Princesses and Super Heroes . . .

With three little girls, we have had many dress-up princesses and princess-themed birthday parties . . .

And our little man is growing quite the collecting of Super Hero toys and costumes . . .

Kids know what they like, and these are the toys and dress-up clothes that get used the most around our house.  So when Kinder released their new Disney Princess and Marvel Heroes eggs, they were more than a little excited. Check out their new collections on their Facebook page.

Disclosure: I’m part of the KINDER® Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group.  The opinions on this blog are my own.

Baby Quilt for Bloggers Quilt Festival . . .

The Bloggers Quilt Festival is being hosted right now at Amy's Creative Side.  Hundreds of quilts will be linked up, so inspiration will be bursting over there.  Each quilter is allowed two submissions, and the first I'm entering is in the Baby Quilt category. Entries can be nominated at a chance to win some fantastic prizes, so if you like mine, I would be thrilled with a nomination!

This is a quilt I made for a friend's baby girl.  I purposefully steered away from pink and pastels, since she's not that kind of person.  The fabrics are mostly from Carnaby Street from Art Gallery Fabrics, with a couple coordinating prints from my stash.

The quilt design is strips pieced together on the diagonal, cut down into rows, and gray sashing strips added.  The letters were done with fusible web, and the edges are machine stitched.  The backing is a couple strips of minky from my local fabric shop.  It was free-motion quilted by myself.

Bee Quilt for Bloggers Quilt Festival . . .

The Bloggers Quilt Festival is being hosted right now at Amy's Creative Side.  This is my second submission, and I'm entering it in the Group/Bee Quilts category. Entries can be nominated for a chance to win some fantastic prizes, so if you like mine, I would be thrilled with a nomination!

This quilt is made using the Hugs & Kisses quilt block tutorial from LittleMissShabby.  I changed the dimensions a bit to have larger finished blocks.  The finished quilt is 62" x 49".  The backing is a flat flannel sheet, and the binding is an orange polka-dot that I had in my stash.

Once again, the Joy circle from Do Good Stitches did a fantastic job on their blocks.  I love being a part of this wonderful group of ladies and seeing the quilts we create every month!  This quilt was given to our local cancer center to be given to a cancer patient.  I hope it brings some warmth and comfort to someone during their difficult struggle and treatments.

Win a Kitchen Makeover . . .

A few years ago, our kitchen was completely renovated and we had a custom kitchen installed.  A wall was removed, flooring was redone, new appliances were purchased, a door was removed, a patio door was installed, and much more.  We have enjoyed our new kitchen so much, and I can hardly remember our old kitchen with pink walls and pink cabinets (the people that lived here before us REALLY loved the color pink). Here's a before and after picture (the wall between the kitchen/dining room had just been removed on the before picture).

A kitchen makeover completely changes the functionality and appeal of a kitchen.  And Finish® in partnership with Bosch® is giving away TEN kitchen makeovers valued at $10,000 each!  It's part of their Buy One Get One with mail-in-rebate in-store promotion. Just think of all the custom touches you could put into your new kitchen - our island with deep drawers, and pull-out recycle and garbage station are my favorite features.

For a chance to win, just purchase two participating Finish® products (20ct Finish Quantum, 25ct Finish Powerballm, or 25ct Finish Gelpacks) and mail in the official refund form to receive refund by mail. When you mail in your form with receipt, you’ll get a rebate AND you’ll also be able to enter for a chance to win 1 of 10 kitchen makeovers!

Disclosure – I am participating in the Ultimate Kitchen Makeover Blogger Campaign on behalf of Finish. I received compensation as a thank you for participating and for sharing my honest opinion. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Quilting bee . . .

For the past year, I've been a member of the JOY circle of Do Good Stitches.  It has been a lot of fun being a part of so many great quilts, and with only two blocks to make per month, it's a small commitment.  This month was my turn to host again, and I asked everyone to pull out their kid prints for a little boy quilt. The blocks are from the Jungle Path Baby Quilt tutorial on the Moda Bake Shop.  Blocks have been arriving in the mail, and I'm looking forward to putting this one together.

Last month, we were asked to make low-volume stars, any pattern of our choice.  I chose to make mine wonky just for fun.

YOPA Prize Pack Giveaway . . .

YOPA is hosting a giveaway today for a $100 prize pack! YOPA is known for their yummy Greek yogurt, and just released five fantastic new flavors to indulge in. It's also a healthy choice - as it has double the protein than regular yogurt, no gelatin, artificial colours/flavours, 0% fat and only 80 calories per serving.

 

 
YOPA is all about celebrating life’s everyday moments – big and small. Whether it’s getting caught up on all the housework, making a big batch of homemade bread, or just getting the kids to the bus stop on time, it should all be celebrated. One celebratory moment for me lately was finishing up an apple pie fundraiser for my daughters' school. There were lots of emails, phone calls, and the help of some wonderful ladies to pull it all together. And in the end we had over 950 beautiful pies made and all in record time. It's amazing seeing all those hard-working volunteers come together, and the number of finished pies that kept getting updated throughout the day.

Would you like to win this great prize from YOPA? Just enter through the Rafflecopter below. Giveaway open to Canadian residents only.  Readers may enter across multiple blogs, but only win one prize pack.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure – I am participating in the YOPA Blogger Campaign by Mom Central Canada on behalf of General Mills, and received compensation as a thank you for participating and for sharing my honest opinion. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Winners to announce!

The two winners of the Riley Blake SuperHero and Princess panels and the new stripes fat quarter bundles . . .

And the five winners of the Tech Timeout giveaway sets . . .

Congratulations everyone! I've sent you all emails.

Our little guy and Thomas the Train . . .

When our son was born, we were also introduced into the world of superheroes, toy cars, and train-sets.  Thomas the Train is one of our little guy's favorites - he just seems to get carried away in imaginative play when he starts playing. And this is one of the ways that I can get down on the floor with him and have some one-on-one quality time.  

There are lots of ways our family tries to get 'family down time' such as a family night at the local pool (which is something my parents did with us growing up, and I have lots of fond memories of), family bike rides, walks to the local library and duck pond, and playing board games. In today’s fast-paced world, it's important to take the time to slow down and make memories.

Thomas & Friends is releasing some brand new toys just in time for your Christmas gift-giving! The Thomas & Friends Take-n-Play Thomas’ Adventure Castle Playset is one of their new portable playsets - ready to go with you and your little one.

And the new Thomas & Friends Trackmaster Castle Quest Set features motorized engines that power themselves around the track. With the quality and company values that Thomas & Friends offers, these will be on our shopping list this year.

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.

Riley Blake GIVEAWAY . . .

I received two new fabric panels from Riley Blake - one for a Princess and one for a SuperHero.  The panels include a cape, belt, wristbands, and either a mask or crown.  With a little bit of velcro and some batting, these were the quickest costumes I've ever sewn up for my kids!

Riley Blake is giving away a prize pack to two winners!  Each prize pack will include either a SuperHero or Princess Cape panel, coordinating backing fabric for the cape, and a fat quarter bundle of Riley Blake's new Stripes! Just use the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway