just percolating...
Our family loves Ottawa's Starr Gymnastics. Both Stella and Max have taken classes there and I'll tell you why: because it's fun and it's positive. For Stella, she appreciated the friendly environment and that she could wear shorts and a t-shirt, since a bodysuit is not required. For Max, we initially enrolled him to help strengthen his core and increase his gross motor coordination, but we stayed on because he was really enjoying the music … [Read more...]
My kids tell me that *everyone* in their class is going on a trip to Florida for the March Break. Naturally, since I am typing this up while looking out at a ton of snow still on the ground, it goes without saying that we are not in this *everyone* crowd. But we're not crying in our hot chocolate (okay, maybe just a little ;)) ... we've got some fun things planned for the kids, including a night ski on Gatineau's cross-country ski trails. And … [Read more...]
We are likely some of the only people I know who have yet to visit LEGOLAND Discovery Centre, just outside of Toronto. It's really quite inexcusable considering how cray-cray my whole family (including the Hubby) is about Lego. In fact, you might recall that we took the kids to New York City and the Empire State Building and Central Park didn't make their list of Top 5 NYC Highlights -- but the LEGO store sure did! But perhaps we'll … [Read more...]
Monday's are always such a good day to give something back to my friends who come by and spend time here at Coffee with Julie! Especially when Ottawa is so grey and gloomy right now. Today, I have -- thanks to Sara at Allied Integrated Marketing -- two family passes (each pass admits two adults and two children) to the upcoming Ottawa premier of The Penguins of Madagascar movie. Here's the movie synopsis: “Super spy teams aren't … [Read more...]
I don't think it will come as any surprise to hear that our family has been on a tight budget for a long time. Why? Well, that's the only way we could manage to take the family to Australia for six weeks this past summer. Like most people, I find the constant monitoring of pennies to be tedious. Enough to make you want to buy a lotto ticket, even. Sometimes, even though you know it not to be true, it feels like you are being deprived. I mean, … [Read more...]
As a kid, I loved back-to-school shopping sooo much. (Okay, I loved shopping with my Mom in general, but back-to-school meant I was guaranteed to get some goodies!) Picking out new outfits, cute shoes, and getting excited for the year ahead. Yep, I loved it all! I tried to indoctrinate Stella into this consumerism blitz, but to no avail. She really can't stand shopping and has zero interest in fashion. But, alas, fear not ... this mother … [Read more...]
It's Monday. Let's do a giveaway, shall we? Remember how excited and captivated you were as a kid to see the movie ET for the first time? I can remember clearly that my neighbours had seen ET at drive-in show (oh, those were sooo cool!) and I was just bursting out of my skin for my parents to take me too. When we did go, I certainly wasn't disappointed! Now, in 2014, we'll be able to re-live that fun again ... and introduce it to our kids! … [Read more...]
Photo Credit: Kris Krug (Creative Commons) I have a confession to make: I've never seen an NHL game live. I always figured that if I said this out loud someone might revoke my Canadian citizenship, but you won't tell anyone will you? Sure, I've been to events at the arena where the Sens play (the most recent one that comes to mind is Oprah). But I guess I'm just cheap when it comes to watching live sports. It is seriously expensive to take a … [Read more...]
I like to save giveaways for Mondays. It just seems right somehow. So it gives me great pleasure to offer you something that I'm sure every single one of you could find a use for: CASH! Yep, that's right -- cold, hard cash. Not a toy, gift certificate, or coupon code. Just the straight cash this time. How? Well, it's because I've teamed up with some fabulous blogging friends (with big thanks to the two organizers: Tales of a Ranting Ginger and … [Read more...]
It's Monday. Let's do a giveaway shall we? Now that we've all survived the first week back to school, it's really starting to dawn on me that summer is over. Don't get me wrong, I love the autumn weather more than any other season, but I don't want to let all those special summer memories just fade away. My poor paper scrapbooking supplies are buried in dust these days. And I can't remember the last time I actually printed off even one of … [Read more...]
