Gift Giving: Know Your Spouse/Partner

In light of my anniversary today, I decided to write this post that has been rolling around in my head for a while. 

Today I am frantically scrubbing the floor, doing laundry, and sorting piles that I have been ignoring lately, as it has been crazy busy.  Why am I doing all this?  Well, I am a known slob, and my hubby is a neat freak.  This is not always the best combonation, but he has mellowed a lot, and I have "cleaned up my act" a lot for him.  However, I know it is not how he would like the house, and he has been super patient with me about it.  Well I thought I should do the best I can to have the house as clean as possible when he comes home.  Granted the boys will make a mess before he gets here, but I must confess the piles are not the boys fault.  I am a piler.

My hubby  had to use up his great idea for our anniversary on Mother's Day, since the gift he ordered didn't come in.  When it did, I really needed it so he just gave it to me.  So I have been sending him suggestions of what to get me, he laughed at the one where I suggested going to Walmart and buying huge balls of cotton yarn, until he reached his budget.  But he knows I am serious LOL

He always does a great job of getting me gifts, and he will get flack from his buddies that he is going to get in trouble for this one, but nope I always love them.  Some of the gifts he gets flack for (I loved):

- a note card he printed off on our printer that said "I will take you shopping at the mall and you can spend $100 on whatever you want".  I never spend money on me, although he always tells me too, I feel like we could use it somewhere else.  But if it's a gift I will spend it on me, so this worked.  He actually planned this ahead, it wasn't a last minute "crap I forgot" present.

- a set of Rachel Ray pots!  I freaked out!! I love love love my pots!!  and that is saying a lot from a lady who hates to cook.

- $50 Gift card to Michael's - if you wonder why he got me this, close the browser now...you clearly don't read or pay attention to my blog at all ROFL!! I heart Michael's!

I know sometimes hubbies are known for getting bad gifts, and for some women if you got them one of these they would be mad, but I think you need to know the person you are gifting.

I remember the one day a friend on FB wrote about how her hubby got her a new vacuum as a gift, and she was so happy!  I was happy for her, but I told my hubby if he ever got me a vacuum as a gift I would hit him with it LOL!  He knew her and knew she would love it.

I first thought of this post because of a twitter discussion I had.  A man asked whether a purse was a good gift for a hubby to get his wife or not?  One lady said YES, another was horrified and said NO WAY!  My response was "Depends on the wife".  I am super picky with my purses, so I am not sure my hubby would get me one that I would love, as I have bought some I hated later.  But another lady I know had been shopping for Christmas presents with her hubby, and saw a purse she loved, but they only had 1 left in the store.  They didn't have time to buy it then, so they left.  She went back an hour later and it was gone, she was heart-broken.  You should've seen her face when it was under the tree!  I would love if my hubby got me something practical because I am a practical kind of girl.

Is your spouse/partner a good gift giver or not so great?

My Pet Peeve - Twitter Hop Version

Ok so I was doing a twitter hop today, and I've noticed this numerous times on different hops, so I thought I would post about it.

The idea of a hop is to be mutually beneficial, so if I join a twitter hop, and I follow you (Dming or @ing you so you know), I expect that you will follow back.  However, I notice a lot of the same people who add their names to hops and then don't follow back.  2 of them host a hop together!! I stopped hooking up to any of their hops b/c they don't even follow back!

One lady had the audacity to shout out to all her followers "@knitwitshair just unfollowed me, and I know about it, who does that??" I replied curtly with a yeah, I unfollow those that don't follow me, do you have a problem with that??

Seriously, I give it a long time before I unfollow people, as I know sometimes it's a few days before I get around to following those that follow me, unless I am hopping.

So now my trick is, if I am hopping and I pull up someone's profile, I check their followers to following ratio.  If they are following more, or equal, or even just a few behind, I will follow them for sure.  But as I was going thru this hop I found about 5 ppl in a row that were following 1/2 of the number following them.  That is ridiculous, and I am sure they wonder why they can't break 500 or 1000 followers. 

A lot of bloggers want to get their numbers up, so they are going to unfollow if you don't follow them.

Ok ran over for now. I think.  LOL

8 Years Ago

At this moment 8 years ago, my wedding was starting!! Our little ring bearer started walking down the aisle!  Here are some pics from that day:

You can't really tell, but my Mom took this and I was tearing up.

The Kiss

We're Married!

It was raining and as I was climbing out of the limo all my party had run off to umbrella's and the only person to help me was the limo driver, and we were laughing about it.

The getaway vehicle!  Heading out to the honeymoon!

