for a new adventure.


This post was brought to you by your friends at www.adrenalin.com.au. Click here for my disclosure policy.

Have you finished your Easter shopping yet? There is only today and Saturday to finish picking up what you need and if you haven't finished up yet then I suggest you head on out to the store soon. The thing with waiting until the last minute is that you can catch some great deals, but the selection is usually limited. Thankfully I finished yesterday and the stores were packed. I imagine over the next two shopping days cash registers will be ringing and usb barcode scanners will be beeping a lot.

If you find any great Easter shopping deals you want to share then leave them in the comment section.

The next couple of months are busy ones for special occasions. Easter is just a few days away and then it's Mother's Day and then shortly after it's Father's Day. Out of all these three holidays one might think that as a mother Mother's Day would be my favorite. Sure I like getting flowers, cards, and breakfast in bed, but in actually Father's Day is my favorite day. We make Father's Day a family fun day. Sometimes we go to the zoo, take the kids fishing, or simply let the kids decide what they want to do. Sure, it's Father's Day, but what would Father's Day be without children.

Along with the family outing we go on we always have a barbecue. That is one thing Dad insists on as my husband loves to barbecue. I started searching online for Father's Day gifts for him because sometimes it's hard to find that perfect gift. This time I think I found the perfect gift for him, an All-Weather Fire Steel. It's guaranteed to light even when soaking wet which makes it perfect for not only barbecuing, but also camping which is another thing my husband loves to do.

Father's Day to us is a day to show Dad just how much we love and appreciate him, but it's also a day to spend some quality time together as a family.

I've signed up for the Life Made Delicious email from General Mills Canada. The send me email newsletters with hints, tips, coupons, and recipes. My latest email from them was filled with all kinds of wonderful Easter recipes including ones for sheep and chick cupcakes pictured here. I know any kid would love to have them as a snack in their lunch box or hiking backpacks.

If you want to find out the recipe for these and many other great Easter sweets recipes all you have to do is click this link to take you to the Life Made Delicious Easter Sweets recipe section. While you are there you can also sign up to get their newsletter also to make sure you don't miss out on any of their great recipes, handy hints and tips, and coupons.

Every year at Easter time one thing my kids love to do is decorate Easter eggs. This year my son is really into VeggieTales and when we were at the Christan Book Store we saw they had a VeggieTales Easter Egg Coloring Kit and I knew it was the perfect one for this years egg coloring. The kit comes with dye packets, VeggieTales shrink warpers, VeggieTales stickers, dipping spoon and stands. It's a pretty standard kit, but since it's VeggieTales the kids enjoyed it even more.

I stood my ground. I wouldn't give up. I fought it with everything I had, but alas it was too much for me....I was defeated. At first I just ignored it thinking it would go away, and then when that didn't work I fought it tooth and nail. I did everything I could think of to win. I used everything trick I heard of....I took vitamin C, I drank honey tea, I rested, but alas the flu won. These past few days I've been sick as a dog with the flu and hopefully be the end of the weekend I'll start to feel more like myself. The flu got the best of me.

With Easter less than 2 weeks away my kids are getting into the Easter spirit. We have all our Easter decorations up and they have been watching the Easter movies we have. One movie that they keep asking for to watch that I can not find as it must have been misplaces is The Easter Bunny Is Coming To Town. That is mine and my daughters favorite Easter movie and since I can't find it any more I told the kids that I would buy a new copy of it for them.

While I was out shopping the other day I saw The Easter Bunny Is Coming To Town DVD for $9.99. I also saw Yogi The Easter Bear for $9.99 also and since my kids love Yogi Bear ever since they saw the movie I knew I had to get that as well. Just as I picked up the two DVDs and started to walk away I saw this DVD, 3-Pack Fun Easter, that had both Yogi The Easter Bear, The Easter Bunny Is Coming To Town, and The First Easter Rabbit for $19.99. I put the other two DVDs back and got this one instead because for the price of the two movies I got a third one also. The kids love the extra movie and it was a great deal as basically I got the third one for free.

I purchased these movies at Atlantic Superstore in the Entertainment section so if you are looking for a great buy on Easter movies for your kids this is something you should check out.

Congratulations to Glogirl for being the winner of my latest contest, Win a $20 Tim Hortons Gift Card for Stone Cold Creamery. I will be in touch with you shortly and enjoy your ice cream.

Thank you to all who entered and be sure to check back regularly for new contests.

There is only a few days left to enter to win my current contest, Win a $20 Tim Hortons Gift Card for Stone Cold Creamery. The gift card can be use for Tim Hortons or Coldstone Creamery. Be sure to enter now for a chance to win!

Easter is quickly approaching and I'm dreading it. The Easter Bunny in the past has always brought my kids way too much chocolate. I know, children like chocolate, but how much chocolate does one child really need. There is always so much chocolate that a month later there is still so much left that I get into it and trust me, I don't need it. This year I had a little chat with the Easter Bunny and we decided that instead of bringing so much chocolate he would try to find some healthier options and more practical stuff. I know, kids don't want vegetables in their Easter basket, but a healthier option instead of a lot of chocolate is to have some nuts, raisins, and popcorn, trail mix, pretzels, etc. Of course there will be some chocolate, but there will be healthier options too and there will be more stuff like crayons, bubbles, skipping ropes, and other fun stuff.

When kids think of Easter they automatically think of chocolate bunnies, but that doesn't mean that the Easter basket can have some healthy stuff in it too.

