Contest: Win Pampers Diapers for a Year (Canada)

Pampers Canada has a great contest starting today to win Pampers Diapers for a year! The first draw will be Dec 6 and then there will be a draw every month until the end of June 2013 so you have multiple chances to win!

You can enter to win at pampers.ca or the Pampers Canada Facebook Page.

*Approximate Retail Value of Diapers for a Year: $1049 !

Disclosure: I was notified of this contest because I’m a P&G Mom. No compensation was provided for this post. I’m sharing because I would love one of my readers to win!

Majesta’s “Take It On the Road Flushability Challenge” Contest

I was a Majesta Mom back in 2010 and I did a fun test to show how much more flushable Majesta paper products are compared to their competitors.

Now I’d like to let you know about their latest contest to win 1 of 10 Majesta Products for a year.

How to Enter

To enter, simply go to the Majesta Facebook page, watch the video to learn more, and then enter your email address and click continue. The first time you enter you get a $1 off coupon as well!

Majesta and the Environment

If you aren’t familiar with Majesta, it’s not just another paper products brand. Majesta is “Treesponsible” which means that for every tree used to produce Majesta products, 3 trees are re-planted.

Have you tried Majesta yet?

I don’t regularly buy it only because it’s sadly not available at our usual store but I do prefer it. As I found out when I did all the Majesta tests on it in 2010, it breaks down well but is still soft on your skin.

Majesta doesn’t just make toilet paper, they also make facial tissue and paper towel.

Good Luck!

Summer Camp at Pioneer Camps #pioneercamp

Summer camp is the perfect way to teach your children the importance of getting outdoors and making new friendships. It’s a great experience for all children although some are ready earlier than others.

There are pioneer camps in Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia (Pacific). There are a bunch of different types of camps your child can sign up for. There is even a family camp if your children are not ready to camp alone yet.  There is special ones for high schoolers and an LIT program (Leadership in Training).

In addition, there is a contest going on that ends July 15 to win a week at either the Pioneer Camp or the Circle Square Ranch Camp. You also have a chance to win some smaller prizes or a really big one: Trip for Two to Punta Cana!

Check out this video about Ontario Pioneer Camp:

 

*Disclosure:  This post was compensated however all opinions and stories are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

REVIEW/GIVEAWAY: Temptations Cat Treats–KittyCat Hijack #KittyCatHijack

Everyone in Canada MUST be familiar with Temptations Cat Treats, even if they don’t have a cat. The commercials are so funny and memorable!

I’ve never seen a cat actually go through a wall or jump over a pool to get to the treats but every cat I’ve ever seen with these treats DOES come running as fast as they can.

KittyCat Hijack

The makers of Temptations® treats have created an app called KittyCat Hijack which will allow playful cats to take over a webpage when you shake a virtual bag of cat treats.

You can try it out at the Temptations Facebook page. You draw a treat bag to your bookmarks and then when you are on a webpage, click the bookmark and then shake the Temptations treat bag over and over to make more cat things happen. Look what happened to my Facebook page after multiple shakings! (look at some of the words too)

Chance to Win $100,000

Specially marked packages of Temptations treats have a 12-digit PIN code on the bottom. Enter the code at temptationscontest.ca for a chance to win $100,000 or even be an Instant-Win Game Prize Winner. See the website for full Rules and Regulations.

I was given a bunch of treat bags for my cat to try out but since I only have one cat I shared the bags with friends. One friend promptly entered her pin codes and won a free bag of treats!

GIVEAWAY

I have a $50 prize pack to give away in celebration of the Temptations KittyCat Hijack App.

Enter using the rafflecopter form below. You only have to do the first entry to win but the more you do, the better your chances of winning. It may take a few moments to load. Click on Do It for more instructions and then after you do it, click Enter. Make sure you read instructions carefully. If you  have any questions or problems, leave a comment or email me callista83 AT cogeco DOT ca.

A copy of the giveaway rules are below and on the rafflecopter form. Entering the giveaway means you have read and agree to the rules.

Giveaway open to CANADA 18+. Giveaway open until July 7, 2012 @ 11:59 PM EST. Odds of winning depend on number of valid entries received. Duplicate (accidental or not) entries will be deleted before a winner is picked and winner's entries WILL BE verified. Winners will be selected using rafflecopter's random.org on or after July 8, 2012 and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 3 days to claim their prize or their prize is forfeit and another winner will be chosen. Contest Void Where Prohibited.This giveaway is not associated, nor sponsored by Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability.