Spring Into Shape Event: No More Excuses by Ellie

As a mother, there never seems to be enough time. If there was just one more hour in the day, what would you do with those precious 60 minutes? Time is an interesting thing as it never seems to go fast enough or last long enough when we need it to. With the laundry list of items we must accomplish in a week, unfortunately, heading to the gym usually falls to the bottom. Whether we are working moms at the office all day or stay at home moms working all day, the procrastinating needs to stop and the exercise needs to begin. Getting started is hard and the excuses are easy, but with a little creativity, you will feel healthier, lighter and more energetic…all the things that motherhood has taken away from us.

Heading to the gym is not the only way to get in a work out these days and that is a good thing, since that extra hour isn’t going to appear anytime soon. Look for opportunities in your daily schedule that will allow you to multi-task and you will find that losing calories can be accomplished anytime, anywhere. We have all been to doctor’s appointments where we are stuck waiting in the exam room for 20-30 minutes, if not more. Instead of huffing and puffing at the amount of time you have been sitting staring at a wall, use it to your advantage. Why not get in some squats, jumping jacks or perhaps leg lifts. Feel silly and worried about the nurse or doctor walking in on your exercise class? It was a doctor of mine that actually suggested this to me after I had complained to her that she had wasted an hour of my life waiting for her appearance. At first I thought, “Who would do that?” and after I tried it, I realized I would do that. Try it sometime and you will walk out of your appointment feeling proud of yourself for getting in some exercise and for using your time wisely!

Are you stuck at home while your child is napping, possibly multiple times a day? Don’t use that as your excuse for not being able to get out of the house to exercise. Pop in a workout DVD, download your favorite workout online or utilize a gaming system such as Wii Fit or Xbox Kinect. Is walking or running outside a workout regime that you enjoy? Get out the running stroller and lose calories while breathing in the fresh air and spending time with your baby. Prefer to run on a treadmill? Choose a gym with a nursery you feel comfortable with and enjoy your workout.

Is your day filled with meetings, conference calls and water cooler gossip? Use your lunch hour to clear your head and get some exercise at a nearby gym, or walk around the block a few times. One cute idea is to organize a lunchtime yoga session in an empty conference room.

Regardless of your lifestyle and the fact that the magic extra hour will never exist, there is always a way to fit exercise in your life. Motherhood can be crazy, busy and full of to do lists that never seem to get shorter. Get inspired, be resourceful, and get back into those awesome jeans that have been collecting dust in your closet. A mommy who exercises is a less stressed, more patient and healthier mommy!

About our guest blogger:
Ellie Hirsch enjoys raising her two little boys and strives to master motherhood every day. Head to http://www.mommymasters.blogspot.com/ for more great articles and monthly parenting tips, and check out http://www.facebook.com/mommymasters to participate in fun discussions, ask for parenting advice and read updates on Ellie’s children’s music, coming soon.

Start A Preschool FREE CD Review and Giveaway!

As most of you will know, I am always looking for a way to make some extra income while staying home with my boys.  So when I was reading the blogger 2 blogger newsletter, and saw an opportunity to work with StartAPreschool.com, on a CD review, I jumped at it.

The StartAPreschool.com CD is put out by Joy, who started her own preschool with only $200.  Whenever people here that I want to make some money from home they tell me to start a home daycare, as I have 3 kids, so tons of experience with kids.  However, my reasons for not doing a day care are the same reasons Joy says on the CD.  The hours are crazy, and you end up spending the entire day taking care of everyone's kids, you don't have as much time for your own.

The difference with a preschool is you teach a class, for a couple of hours a day, or as many as you want each week to make as much money as you need/want.  I found this very interesting, and am seriously considering starting a preschool.

You can find all kinds of free resources online, and Start A Preschool has curriculum you can buy too! 

Joy from StartAPreschool.com is offering my readers the same online CD that I was given.  The great thing about this giveaway is all you have to do is go to this link and get it!! 

If you aren't sure about the offer, and if it's for you then why not take a listen and then discuss with whomever you talk these things over with.  I know for me, I have tons of learning materials and toys that I don't think  I would even need to spend $200 to get started.  Also she tells you in her 7 secrets how to start up with $200 (or more) without coming out of your pocket, or begging or getting loans!  Oh I know you are intrigued! 

GO NOW!

Canada Post Union Initiates Strike Activities

From their website:

Notice of a Work Disruption at Canada Post


2011/05/30

■Canada Post received notice that the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) intends to begin strike activities at 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 2, 2011.

■In the event of a strike, Canada Post will not operate. Mail and parcels will not be delivered.

■Contingency plans are in place to ensure the security of our facilities and safety of any items that remain in the mail stream during a work disruption.

■There are also plans to ensure Canada Post returns to normal operations as quickly as possible following any work disruption

■Despite this development, talks between the company and union are continuing in an effort to reach a negotiated settlement to this round of labour negotiations. We will continue to keep you updated about the labour situation at Canada Post as it develops.

Thank you.

Let's all remember that there are people's lives, and livelyhood, that is greatly affected by this, and hope they can get it resolved quickly!!

Top 10 referring sites for May 30!

This weeks top traffic referrers to my blog:

1. http://www.google.ca/ - This has to do with my articles on "Canada Post Strike Updates".  I received a lot of traffic from that.
2. http://www.twitter.com/ - I think this is from Triberr!  My posts going out on so many different accounts.
3. http://www.google.com/
4. http://www.networkedblogs.com/ - I know some people don't like networked blogs, but I do.  It is consistently in my top 5 for generating trafffic.
5. http://www.facebook.com/
6. http://www.stumbleupon.com/ - If you don't believe in stumbling, or you haven't stumbled lately, I recommend you do.  I find the more I stumble my interests the more traffic I get.  I can't really tell you how it works, but I know it does.  If you know about stumble upon, email me, I will discuss a possibility of guest-posting for a huge upcoming event.
7. http://www.inlinkz.com/ - Probably from our weekly linky "We are Canadian blog hop"
8. knitwitbyshair.webs.com - I must confess, I have no idea what this is.
9 http://www.giveawayscout.com/ - first time I have gotten any traffic from giveaway scout.  Ironically I just took the widget off my blog.
10. http://www.online-sweepstakes.com/ - Since I've started entering my giveaways here, it has consistently been in my top 10 of referrers.

Nascar Recap: So Close, But Not Far Enough

Last night I stayed up to watch the end of the Nascar race.  When they race in the evenings, I tend to go to bed, and watch the race on the DVR the next day.  But for some reason I stayed up to watch the end.

It had come down to fuel mileage, and Dale Jr was in a good position, well right up until the caution flew.  Then it was going to be close on fuel, because of a green, white, checkers finish.  He was 1/2 a lap short on fuel, although he was trying to save fuel and make up the fuel.  He took the lead and took off, when the green flew.  I had my fingers crossed, and was on the edge of my seat.

If you don't know the rules, after the lead driver takes the white flag and there is a caution, the race is over, and the lead driver will win.

So when Jr was about to cross for the white flag and there was a wreck behind him, I started yelling "CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION!!", but they didn't throw the caution, and he ran out of gas!!  Oh it was heartbreaking!!

My husband, being a non-Jr fan, was laughing hysterically in the background!  I love him, but sometimes he can be a jerk!! LOL  He is a Jimmie Johnson fan, so at least I had the blown engine to throw at him last night LOL.

But as a Jr fan, I can't be too down.  I think Kevin Harvick said it best in this quote (which I found here: http://www.sbnation.com/nascar/2011/5/30/2196934/coca-cola-600-finish-nascar-drivers-react-2011.  This is written by one of my favourite Nascar reporters: Jeff Gluck):

KEVIN HARVICK (won the race, but felt bad for Dale Earnhardt Jr.): "I feel like complete crap, to tell you the truth. Man, when I saw that thing slowing down, I was like, 'I really want to win the race, but why can't it be on a day when we're running bad or have something going wrong?' I think everybody sitting up here would say we want the 88 to win. ... I feel so stinking bad for him, and I know how bad he wants it. They keep running like that, it'll happen."

Last year, we would've loved to have Jr running up front like this.  The fact that he has had 2 races we thought he would win, until he crossed the line (or close to it), means he is getting close.  At some point, it will fall his way.

Let's be happy with 4th place in points, and getting close to wins.  I am positive he will win by the end of the year!

Spring Into Shape Event: The P90X-Bear Dare Starts June 1, 2011

General Sarge HQ



The mission of The Original General Sarge is to encourage the military, especially their families. In an effort to help parents/spouses, or legal guardians, to attend the Basic Training graduation ceremony of their future soldier/hero, we’ve established The Families First Campaign. One way we’re raising money for this worthy cause is by holding the first P90X-Bear Dare sponsored by General Sarge. Not only will you get into shape, but 50% of the proceeds from the sales of P90X through General Sarge - P90X Sales Page, or any other General Sarge - P90X Sales Page product, goes toward The Families First Campaign.

 

What is the Bear Dare and how do you participate?

Participation is simple, if you have P90X already, you can join in the Bear Dare via the Facebook event page for inspiration and motivation. If you need P90X or any of the supporting products and want to contribute to the Families First Campaign please visit the Bear Dare store for your purchase.

Do I have to use P90X to participate?

P90X is the program of choice due to trainer Tony Horton’s current support of the military. That doesn’t mean you HAVE to use P90X. If you have something else that interests you, or have fitness limits there are many other options to choose from. See a breakdown comparison chart click here to help you decide.

Who can participate in the Bear Dare?

Anyone interested in working towards improving their health and fitness, preparing for a future enlistment or getting ready for drill weekend are welcome. But, this is not just targeted toward the military. The best part about the program is the fact you can get fit and healthy while also helping military families as a portion of the sales from any Team Beachbody product, purchased through the General Sarge site,  goes to support the Families First Campaign.

I don’t have a Facebook account, how can I stay connected?

General Sarge is on Twitter, along with DrRus his human owner’s Dad. General Sarge is actually PVT Benjamin Jeffrey’s Build-A-Bear that he received when he was 10 years old. Find out more about PVT Ben and General Sarge on the “About General Sarge” page. We are currently using the hashtag #BearDare on Twitter; feel free to join in our conversations live.

(These are answers to some of the most common questions regarding the Bear Dare, Via: Bodynsoil.)

Please join us in our quest to support the Families First Campaign by joining the Bear Dare fitness challenge.

For more information contact DrRus@GeneralSarge.com or visit The Original General Sarge website.

Please note that this was a press release from my friends over at GeneralSarge.com and not a review on my part.

We Are Canadian Blog Hop

Welcome to the weekly "We are Canadian Blog Hop!!" Your co-hosts for this fun weekly Monday Hop are:



Each week we pull on blog from the previous week's hop, to be the Featured Blogger of the Week.  We use random.org, and will email the winner that they won as soon as we can.

This Week's Featured Blogger is #23:

Please feel free to grab the button, and spread the word to all your fellow Canadians!

<a border="0" href="http://theknitwitbyshair.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y22/Shairbearg/flag20canadian.gif" /> </a>

Rules:
1. Canadians Only! (Sorry Americans, we wanted to give the Canadians some love for this one.)

2. Follow the Co-hosts, and leave a comment so we will follow you back!
3. Follow the Featured Blogger, and leave a comment so they can follow you back!


get the InLinkz code



Latest Update on Canada Post Strike

I just was sent a link to this article: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/canada-post-union-readies-members-possible-strike-150626700.html

Here is a copy of it:

..The union representing Canada Post workers has told its members to prepare for a strike amid stalled negotiations with the Crown corporation.


However, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUP-W) says it did not plan to submit a 72-hour strike notice Sunday and said there will be no strike action on Wednesday. 

The union's national committee said in a message on its website that it was meeting Sunday to "evaluate the situation" and to plan its next move.

The union said it wants Canada Post to address issues such as inadequate staffing, excessive workload and what it says is "constant harassment of workers when they are sick or injured."

The union said it has proposed things such as greater rotation of duties and ergonomic studies on behalf of its members. It said the corporation has not addressed these and other issues during seven months of negotiations.

Canada Post has not immediately responded to the message.

Last Sunday, the union released a statement saying it had made important compromises in tabling a new proposal.

An earlier agreement covering some 50,000 employees expired on Jan. 31, and talks on a new deal began last fall.

Last week, Canada Post reached an agreement with the union to bring in volunteer postal workers to deliver cheques to pensioners and those on social assistance should a labour disruption occur.

...

Keeps those fingers crossed, and keep praying for a resolution!

Spring Into Shape

Hey all!  I want to tell you about an upcoming event! 

On May 30th, I am starting a "Spring Into Shape" event.  I have tons of guest posters, and I will be writing about my fitness journey over the 2 week period of the event as well!

I hope you come back to check it out!

Update on Canada Post

There have been rumours about the Canada Post strike being immenient again, saying that the Union had put in it's official intention to begin strikes within 72 hours (they have to give 72 hours before they can strike). 

My friend @GingerMommy from Tales of a Ranting Ginger received a tweet from Canada Post with this link: http://clients.infopost.ca/en/2011/05/cupw-denies-rumours-of-strike-notice/

It reads (quoting the site):

CUPW Denies Rumours of Strike Notice


2011/5/27

■A number of media outlets have incorrectly reported that the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) is about to serve 72-hour notice of their intention to begin strike activities.

■The national executive of CUPW earlier today (May 27) denied that they are about to serve 72-hour notice to Canada Post.

■Labour negotiations between Canada Post and CUPW continue and it is business as usual across our network.

■An official message will be provided if any notice regarding strike activities is served.

So that is the latest news on the strike!  I hope they reach an agreement soon so we can stop being up in the air!

Speech Therapy Update

I recently posted about my 4yo being discharged from speech therapy, and how we were working on getting him in with the school system.

Well, the it turns out that the school system deals with pronounciation delays, and he doesn't have one.  He has a language delay, so they recommended private care.  Which is very expensive. 

Our teacher is great, and she is going to talk to the school therapist about doing a screening on him to see if she can find a pronounciation delay, so she can work with him, but we don't know if that will happen.  If it does, we aren't sure she will find anything anyways.

So now the search begins for a quality therapist who will work well with our son.

Melissa and Doug Giveaway

I am always looking for good quality, educational toys for the boys.  We do have a lot of electronic things, but I like to have items that they can use their imagination with, and spark their imagination.  Also, who can resist that gleam in their eye and gorgeous smiles when they find a toy they absolutely delight in!

I have found that a lot of times when I find a toy online that I think hmmmm that looks really cool, it is a Melissa & Doug toy.

Who doesn't love their products, really?  They have food, arts & crafts, classic toys, easels, and blocks, etc.

Melissa & Doug have just launched some fun new sand toys that I get to tell you about!!  Check these out:

Seaside Sidekicks Sand Cupcake Set (Item 6431)

There IS something new under the sun…a 12-piece set to make cupcakes at the beach or in the sandbox! First, fill the unique , hinged cupcake molder with sand "dough", add cupcake toppers, put in tray and "bake". You can even use the icing tool to add more designs! For storage, you may keep the whole set in the included mesh bag.


Dimensions: 15" x 9" x 3.25" Assembled
Recommended Ages: 3+ years
Isn't this so cute?  So your little "baker" can make sand cupcakes!  I love this, as when we were little we always pretended to make sand cakes, or pancakes if we didn't have sand pails!

But what's even better than the cupcake set?  The Seaside Sidekicks Sand Baking Set (Item 6432)!  I am totally jealous of this I have to admit I totally would have loved this as a kid!

Make fabulous mudpies and sandcakes with this sea-creature inspired "baking" set. Young chefs will love using the shell shaped measuring cups, octopus whisk and crab mixing spoon to "cook" up some great beach treats. The turtle lid on the "mixing" bowl doubles as a sifter!

Recommended Ages: 3+ years

Your little sand monster not into baking?  Well don't fear!  Melissa & Doug has you covered anyways. Check out these great toys:

Clicker Crab Pail and Scoop (Item 6400) - Check out this cute Crab Pail and Scoop.

A crab-shaped scoop and a sunny red-orange, crab-face bucket make digging for treasures at the beach even more fun! Clicker Crab is always smiling and you will be too, with this sturdy plastic duo.


Dimensions: 7.5" Diameter x 6.25"H Assembled

Recommended Ages: 2+ years

And what about this super cute set up sand toys?:

Seaside Sidekicks Sand Molding Set (Item 6423)


The turtle mold has lots of friends hiding under its shell…a fish, a crab, a starfish and a seahorse! This set provides hours of sand molding fun in the sandbox or at the beach and quick clean up, as all the molds store neatly in their turtle "shell".


Recommended Ages: 2+ years


They fit nicely inside each other, so you can easily pack & go. 

BUY IT: Buy one or more sets of these adorable sand toys here.

WIN IT: For every 200 new followers referred through this contest, Melissa & Doug will add 1 set to the prize!  So be sure to get all your friends and family to enter this giveaway!

Recommended: Like Melissa & Doug on Facebook, and tell them I sent you.
Bonus Entries:
1 Entry - Follow Melissa and Doug on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MelissaAndDoug

1 Entry - Join Melissa and Doug Treasured Toy Club at: www.melissaanddoug.com/toyclub.phtml
1 Entry - Become a GFC follower of my blog
1 Entry - Be a Email Subscriber
1 Entry - Like The Knit Wit by Shair on Facebook
1 Entry - Follow me on Twitter
1 Entry - Grab my NEW button, and leave a link where I can find it
1 Entry Per Method per day - Post this giveaway somewhere (linky, blog, facebook etc), and leave the link so I can find it.
1 Entry - Tweet this giveaway once a day:

#Win Melissa and Doug Sand Toys #Giveaway from @MelissaandDoug and @knitwitshair Enter at http://bit.ly/h5naU4  6/9 pls rt

Giveaway is open to CAN/US, and Ends June 9, 2011.

Disclosure: I did not receive any products or compensation for this giveaway. All opinions are my own.

Kiboomu Review and Giveaway

As you may know, I have an iphone, and I let my boys use it whenever I am at an appointment or even at home if I need them to sit quietly for a while.  So I am always looking for good apps that are educational, but fun. 