This year, I started to be a little more conscious about my choices when it comes to what makeup I'm using (here are some of my posts about choosing safe cosmetics and body products: shampoos, winter skin cream, henna hair coloring, and makeup primer). I have not made a full switch-over to healthier cosmetics. Not even close, if I'm being honest. I am very attached, for example, to my Dior Mascara. But on the other hand, I adore using Burt's Bees … [Read more...]
Over the past couple of months, I've really been enjoying the opportunity to meet more and more Canadian bloggers. In doing so, I was introduced to a tradition that started three years ago called The Great Canadian Blog Bash. Started up by three Canadian bloggers, the idea is to showcase Canadian pride via a blog post (which I will do shortly) as well as to showcase Canadian products and services via an all-Canadian giveaway (this post!). The … [Read more...]
One of the things I am most looking forward to over the holiday break is being able to skip the morning madness. Instead, breakfasts can be long and lazy. And hey, maybe even a little decadent -- like this Love Crunch Dark Chocolate and Red Berries cereal from Nature's Path Organic Foods? Mmmm .... chocolate covered raspberries and strawberries! Perhaps even better than the decadence is that Nature's Path foods are USDA Certified Organic … [Read more...]
Last Monday, I announced a giveaway for Ottawa's new eco-store Terra20. And today, I'm happy to share the names of the lucky winners! The winner of the $50 gift certificate is Jacquie Baillie who that she was most surprised to read about the parabens in tumors. The winner of the $100 gift certificate is Sarah McCormack who wasn't surprised by the article but "i have just had my head in the sand on this topic. i have made big changes in the … [Read more...]
So, yesterday, I started to tell you about my visit to the Ottawa store Terra20. My goal was to go in to the store and learn a bit more about commonly used chemicals in cosmetics, try out some of Terra20's safer cosmetic brands, and then share it all with you. At the Terra20 store, like most other large department stores, you are welcome to come in and receive a complimentary makeover. I've done this before at other makeup counters ... … [Read more...]
I suspect that many of you are like me ... with their children's photos sitting around as electronic files on a variety of devices -- phones, tablets, laptops. Digital photography has its reams of benefits, but it makes me cringe just thinking about all the unorganized photos I have hidden in every electronic device I own. … [Read more...]
A few months ago, our neighbour had a large appliance delivered. The big cardboard box that it came in was brought out for all the kids on the street to play with. Despite having a garage full of fancy ride-on toys and other delights of suburbia, the kids just never tired of the cardboard box! I suppose then that it's no surprise that my kids were so intrigued when the "My Pretty Playhouse" arrived to our house. This playhouse is produced by … [Read more...]
So, you might recall that I have a habit of buying expensive, lovely-packaged cereals when I hit the grocery store. Well, a gorgeous box of Dorset Cereals is definitely something I've been known to come home with, while managing to forget to buy other staples. I can't be blamed really ... how does one resist such an attractively designed package? I just love a yummy muesli! Why? I don't know ... there is just something so comforting about … [Read more...]
It's Sunday, but I've already got the Monday blues. It's not that I don't like my job, it's just that the longer winter goes on, the more I just want to do nothing but curl up with a book and a fresh pressed coffee. A beach sure sounds nice right about now. But I digress ... I'm actually here to write about the taxes. I kid you not. I really am. Specifically, Canada's newly introduced Children's Arts Tax Credit. You've already likely heard … [Read more...]
"Svengali: A person who manipulates or exerts excessive control over another." The origin of the word we know commonly know as "svengali" is actually from a novel published in 1894 by George Du Maurier. In it, a singer named Trilby is captured by an unsuccessful musician, Svengali. Svengali manages to live a life of luxury by keeping Trilby under hypnosis, performing concert performances and living as his slave. In 1931, this same plot line … [Read more...]
Many faithful Tim Horton's fans entered my coffee giveaway this week as well as followed @TimHortons on twitter! This is really no surprise considering how addictive their coffee is and just how quintessentially "Canadian" it is to drink a Timmys. The two lucky winners of the $25 Tim Horton's gift certificates are: krista, who is currently in India and desperately missing her Timmys coffee Km_66, who likes her Timmys as Large Black but … [Read more...]
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