You've Got Mail! (Part Two!)

The first thing I check every morning when I wake up is Twitter. After that, the first thing I do is check my email!

I love receiving emails from friends, or good news emails from work or blogging related projects. I love it when emails put a smile on the face, and at least a few times a day, they do. Emails from best friends, emails from long-lost friends, and emails from loved ones are all so special to receive.

My favourite emails are the once I get from my mom when she babysits my children while I am at work. They're my most favourite, and will be saved forever:

Dimitry drank all his milk, and fell asleep at 1. Christos rested for 1/2 hour, drank his milk, went on the computer, had some apple and apple juice and just went to Home Depot with dad. The kids are great. We'll eat fish and mashed potatoes tonight.
See you soon!!!!!
_______________________

Christos was painting and we're both covered in paint now. Dimitry fell asleep at 2:15 in his crib - I just left him there and only went in a couple of times and he fell asleep! He had fun at playgroup. Christos had a great day and is eating McDonald's now.
See you soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
__________________________

Christos was outside shovelling for over 1/2 hour, jumping around in the snow. He had hot chocolate and macaroni and kima. He's great. Don't call for a while, Dimitry is sleeping.
See you soon!!!
____________________

Just back from Greek playgroup. Baby kept going up and down... his nose is stuffy, I think he is getting a new cold.
Christos had to poo at school but it was quick.
I am exhausted....
See you soon!
____________________

Put the humidifer on for Christos.
Get the address for Florida.
Thank S. for gift for Dimitry.
Look for new housekeeper for your house - this is important!
See you soon!!!!!!
___________________________

The boys are a handful! Especially Dimitry... he wears everyone out! Christos is riding his bicycle inside. Dimitry sleeping since 1:15. It is now 2:00. See you soon.
____________________________

Dimitry hit one cheek on the wall at playgroup and so one cheek is red. He had a blast at my moms house for almost 2 hours, running, playing, eating.
Christos is great, but this morning, after you left for work, he got upset because Dimitry took his gems and crystals and threw one on the floor, then Dimitry hit Christos and Christos hit him back and then Christos took off his pants and underwear and I finally got them dressed again but Christos was late for school. It was tough....
See you soon!!!!
__________________________

Emails about my children—and especially emails about my children that make me laugh hard at work—are always emails I look forward to receiving!

(This is part two in a Yahoo! Mail sponsored post about staying connected. The first email blog post can be found here.)

Thank you to Yahoo! Mail for sponsoring this post about staying connected. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Beddington's: Ottawa finest bedding store!

A few months ago, after my apperance on A Morning talking about blogging, I was contacted by a local bedding company, Beddington's.

Beddington's is one of Ottawa finest bedding stores and every location in Canada sells amazing bedding sets, duvet covers, bed sheets, and so much more. Beddington's has a few stores in Ottawa, and in Toronto, as well. A new location is opening up in Kingston, too. My family is mostly familiar with the south end location, and my family has been shopping there for years!

I was given this amazing 100% silk duvet for a review, and it's so amazing, some days I don't even want to get out of bed! Beddington's has TONS of amazing duvet covers for you to choose from—there really is something here for everyone, no matter what your taste. All I know is, I had the hardest time deciding on which duvet cover to get for myself!

Do yourself a favour—if you're in the market for new bed sheets, a new duvet cover, or a brand-new duvet? Check out Beddington's. You have my word that you will find exactly what you're looking for!

$50 for YOU!

Now that the nicer weather has finally arrived (let's not talk about all the rain we've been having, okay?) it's time to do some spring cleaning—in your closet!

That's right. You need to put aside a few hours to organize your clothes, and bring out all those pretty summer dresses again. Also, make some room, because you're going shopping!

I'm giving away a $50 Mark's Gift Certificate, just for YOU! Last year, Mark's (formerly Mark's Work Warehouse) smartened up many of its stores and introduced a refreshed brand with new clothes and shoes in styles everyone could fall in love with. (Even me!)



I was invited (along with other members of the media and bloggers) to Mark's last year and I was treated to a Marks-over—make-up and hair people were on hand to pamper us and we got to pick out a brand new outfit to wear for a professional photo shoot.

I had a blast, and was completely surprised that I actually loved my outfit—skinny jeans, sparkly top, sweater, and awesome boots. I even got to keep the entire outfit!

Mark's is also having an awesome reStyle contest righ tnow, too, and you can win $5,000 in prizes—check it out!

Now it's time for you to discover Mark's! If you want to go shopping at Mark's, just leave me a comment below!