Ok, so not all the apps they use are educational...wait...is angry birds, and plants vs zombies educational?  Uh...nevermind...anyways, I really try to let them use educational apps as much as possible.   I have been following Kiboomu on Twitter for a while because I love that they send out different activities for kids to do, such as activity pages, crafts, colouring pages etc.

So when I received their request to work together on apps I was very excited.  I know that they care about teaching kids, and helping Moms out with activities.  Not only are they helping keep kids busy, but it's not mindless activities, kids will learn in spite of themselves LOL

My 3 yo tried out both: ABC Song Piano, and Toddler Sing and Learn Best Kids Apps.

ABC Song Piano - Designed by a preschool teacher, the ABC Song Piano provides children with a jump start in mastering their Alphabet!

Toddler Sing & Learn is a great "stepping stone" app for early learners! Toddlers will learn words, letters, numbers, colors and shapes, body parts, food and more with 10 sing-along songs, 10 puzzles and 10 coloring pages!


My son loved both apps, but he is pretty adept at his Alphabet already, because his older brother already taught him all the letters, and all the sounds they make.  He is now teaching him how to spell words.  So although he enjoyed it, he didn't learn a lot from it.  However, it is a great tool if your child doesn't know all these things already.

As for the Toddler Sing & Learn my son loved this as he loves puzzles, and it has a puzzle section.  He also loved the colouring section too.  He has tried out all the activities and really enjoyed them all.  I am all about bang for your buck.  I am frugal, but I also believe in getting what you pay for.  I feel like the Toddler Sing & Learn is a great value.  It has several apps in 1!  I love that!  It is only $1.99 which is a reasonable price, since I have paid that for just puzzles, or just colouring.  So this is several apps in 1 for that price.  The only thing is that since it is a very "meaty" type app, it does take longer than normal to load, but I believe it is a reasonable time-frame given the amount of graphics, music, and other goodies it is loading.  Also I am a firm believer in teaching kids patience, and my boys just say "here it comes!!" LOL

I recommend all of the Kiboomu products I have seen, and highly recommend following them on twitter as well.  Also, I have to mention they are a Canadian company, so that is awesome, and I love supporting fellow Canadians!

BUY IT:  Go to Itunes, and grab all the Kiboomu products, you won't be sorry. Or at least the Toddler Sing and Learn here!
WIN IT: The wonderful ladies from Kiboomu would like to offer you 2 free apps, and a $15 Starbucks Gift Card!!  Woot!  That is a Mommy Break if I ever heard of one.  Your kids can play on the iphone while you sip your coffee in peace, and they are learning so you don't have to feel guilty!

Mandatory: Tell me who would use these apps the most?
Bonus Entries:
1 Entry - Like Kiboomu on Facebook (let them know I sent you)
1 Entry - Follow Kiboomu on Twitter
1 Entry - Become a GFC follower of my blog
1 Entry - Be a Email Subscriber
1 Entry - Like The Knit Wit by Shair on Facebook
1 Entry - Follow me on Twitter
1 Entry - Grab my NEW button, and leave a link where I can find it
1 Entry Per Method - Post this giveaway somewhere (linky, blog, facebook etc), and leave the link so I can find it.
1 Entry - Tweet this giveaway once a day:

I just entered to win 2 free apps, and $15 Starbucks GC from @Kibooomu and @knitwitshair you can enter too at http://bit.ly/h5naU4 CAN 6/8

Giveaway is open to CAN, and Ends June 8, 2011.

Disclosure: I was given 2 free apps for an honest review, and no other compensation was given.  All opinions are my own.

Jewellry by Solange Giveaway

Check out this giveaway for a gorgeous piece of jewellry!  It is a Facebook Fan page giveaway, so when you like the page, please tell her I sent you, so I have more chances to win!

She wanted to get to 500 fans (she's at 463) before doing another giveaway, but she was too excited about her dogs birthday to wait.  Can we help her out??

Alegria Shoes Review and Giveaway

I love shoes!  I know, what girl doesn't?  But I only have about 5 pairs total, and my hubby thinks that's a lot LOL!  I generally only wear 2 or 3 pairs, and the rest just sit there for special occassions.  So I need my shoes to be versatile, and comfy no matter what I am doing.

I have always been a big fan of items that serve more than one purpose too. 

That's why I was super excited to get to test our Alegria shoes.  I got to pick out 2 pairs of shoes!  I chose:

My friend was here when they arrived, and we opened them right away!  She loved them and thought they were cute.

I put the sandals right on, as it was a hot day.  I did find they hurt my toes, so I ended up going up 1 size, and now they are the most comfortable sandals I have ever worn!  They have a thicker sole which most sandals don't have, and if they do they aren't usually cute!