#pioneercamp and #circlesquare Summer Camp MEGA #Giveaway #contest

I’ve mentioned this giveaway a few times now, did you enter?  Even if you have, you can share your link more to get more entries. If this is the first you are hearing about the contest, read more below!

About the Contest

Circle Square Ranch and Pioneer Camps across Canada are hosting a large Share & Win contest. The Grand Prize is a trip for two to Punta Cana plus a week of free camp and a Mabel’s Labels Kit. Other prizes include more free camp weeks, a crossroads prize pack and more Mabel’s Labels prize packs.

If you win the grand prize, you can send your child to camp and go on vacation with your significant other!

How to Enter

You can enter at BOTH camps as there will be TWO winners. You want to win free summer camp right? I’m talking Overnight Camp, for a week! Enter at those two previous links to double your chances of winning.

Contest Rules

The contest is open to Residents of Canada Only (Except Quebec) who are 13+. Those 13-18 must have parental consent to enter and to redeem prize. Full contest details including explanation of prizes and when they will be awarded are here and here. Contest ends on June 15, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

This Contest is Share & Win!

After you enter, share about the contest through social media and email. You will receive another entry into the contest for every person who enters via your link. When you enter the contest, you will be able to choose one of their coupons to download (20% off new campers, 25% off $20 or more in merchandise at the camp, $5 off $50 purchase at Mabels Labels or $15 off an e-store purchase at Crossroads.)

About the Camps

Depending on what camp you pick, your child may get to experience some of these exeperiences:

• horsemanship
• whale watching
• Canoe tripping
• rock wall
• photography
• hiking
• white water rafting
• archery
• high ropes
• mountain biking
• water sports
• swimming
• regular camp activities

There are camps that are accommodating for special needs, family camps and a work program to give teens and young adults job experience. Read more here.

*Disclosure:  This post was compensated however all opinions and stories are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Why Pioneer Summer Camp? Reasons & a Chance to Win Big #pioneercamp #contest

Last month I mentioned Circle Square Camp and how to enter to win a week of free overnight camp plus a chance at a trip for two to Punta Cana and some other fabulous prizes.

Today I want to share with you another option for summer camp for your children.. Pioneer Camp.

There are four Pioneer Camps in Canada: British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario.  They are not all the same so you may not want to pick just based on location.

Alberta Pioneer – primarily focuses on horsemanship
Manitoba Pioneer – smallest of the pioneer camps, most extensive wilderness/tripping activities
Ontario Pioneer – Adventure Camp (ages 5-10, archery, mountain biking/wilderness, crafts) , Girl’s Camp/Boy’s Camp (Ages 7-16 – tripping/wilderness/weekly theme)
Pacific Pioneer (BC) -  ocean-driven, whale watching, water sports + regular camp activities

Ontario Pioneer Camp also has niche camps:

• FUEL (14+, high ropes, rock wall, photography, video, archery etc.)
• 252 (14-15, step before LIT, service based, can earn OSSD credits for volunteering
• Genesis Extreme Camping (every day is different – whitewater rafting, rockface repelling etc.)
• Woodland Challenge (no technology, out in woods, hiking, fires etc.)
• Family Camp (no age restriction, 4 and under free, all camp activities)
• Special Needs (does not seclude special needs kids, but helps them join other children)
• Work Program (18-late 20s with special needs, job experience for their resume)

Both Circle Square Ranch and Pioneer Camp are giving away free camp sessions, Mabels Labels packs, Giftcards for Crossroads and the grand prize, a trip for two to Punta Cana! You can enter on both as each camp will be picking a winner.

The contest is open to Residents of Canada Only (Except Quebec) who are 13+. Those 13-18 must have parental consent to enter and to redeem prize. Full contest details including explanation of prizes and when they will be awarded are here. Contest ends on June 15, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

After you enter, share about the contest through twitter, facebook and email. You will receive another entry into the contest for every person who enters via your link. When you enter the contest, you will be able to choose one of their coupons to download (20% off new campers, 25% off $20 or more in merchandise at the camp, $5 off $50 purchase at Mabels Labels or $15 off an e-store purchase at Crossroads.)

Good Luck!

*Disclosure:  This post was compensated however all opinions and stories are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Circle Square Ranch Summer Camp Contest #circlesquare

Did you attend summer camp as a child? Have you ever sent your own children? Circle Square Camp and Pioneer Camp are both holding great contests to give away free camp sessions, Mabels Labels packs, Giftcards for Crossroads and the grand prize, a trip for two to Punta Cana! BOTH camps are giving away the prizes so enter on both!

The contest is open to Residents of Canada Only (Except Quebec) who are 13+. Those 13-18 must have parental consent to enter and to redeem prize. Full contest details including explanation of prizes and when they will be awarded are here.

The contest dates beings March 21, 2012 at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) and ends on June 15, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. ET. It is a Share and Win Contest which means after you enter, you should share about the contest with your unique PURL link. You will receive another entry into the contest for every person who enters via your link. You can share via twitter, facebook and email at the touch of a button, or email it to yourself to get your PURL link to copy and paste into other networks.

When you enter the contest, you also are able to choose one of their coupons to download (20% off new campers, 25% off $20 or more in merchandise at the camp, $5 off $50 purchase at Mabels Labels or $15 off an e-store purchase at Crossroads.)

So why should you send your child to an overnight camp?

• The Memories
• The Fun
• The Lessons Learned

(c) 2011 Kathleen Garber

I have not attended any of the Circle Square Ranch camps but I have always gone to Girl Guide camp. As a leader I do unit camps throughout the year but I also volunteer for summer camp for one week. When I was 9 I attended summer camp for the first time. I cried every night for my mom but I had a great time. I never actually wanted to go home because I knew I would miss all the fun. So I quietly cried till I fell asleep and then woke up and enjoyed the next day.

As a leader my children have camped since before they were born (in utero) so I hope that they will enjoy going to camp, even without me and when they are old enough, they can go off to summer camp too.
*Disclosure:  This post was compensated however all opinions and stories are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

INFO/GIVEAWAY: Teacher Monday: Cash for Classrooms

I posted about Teacher Monday 2010 and it's time again. Del Monte is trying to get school children to eat healthier by hosting the Teacher Monday Cash for Classrooms contest. Sixty school children from North America will win $1000 cash to purchase school supplies and fresh fruit for the classroom. Several winners will also get a Del Monte Fresh Fruit Field Day at their school with special activities and fruit to eat.

To win, teachers must register online and submit a short essay on how they will incorporate healthy eating and living messages into their lesson plans. Ten winners will be selected each Monday starting October 3 to win. You can read all the details at the Del Monte website.

To help spread the word, I have a backpack of school supplies and coupons for free fruit to giveaway. This is how the prizes will breakdown:

1st Prize: Backpack of School Supplies + 5 X $5 Del Monte Fresh Fruit Coupons (CAN ONLY)
2nd and 3rd: 5 X $5 Del Monte Fresh Fruit Coupons (CAN ONLY)
4th-7th: 5 X $5 Del Monte Fresh Fruit Coupons (US ONLY)

If you win the backpack of school supplies, please share with your child's teacher as there are lots!

You can enter below using rafflecopter. Just click Read More if you can't see the entry form. Also please spread the word to your children's teachers so they can enter!

If you've never used rafflecopter before to enter giveaways, check out this rafflecopter guide.

Avon Voices - Singing Talent Search

Avon Voices is looking for women over 18 with an amazing singing voice and men and women who are great songwriters.

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Avon Voices is Avon’s first-ever global online singing talent search for women and songwriting competition for men and women. A panel of celebrity judges, including Fergie, Natasha Bedingfield, Sheila E., Diane Warren and more are on hand, providing singing tips and helping select our finalists.

And if you are picked as a finalist, you’ll get the chance to TRAVEL to Hong Kong, Rio de Janiero, Paris, Hollywood, New York or Nashville, plus PHOTO AND VIDEO SHOOTS, a PROFESSIONAL MAKEOVER and coaching . The best part is, the winners may get the opportunity record a professionally produced album.

It takes 30 seconds.  Record a video of you singing 30 seconds of a hit song from the approved list that you can do right from your home. It’s a year-long competition but you only have until February 13, 2011 to submit a 30-second video clip at www.avonvoices.com

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You may be interested in checking out the You Tube Channel for Avon Voices for more information.

This program benefits the Avon Foundation for Women’s global campaign to end violence against women and girls.

Del Monte - Teacher Monday: Cash for Classrooms Contest

Del Monte Fresh Produce is currently hosting "Teacher Monday: Cash for Classrooms," an online contest where teachers in the US and Canada can win cash and fresh fruit for their classroom.

Winners will receive $1000 ($250 in fresh fruit gift certificates and $750 in cash) to use for school supplies and fresh fruit for the students for snacks and/or classroom activities.

Winning teachers will also be linked with schools in Del Monte's tropical growing regions such as Costa Rica and Guatemala who will also receive grants for school supplies!

To enter, teachers must submit an essay detailing what they will do with their winnings and winners will be selected based on number of votes so they must rally everyone they know and in the school to vote for them.

Find out more and enter here: Teacher Monday Contest.

Skin MD Natural is hosting a 4th of July Backyard BBQ Giveaway (but open to Canadians too)

Skin MD Natural (who I'll be posting a review for very soon) is hosting this giveaway.

The prize pack is worth $300 and includes:

• 5 Bottles Skin MD Natural SPF+15
• 5 Bottles Skin MD Natural Original
• 6 Red Hotdog & Fry Serving Baskets
• 16 Piece Blue Cutlery Set
• 4 Pack Insulated Fish Tumblers
• 4 Pack Fish Party Spreaders
• 6 Pack Fish Wine Charms
• Ultimate Barbeque Cook Book with over 300 Recipes
• All Natural Caribbean Burger Blend seasoning
• Hickory Wood Smoking Chips
• Non Stick Grill Basket
• Decorative Patriotic Candle Holder

It's open to US/Canada but only till June 25 so hurry!

You can enter here.

SMART Love of Learning: Who Do You Think is the Best Teacher in the World

Have you ever heard of a Smart Board? Some schools are already using them. They are from SMART Technologies which has recently introduced SMART Love of Learning. More on SMART boards later.

SMART Love of Learning acknowledges and celebrates all of the teachers who have impacted individuals around the world, by asking "Who do you think is the best teacher in the world?"

So who do I think is the best teacher in the world? My last blog post was about the woman who influenced me the most who happened to be my Guidance Counsellor. However when I think about the teacher who has helped my kids out the most, I turn immediately to Mrs. Marnie Stranks. She is the teacher in charge of the Parenting and Family Literacy Centre in our local school. She is the greatest teacher. She interacts with the kids and comes up with new and fun activities for them to do. She treats everyone equally and helps us adults treat everyone equally too, even when it's hard. If you are having a hard time in your personal or family life, she is there to listen and provide advice if you want it. When kids from her class move up to Kindergarten, she is there in case they have a hard time adjusting.

So what's a SMART Board?
If you aren't familiar with the SMART board, you can check out the Magical Classroom YouTube video to get a better idea of how it works and what it can do.

My children and I have had a chance to use the SMART board and it's cool. It's a computer projected onto a whiteboard with touch screen capabilities. So instead of using a mouse in front of the computer, the kids can reach up and touch the next button or drag and drop items from one area to another. I've only played with preschool and kindergarten games but the video above shows what older kids can do. 


Would you like a chance to win a SMART Board for the school of your choice? You can enter through the Facebook page (don't forget to like it while you are there!) or through the SMART Love of Learning website. At the SMART Love of Learning site you can also read what others say about their favourite teachers and access the Parent's Toolkit which has information on helping to raise money for your school to purchase their own SMART board.

Have you ever used a SMART Board? What did you think?
If not, do you think it sounds like a good idea?

*This post is part of a MomCentral campaign.

The Woman Who Influenced Me the Most - Mrs. Rau

I'm writing this post as part of a giveaway at She Who Blogs but the feelings are real and have always been there. 

Mrs. Rau was a Guidance Counsellor at my high school when I went there. I don't know her first name nor do I have a photo but I can picture her clearly in my mind.

I had a really rough 5 years at high school. I had mental health issues which weren't diagnosed until I was 16 (and halfway through high school) and I had trouble making and keeping friends. I didn't have trouble with schoolwork, I was an A student, but dealing with the social aspect of school was my downfall.

Right from Grade 9, Mrs. Rau was there. She was there for me right until I pulled out of school in Grade 13. She was there for me when I got teased for not having the newest designer clothes, when I was depressed and didn't understand why, when I was lonely, when I wanted to hurt myself, after I did hurt myself, after I came back from the hospital, when I need career advice, when I needed friend advice, when I was cutting school, when I need someone to talk to, when I needed someone to try to and when I just needed a hug.

I spent a LOT of time in Mrs. Rau's office. Especially during Grade 11-13, when I was there most lunches and left a class to go see her anytime I felt anxious, out of control, or suicidal. When she was busy with someone else, I was allowed to sit at the table in the main guidance counsellor office until she was free. (She was one of two counsellors plus there was a receptionist to book appointments with the counsellor) No one else was allowed to just sit there and do school work but I was. The whole counselor office knew I needed time to be in a quiet place and they provided it.

As soon as I read that we were to write about the woman who influenced us the most, Mrs. Rau came to mind. I just needed time to think about how to word what I wanted to say. I even had a dream recently with Mrs. Rau in it, even though I haven't seen her in 9 years. I had a few other women in the dream and they were all people who have been very helpful and supportive over the years in similar ways.

Attention Women: Does your bra fit?

Hurry this offer is only open till Friday, May 21, 2010!

First of all, NO that is not me in the photo. 

If you're like me, your bras don't fit very well. Perhaps you just can't afford the good bras, perhaps you're not sure how to find the proper size or perhaps you just don't want to bother figuring it all out so you wear sports bras everyday.

I don't think I've EVER had a properly fitting bra. Even when I got a full bra with underwire and was fitted at the store, it still didn't fit completely properly.

Another problem I have is that it's hard to find my cup size with my number size. I guess bra makers seem to think that if I'm as big around as I am, my boobs should be at least a cup size bigger than they are. Well they're not!

According to Playtex, 7 in 10 women are wearing the wrong size bra, which is why they launched Playtex Bra Makeover.  Women can go to the site to apply for a bra makeover or nominate a friend. Winners will be flown to New York to receive a Bra Makeover with style expert Alison Deyette (fashion and trend lifestyle expert who has been on TLC's Ten Years Younger, as well as in print publications.)

"The 10 winners selected for a Bra Makeover will also star in their very own webisode wherein a makeover candidate will receive a fitting with Deyette and walk away with the perfect Playtex products. A new webisode will premier on www.PlaytexBraMakeover.com every two weeks."

I was ready to sign up till I saw I had to be in a webisode but I know there are women out there who would have NO problem with that. So do you need a new bra?

*Photo used under Flickr Creative Commons License from user Mark & Andrea Busse.

Disclosure: By posting this information, I am entered into a contest to win a free bra from Playtex. I did not receive any compensation for this post and thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Earth Day Challenge Update

I posted about how I was participating in the Earth Day Challenge through The Canadian Mom Blog Network a few days ago.

Well I finally found the time to post about what we did during Earth Day to share with you all.

At playgroup we planted flowers and played with the playdough with gardening toys. Then we went to the library and picked out books and videos to bring home.

They watched Barney Jungle Friends which I picked up because I figured animals would fit under Earth Day. It was a pleasant surprise to find them singing about Earth Day! We also got The Meerkats (as told by Paul Newman), a documentary/movie about Meerkats. Although it's not made for kids, my kids loved it and watched it three times over the past few days.

The books we got and read:

Science Starter: Living Things by Wendy Madgwick (info on living vs. non-living things and science experiments to do. I just read the text and make sure she understood and asked her questions about the pictures.

An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Aston and Sylvia Long (All different kinds of eggs and compares how they are different.)

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page (shows parts of mouth, ears, tails, noses etc.. of different animals. You can guess what animal it is and what it uses it's mouth/ear/tail/nose for and then turn the page to find out the answer.)

This Land is Your Land (With a Tribute by Pete Seeger) - Words and Music by Woody Guthrie, Paintings by Kathy Jakobsen (I introduced this song to my children and we enjoyed the illustrations.