Bonus entry: Like Mark's on facebook!

Contest open to Canadians only.

Good Luck, everyone. I'll pick a winner randomly on May 25th!

Easy recipes for YOU!

As a Life Made Delicious Connector, I have access to dozens of amazing and easy recipes all the time.

There really is no excuse for why I'm not spending more time in the kitchen! Now that summer is just around the corner, I'm looking forward to trying out a few new things this weekend.

Things that are easy enough for even ME to make!

Like this super yummy fruit trifle - a perfect desert for the entire family, and really, how could I do this wrong, right?

Another recipe I'm going to try? The Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad.


My boys love eating salad, and my oldest son LOVES caesar salads! I'm going to get him to help out in the kitchen, too.

Another easy recipe I'm dying to try? The Barbecued Pork Tenderloin... doesn't this just look so yummy?

I'm constantly amazed by all the great new recipes I find on Life Made Delicious. If you're looking for a great website to find tons of awesome recipes, now you know where to go!

You're welcome!

Disclosure: I am part of the Life Made Delicious Blogger program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Iron Kids giveaway!

My kids eat well. They are never hungry, and they know their way around the kitchen better than I do. I do sometimes fear that they are not consuming as many fruits and vegetables as they should each day, so I am comforted in knowing that they love taking their Iron Kids Gummies vitamins.

I first tried Iron Kids vitamins at BlissDom Canada last fall, and I actually ate a handful at a time. They're THAT good. They taste even better than Gummy Bears! Not only do I love them, my children go crazy for these vitamins! When we run out, they get sad. So we rush out to buy more. It's hard keeping the bottle away from them, and they usually take two a day.

This makes me feel great, because I know how healthy they are for their little bodies. And I can feel a little less guilty about what they ate that day.

I'm so excited to announce that I have an awesome Iron Kids Gummies giveaway happening right now!

The prize is a 1 bottle each of Omega, Multi, Vitamin D and Calcium Gummies (for a winner in Canada!) and 2 bottles of Multi and 2 bottles of Omega Vitamin Gummies (for a winner in the USA!)

These vitamins are all natural, and contain no artificial sweeteners, flavors or colors. They're Health Canada approved, and made in Canada.

To win: Leave me a comment below telling me that you liked Iron Kids on Facebook!

Bonus entry: Sign up for the Iron Kids eNewsletter here!

Bonus entry number two: Tweet about this giveaway (I'm entering to win a prize pack of Iron Kids Gummies from @MrsLoulou and @KidsGummyMum!)

Good Luck everyone! I'll pick two winners randomly (one Canadian, one American) on Friday April 29th.

Easter Rice Krispies Giveaway!

Lately I've been spending more and more time in the kitchen, trying to improve my cooking and baking skills. I'm always up for a challenge, and I love easy recipes.

Making Rice Krispies Squares with my children makes me feel good about myself becaues there is almost no way I can screw it up, and the best part is, my children LOVE these treats!

Well, since Easter is upon us, I thought it would be a great time to have a fun Easter Rice Krispies giveaway! How would you like to win a super fun Gift Basket from Rice Krispies, valued at $100?



The basket includes:

- A copy of Rice Krispies Chocolate Bunnies Recipe
- A full size box of Rice Krispies Original Cereal
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- A bag of marshmallows
- Royal Icing and Food Colouring
- Baking Pan
- Spatula
- Cookie Cutters
- Decorate Candy
- Seasonal Serving Dish

Just leave a comment below letting me know what you love baking with your kids, and you'll be entered to win this gift basket. I'll pick a winner randomly on Thursday, April 21st! (Sorry, open to Canadian residents only!)

Happy Easter, and happy eating!

Green Works Giveaway!

As a mom, I try to keep my children safe and healthy. Of course, the products we use everyday in our home can affect our overall health, so I am more careful about what I use now.

A while back, I discovered Green Works all-natural cleaning products for the home, and I've been using these products ever since!



Greek Works products contain no harsh chemical fumes or residue, and are plant and mineral based, which help you create a clean, healthy home.

The smell is fresh and light and reminds me of a summer day.

I was given some products from Green Works recently, and included in my package were new products I was not yet using—Green Works dishwashing liquid soap and their new laundry detergent. I'm pleased to report I've been really happy with the results!

Green Works is also giving away three packages to three of my lucky readers, too!

To enter to win a fabulous package of Green Works products, just leave me a comment telling me what your green cleaning tips are!

For more information on and coupons for Green Works, visit their website.

Contest is open to Canadian residents only. I'll pick a winner randomly on April 22!

Good Luck!