All of their shoes have the "Perfect Fit Footbed".  Which means they are anatomically correct interlocking footbeds with arch support, and loaded with latex, memory foam & cork to create a perfect fit by formig to the natural contours of your feet! 

Their clogs come in all kinds of styles, and colours!  I love them.  I love the ones I have, and yes super comfy. 

I chose their professional line for my clogs - The Donna.  I don't work in an office anymore, but I do like a more professional looking shoe, and if I can get that in something comfy I can run around in all day, then that is awesome!

These shoes have a slight rocker bottom, which reduces stress on your joints from walking, and also helps to tone your butt.  I went walking around the mall today, and while I was there I got 10,000 steps.  Usually by this point my feet, and calves would hurt from the jolting of the walking.  Nope!  Not this time, although I did notice my butt muscles hurting a bit from the toning! Woot!!

The Donna is very popular with women who stand on their feet all day (nurses, dental hygienists, teachers, hair stylists etc).  It has a slip resistant outer sole and the shoes is also stain resistant, so good for moms with young kids like me!  I've done hair dressing, and working in a lot of jobs I did a lot of standing, and after a couple of hours my legs ached.  I have used these a lot lately, but today was my first real long adventure in them, and seriously, they are so comfy!  They also come in a bunch of different colours, so you can show off your style, or be more neutral depending on your job.

BUY IT: Go to The Shoe Girls and buy a pair, or 2 or 3 or....well you get the idea!! The Shoe Girls, online retailers of Alegria shoes, are offering The Knit Wit readers a chance to save 10% off all regularly priced shoes by entering the promo code “knit” (case sensitive) at check-out. This deal expires June 30, 2011. http://www.theshoegirls.ca/” So go now!!

WIN IT: That's right! The Shoe Girls and Alegria Shoes would like to offer 1 of my readers a free pair of shoes!


Mandatory: Go to The Shoe Girls and browse, then tell me which pair you would love to have!
Bonus Entries:
1 Entry - Like Alegria Shoes on Facebook (let them know I sent you)
1 Entry - Become a GFC follower of my blog
1 Entry - Be a Email Subscriber
1 Entry - Like The Knit Wit by Shair on Facebook
1 Entry - Follow me on Twitter
1 Entry - Grab my NEW button, and leave a link where I can find it
1 Entry Per Method - Post this giveaway somewhere (linky, blog, facebook etc), and leave the link so I can find it.
1 Entry - Tweet this giveaway once a day:

SHOES!! Who wants FREE shoes? #Win a pair of Alegria Shoes at @knitwitshair you can enter to at http://bit.ly/h5naU4 CAN 6/7

Giveaway is open to Canadians, and Ends June 7, 2011.

Real Magazine Review and Giveaway

My 4yo has a speech delay as many of you know, but he loves letters, and reading.  Between 18 months to 2 years, he learned all his letters, and then just before he turned 4 he knew all the sounds they made.  He is a visual learner, so seeing letters was fun to learn for him.

He is learning to read at school, and is always amazing my hubby and I at what words he can read.  When he had a friendly competition at school where I had to send in words, and if he could read them he would get points for a weekly prize, he surprised his teacher with what he knew.  We are always reading together.  But sometimes I have to put down the story books a lot because his brothers need my attention.

I was recently given the opportunity to check out a new Canadian Kids Magazine called Real.

Real - The Canadian Kids' Magazine is children’s literary magazine, filled with beautiful illustrations and stunning photographs. The captivating visual imagery accompanies fascinating articles, stories, poems, folktales, jokes, riddles, puzzles, and much more.

Real is available in two age-based editions – an Elementary edition for children aged 4 to 8, and a Junior edition for kids aged 9 to 13. Both are full sized, full colour, magazines, with no advertising. They have been designed specifically for Canadian kids and families, and aim to inspire a love of learning through reading that the whole family can share. Every subscription contains 5 great issues for just $19.99.

The title – Real – stands for Read Everything And Learn, and that captures their philosophy in a nutshell. The world is a fascinating place, filled with mysteries and wonders just waiting to be discovered by curious, young minds. Learning is the natural result of the process of discovery – and learning fueled by curiosity is just plain fun!

We read the JK-Grade 3 version of the magazine. My son is 4 so a little on the young side for some of the activities, but he did really love the stories and pictures. 

I love that the stories are different lengths, engaging, the pictures are great quality, and there are no ads!  Most magazines you get have tons and tons of ads, and so very little conten.  Real is not like that.  Also, I love that it is Canadian content, and the stories are Canadian.  Thus words are spelled in Canadian!  That is big to me lol colour is spelled like that, not color. 