I forgot to take photos WHILE they planted the flowers but here they are after

Here's the playdough with gardening tools

This is my husband gently watering the tree seeds we planted (Thanks to Majesta) Yes there is a toaster outside, it's broken. Also the photo is blueish because my camera sucks and it was dusk.

The girls were playing computer games and all on their own stumbled upon a flower planting one, perfect for Earth Day!

This post was written as a part of the Earth Day Challenge hosted by The Canadian Mom Blog Network in Partnership with Mom Central, Majesta, and Fenigo.com

iPhones and iPads Oh My!

I’m participating in a contest at Best Kids Apps, a blog about iPhone apps for kids, for a chance to win an iPad.

First I'd like to state I don't own an iPhone. I would love to own a smart phone but it's just out of my price range. An iPad is even more out of my price range. I like how the iPad can function as an e-reader but isn't solely and e-reader. I don't read much e-books although I've never tried an e-reader. However I'm sure I could find many uses for the many apps out there, especially being a mom. I love the ones (for iPhone or iPad) that are books or games for your kids. That would be great for the waiting room.

If I won (or was gifted) an iPad for Mother's Day I think I'd faint.

The website mentioned above reviews apps for kids so you figure out which ones you may want for your kids. The apps are categorized based on age and type of game. I think the iReward Chart looks cool!

Do you have an iPhone or iPad? What do you think?

REVIEW: Majesta Paper Products + science experiments by me!

Have you heard of Majesta brand paper products? I had heard of them in passing but had never really tried them until I was picked to be a Majesta Mom. These past few months I've been trying out Majesta products and doing special activities to get to know more about the Majesta brand.

With Earth Day tomorrow, I wanted to share my findings and some information about a great contest Majesta is hosting.

Majesta products are made by the Irving Tissue Corporation, a family owned company committed to managing its operations in an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible manner. The Irving Tissue Head Office is located in Dieppe, New Brunswick, where Majesta products have been manufactured for over twenty years.

This Earth Day, Majesta gives Moms across Canada the chance to win a $15,000 Green Makeover for their home. All you have to do to enter is visit www.majesta.com. This promotion ends June 27, 2010.

So what would I do with  $15,000 to make my house more green friendly? Well I've already had the windows and doors replaced, a new roof and the electrical wiring has been fixed but there are some things that could be done:

1. Plumbing. My plumbing is bad and getting worse. I would probably use less water (which is better for the environment and my hydro bill) if the plumbing were fixed.
2. Insulation. Our house is old and doesn't have good insulation. You can feel a breeze at some parts and certain walls are much colder than others.
3. Solar Panels. These would be another great thing for the environment and my hydro bill. Any time you are using less hydro, you are saving resources.

What would you do if you won? (Feel free to answer even if you aren't eligible to enter.)

So now what about Majesta products? I was able to try out the Toilet Paper, Facial Tissue and Paper Towel. I normally buy the cheapest brand out there. It changes which cheap brand but for comparisons sake, we'll go with Equality Brand (from Food Basics) How do they compare?

*Toughness refers to whether it rips easily or stays together (tough)

Facial Tissue

	Equality	Majesta
Softness	Rough, scratchy	Not the softest of all tissues but 50% better than Equality
Toughness	With large nose blow, it rips	A little bit tougher

Toilet Paper

	Equality	Majesta
Softness	Rough, easliy get a sore bum	60% softer, much nicer
Breakdown	I'm on the new row, too!	Breaks down fast, no clogging (see shake test below for more)

Paper Towel

	Equality	Majesta
Absorption	I put exactly one tsp of water, in two different spots on the counter. At the same time I put one paper towel from each brand on top of the puddle. Majesta started soaking up the water first but at the end it seemed quite even for the size of the water spot. However when I lifted off the paper towels, both piles had water still in it that hadn't been soaked up but there was almost double the water in the Equality puddle as the Majesta puddle.
Toughness	I put a toonie on the paper, held it under water and it broke in 32 seconds	I put a toonie on the paper, held it under water (same pressure) and gave up after 125 sec., it still hadn't broke!

Shake Test
One of the activities us Majesta Moms did is a Shake Test.  We put 4 sheets of Majesta toilet paper and 4 sheets of Charmin toilet paper into separate water bottles filled 3/4 with water. I shook each 4 times and then observed and took photos. You can see how the Charmin (C) is broken up a bit but still all together in the middle while the Majesta (M) is floating around the whole bottle.