We all know how important good oral health is and having a healthy smile is something that we all want. April is National Oral Health Month and Crest and Oral-B reveal the 2011 Crest and Oral-B Great Canadian Smile Survey with new insights on how Canadians perceive oral care, smile attractiveness and what it means to have a healthy smile. There are some interesting facts revealed in this survey and one that I found extremely interesting is that 33% of survey respondents state that the smile is the most important factor when considering the attractiveness of others, followed by the eyes at 30%. I guess this means that your smile has it all! Another interesting fact that my dentist would find interesting is that 32% of Canadians believe they follow the dentist-recommended regimen of brushing, flossing and rinsing, yet only 16% reported that they actually do.

Since we all know how important good oral health is and because of this we brush, floss, and rinse daily and visit our dentist often. But sometimes all this brushing, flossing, and rinsing still doesn't give us the results we want. This can sometimes be because your techniques aren't right, but often it is because you are not using the proper products. Crest and Oral-B Pro-Health has great products that work wonderfully!

I have always had a problem with tartar build-up. I hate getting my teeth cleaned at the dentist because when they scratch off the tartar build-up it hurts. I honestly would rather have a root canal done than get my teeth cleaned. I've been using the Crest and Oral-B Pro-Health products for a while and ever since I have the tartar build-up on my teeth has gone down an amazing amount. In fact my dentist mentioned to me that my teeth has never looked better and when I got my teeth cleaned there was hardly any tartar there. In fact there was so little tartar build-up that my teeth cleaning was very quick and didn't hurt at all.

If you're like me and had tartar issues then here are some great Crest and Oral-B Pro-Health products that can help you.

Oral-B Pulsar Pro-Health Toothbrush

- Cleans deep
- Stimulates gums
- Gentle on teeth

It features vibrating Micropulse Bristles™ that pivot back and forth to get between teeth, lifting away plaque. The yellow Micropulse Bristles™ feature a rubberized
surface with textured blue cleaning pads. As the bristles penetrate between teeth, the pads grip the surface to help sweep away food and plaque.

This is a great manual toothbrush that reminds me of a electric toothbrush as it vibrates.






Crest Pro-Health Rinse

- Kills germs
- Helps prevent plaque
- Helps prevent gingivitis
- Keeps teeth cleaner
- Freshens breath
- No burning sensation of alcohol

I love this rinse as it does not have the burning sensation most mouth rinses have and it comes in two two great flavours, Refreshing Clean Mint and Cool Wintergreen.








Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste

- Fights sensitivities
- Fights cavities
- Fights tartar
- Whitens teeth
- Freshens breath
- Fights plague
- Fights gingivitis

Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste uses a Polyfluorite System™ to provide protection against cavities, gingivitis, plaque, teeth sensitivity and tartar, plus it freshens your breath with a cool, clean mint flavour.

I think Crest and Oral-B Pro-Health products are amazing. They are the only oral health products I use and because of them my oral health has improved. Even my dentist asked me what I've been doing differently and when I told her the products I used she said she was going to mention it to her patients the success I've had with them. I would definitely recommend Crest and Oral-B Pro-Health products to anyone!

If you want to find out more information about Crest and Oral-B Pro-Health products and how you can improve your oral health then go to www.ProHealthCanada.com.


The product in this review were given to me free of charge. My review and opinions are not influenced by this or any source, they are my honest opinion of the product. No other form of compensation has been given. I am not responsible for the statements made by the sponsoring companies or it's affiliates. Click here for my disclosure policy.

There is a lot of childhood illnesses, but one that I was not familar with is Fifth Disease. I know, by the sound of the name you want to throw on your shoes and rush your child to the nearest hospital, but it's not as bad as the name sounds.

Fifth Disease, according to KidsHealth.org is a viral illness that most kids recover from quickly and without complications and is most common among children aged 5 to 15. It begins with a low-grade fever, headache, and mild cold-like symptoms and after the cold seems to go away your child will develop a rash. The rash first appears as red blotches on their cheeks and then a develops on the arms, legs, and trunk of body. As the rash clears up it takes on a lace-like appearance.

To find out more about about Fifth Disease or if you think your child may have it contact your doctor.

It's April already and that means it's time to start thinking about Easter. We always have a big Easter dinner either at my house or at one of my family members house all depending on whose turn is it to make dinner. One thing I am always in charge of no matter where Easter dinner is at is desert. Now kids usually don't like pie so in order to make the kids happy I always make a special Easter dinner dessert for them. When it comes to Easter all kids love chocolate bunnies and what would be better than a chocolate bunny cake.

This chocolate bunny cake is very simple to make and is sure to be a huge hit with the kids.

All you need to make this cute and delicious chocolate bunny cake is a chocolate cake mix, chocolate icing, vanilla icing, food coloring, and chocolate.

Directions -

Make the chocolate cake mix according to the directions on the package. Bake one round cake and one large cupcake.

When the cake is cooled cut the round cake in half so you have two half circles. Put the pieces together with chocolate icing as glue and set on the straight side down. Icing the cake with chocolate icing. Use the large cupcake as a head for the bunny and icing. Use more icing to make a round bunny tail. Grate chocolate up to make bunny fur. To make the bunny's eyes and nose simply tint the vanilla icing and draw on the eyes and nose. For the bunny ears melt chocolate and pour on tin foil or waxed paper. Use a knife to shape the ears and attach to the bunny.

This chocolate bunny cake will make your Easter dinner a huge hit with the kids.