Although I don't have any kids in the grades 4 to 8 category, I did flip through the magazine.  The content is just as great, and there is a pie recipe that I plan on trying!!  If I do, I will share pics!

BUY IT: Go to Real Magazine's website, and purchase online!

WIN IT: You can win a 1 year subscription to Real Magazine to try out for your child!

Mandatory: Tell me who would you like to win this for?
Bonus Entries:
1 Entry - Like Real on Facebook (let them know I sent you)
1 Entry - Become a GFC follower of my blog
1 Entry - Be a Email Subscriber
1 Entry - Like The Knit Wit by Shair on Facebook
1 Entry - Follow me on Twitter
1 Entry - Grab my NEW button, and leave a link where I can find it
1 Entry Per Method - Post this giveaway somewhere (linky, blog, facebook etc), and leave the link so I can find it.
1 Entry - Tweet this giveaway once a day:

Enter to #win a 1 year subscription to Real Kids Magazine from @knitwitshair you can enter to at http://bit.ly/h5naU4

If you want more chances to win, check out the Real Magazine giveaways going on at 2 of my favourite bloggers: Did You Know Canada? and Tales of a Ranting Ginger

Giveaway is open to Canadians, and Ends June 6, 2011.

Divine.ca Online Contest

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dr. Oetker for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Divine.cahas an awesome giveaway going on, where you can have WIN 1 of 5 $500 Home Bakery Bundles!  All you have to do is go to their website, and  enter their contest: Divine.ca Home Bakery Bundle Giveaway

Contest runs between May 4, 2011 to June 13, 2011.

You can win some of Dr. Oetker's new Panebello Pizza Varieties:

• This new line of frozen pizza has an exquisite crust that could only have been created by a master Baker.
• Made with a variety of high-quality ingredients.
• It’s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, delivering a taste and texture like that of freshly baked bread from an artisan bakery.
• Available in four different varieties: Country Pepperoni, Classic Canadian, Vegetables and Goats Cheese and Bruschetta.
• Available at all major grocery retailers across Canada.
• Suggested retail price is $5.99 to $6.49.

Please visit oetker.ca for further information, including nutritional content and ingredients information .

Each prize pack includes:

 8 Coupons for two of each of the new Dr. Oetker Panebello pizza varieties
- Vegetables and GoatsCheese
- CountryPepperoni
- ClassicCanadian
- Bruschetta

o 1 Breville Toaster Oven
o 1 Pair of Dr. Oetker Oven Mitts
o 1 Dr. Oetker Pizza Cutter
o 1 Williams-Sonoma Pizza Peel

Please note that this contest is open to Canadian Residents only, and ends June 13, 2011.

Canada Post Strike Update

I just received this message in one of my email groups, they are a pretty reliable group so I trust the source.:

It appears a strike by 50,000 Canada Post workers has been averted, at least until Friday. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers has tabled a new contract offer containing compromises. And the union hasn't given 72 hours notice that's needed to walk off the job. Canada Post says it remains focused on reaching an agreement.

So if you have any shipments send them out ASAP, in order to be sure to not get caught in the strike, if it happens.

We Are Canadian Blog Hop

Welcome to the weekly "We are Canadian Blog Hop!!" Your co-hosts for this fun weekly Monday Hop are:


Each week we pull on blog from the previous week's hop, to be the Featured Blogger of the Week.  We use random.org, and will email the winner that they won as soon as we can.

This Week's Featured Blogger is:

Please feel free to grab the button, and spread the word to all your fellow Canadians!

<a border="0" href="http://theknitwitbyshair.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y22/Shairbearg/flag20canadian.gif" /> </a>

Rules:

1. Canadians Only! (Sorry Americans, we wanted to give the Canadians some love for this one.)

2. Follow the Co-hosts, and leave a comment so we will follow you back!
3. Follow the Featured Blogger, and leave a comment so they can follow you back!
get the InLinkz code

Canada Post Strike Looms Large

I don't know about you, but I am not looking forward to Tuesday.  There is a very big potential that Canada Post (for the US readers our postal service) could strike.  Read about it here: CBC - Canada Post Story

If you are a review blogger, or small business, like myself, this could greatly impact your life/business.  Also if you are in the US and trying to ship to Canada you may want to take note.

Now, we haven't had one in many years, as both sides has done their best to avoid the strike.  But I am buddies with our rural route mail carrier (not one of the workers in strike position), and she said it isn't looking good.  She did say that they are being allowed to cross the pickets by the other union, but doesn't think that will last long, since the other unions are the ones that sort the mail, and give it to her and the other rural routers.  They will probably end up going out on sympathy strike anyways.

So, what do you all think?  Will you be impacted if there is a strike?