That was the shake test, but I went one step furthur. Since the toilet paper should be going down the toilet, I decided to dump the bottles in to my toilet to see if all the toilet paper bits would come out of the bottle or if they would be stuck. Majesta (M) pretty much flowed out. There was one bit that was a bit bigger and was blocking the water bottle opening but a few shakes of the bottle got it all out. Charmin (C) would not drain completely, no matter what I tried.

I decided to try it with the Equality brand toilet paper and I took photos but since my camera does not like me, they didn't turn out that well. Interestingly, the Equality was the best. It all broke up and poured out of the bottle with ease, no shakes needed and much quicker. It breaks up well but it also makes your bum sore so I'll stick with Majesta. That's not the only reason Majesta is great, check the website for a rollover description of all the company is doing to make Majesta environmentally friendly.

Optimal Print Business Card Photo Contest

Do you like to take photographs? Optimal Print is holding a contest for the best business card photo. It's open worldwide but UK entrants have a chance of getting their hometown featured on the website as well as photos taken by that person.

Prizes include a new digital camera, cash and free business cards.

Contest open Monday, January 18, 2010 through to Thursday, March 18, 2010

Check out the details at Optimal Print Businesscard Photo Contest.

Discover Your Daughter - for parents of girls ages 8-12

The creator of Discovery Girls magazine has created a website called Discover Your Daughter. It's for parents of girls ages 8-12 and the girls themselves.

There are articles of interest to parents and tweens. Parents can register for the site themselves to leave comments on stories or to ask or answer questions in a format a bit similar to Yahoo! Answers. No information is collected for children. The articles tweens may like are there to read and they cannot leave any comments.

The website is fairly new but articles and features will be added overtime. Most of the articles for tweens were originally printed in the magazine.

Here's a little of what Discover Your Daughter had to say:

We share:
How to help your daughter learn to identify & stand up to bullies.
What she thinks parents don’t understand about her life, and what to do about it.
How parents can teach her to use technology wisely, so she’s not ruled by text messaging, IMs, email, etc
How to know where to draw the line on privacy?  How much should tweens have?
How to help her deal with jealousy, disappointment, and failure so she grows into a resilient, strong, confident young woman
How to help her to love and accept her body
How to build a foundation so she’ll make good relationship choices now and for the rest of her life

There is also a free email newsletter you can sign up for and you can follow Discovery Girls Magazine on Twitter or Facebook.

Also there is currently a contest to win a spot on the back of a Discovery Girls magazine that is open until March 1, 2010. There are other prizes too. Check out the Ultimate Mom Daughter Contest for more information.

If you're a parent of a tween girl you should check out this site, it seems very helpful!

Getting Kids to Bed (and to Stay in Bed) on Christmas Eve

Telling your kids that Santa (or La Befana or the Magi or whoever) won't come unless they are asleep only does a little good because if the children are all excited (and who wouldn't be?) then settling down for a long winter's nap is not as easy as it looks. Here are some tips:

• Tire them out. Play outside or take them to an indoor play area and wear them out. Play games, read stories, do last minute decorating, sing carols, whatever you can think of. The more tired they are, the better they will sleep. If they are tired enough, they will fall asleep, even though they are anxious and excited.
• Have a hearty dinner and make sure it's something your kids will eat (even if it's Macaroni and Cheese or Peanut Butter sandwiches) and then follow that with a bath. 
• If you put out cookies and milk and carrots or something similar do it before the next tip.
  
• After that, change into pajamas and watch a Christmas video followed by some Christmas stories. Doing quiet things before bed will help wind them down a bit. This will only work if they have been tired out first.
• Put them to bed the way you normally do and remind them that they are not to come out of their rooms until the sun comes up (at least.) Put on soothing music (perhaps Christmas carols without words) and turn off lights in the rooms near their room and stay quiet. If they think others are awake and partying they won't go to bed. Either be quiet till they fall asleep or go to another room further away. 
  

Well I hope that helps, have a good holiday!

Thanks to St. Eve's Kids and TwitterMoms for the post idea. They are also hosting a contest if you get there soon and share your own 5 ideas for getting and keeping kids in bed on Christmas you might be able to win.

More about St. Eve's Kids and Drama U:

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