This is dangerous!!!

Right now at French Connection, all Men’s and Women’s watches are 30% off! They’ve got some gorgeous styles to choose from, guaranteed to suit almost every taste (and definitely within budget). I’d jump on the website to check them out, but wouldn’t necessarily buy online unless you have to (shipping runs a bit high at between $10-18, depending on where you reside in Canada).

I don’t need a new watch. I don’t need a new watch. I don’t need a new watch.

Oh, fudgecakes. I’m going to take a peek. Click here to shop at French Connection.

Looking to put a sporty spring in your step? Check out The Shoe Company from March 30th thru April 5th, where you can save an extra 20% off all Adidas shoes and handbags with this coupon. (Online shoppers, please use coupon code 20ADIDAS.) There are quite a few styles already on sale, so you’ve got yourself a pretty good dealio.

Another Old Navy promo? They just won’t stop!

This Thursday, April 1st, take 25% off your entire purchase. Considering they’ve got a lot of great items on sale this week, I’m actually pretty impressed with their willingness to discount further. My one question – how much is it costing them to make this stuff? Sadly, must be peanuts.

I’m not sure if this is an actual coupon (no barcode, so I’m thinking no), but just in case – you may want to bring along this e-mail notification.

Thanks to Shauna for passing along the fabulous details!

If you live in the GTA (Milton) – why not visit Springridge Farm this Easter weekend? The farm officially re-opens on April 1st, and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday you can join in on their Eggcellent Easter Adventure!

(And right now the weather is looking BEA-U-TI-FUL all weekend long – between 18-25 degrees and nothing but sun… finally!)

Activities will take place from 10-4 each of these days, and they include:

Egg Hunt with the Easter Bunny
Professional Puppet Show
Pedal Tractors
Wagon Ride & Farm Tour
The Fun Farmyard: Animal Barn, Giant Sandbox, Corn Trail, Straw Bale Jumping and an Escarpment Lookout
Bunny Face Painting
Take home Bunny Ears to colour and wear
Children receive a yummy white chocolate-covered rice krispy bunny treat

Admission for the Easter Festival is $9 per person ages 2 and up.

Families will also enjoy pony rides, BBQ, spring home and garden decor, accessories, delicious gourmet foods and colourful outdoor pansies.

Those in GTA West will tell you it’s the place to be for children and toddlers! The farm boasts scrumptious homemade treats and lovely gourmet preserves/gift baskets at their Bakery and Café, a petting zoo with pony rides, strawberry picking (my fave), and much more! If visiting the farm between April 5th and 12th, take along this coupon to enjoy 10% off all Springridge merchandise.

Click here for more information on Springridge Farm.

This evening, as I was giving Ryder his bath before bed, he looked up at me and gave me the softest, sweetest smile. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of familiarity – it was like looking in a mirror, only better.

You see, ever since Ryder was a newborn, we have constantly received compliments on his resemblance to Mike. Almost everyone who meets Ryder will hover over him and declare, “Wow, he sure does look like his father.”

I have to admit, it does bother me just a little. Not that there’s anything wrong with my hubby, but for Pete’s sake, I manufactured Ryder! Surely my stamp is somewhere with him…

And today I found my signature. The little bit of Lena that makes him mine. I saw it in the shape of his eyes, the curve of his lips. I looked ahead and could see my own smile; my own playful expressions. Will his face one day twist in sarcasm, and brighten in delight? Will he furrow his brow and chew on his bottom lip while deep in thought?

I’d like to think he will – just like Mommy.

I can’t believe that Easter is already here! This year will mark Ryder’s first Easter Egg Hunt – we plan on littering our front and backyard with colourful eggs. Hope he finds them all!

And every year around this time, like clockwork, I forget how to dye Easter eggs. What’s the ratio of vinegar to water? How do I create a marbleized effect?

I decided to blog some quick tips in case there are others like me who need a cheat sheet for egg-cellent results.

To start, cover a table with layers of old newspaper to soak up any spills.

- Use empty egg cartons as drying racks. Keep paper towels handy to blot off any dye that pools underneath the eggs.

- For colorfast egg dyes, mix 7-8 drops of food coloring into 1 cup of hot water. Stir in 1/4 cup vinegar. For more intense colors, use small amounts of professional-quality food coloring gels or pastes, available at craft, cake decorating and kitchen supply stores.

- For spattered eggs, dip egg in a base color and let dry. Dip a clean toothbrush in a contrasting liquid color and carefully flick bristles with your fingers to make paint splatter onto egg.

- For marbleized eggs, coat eggs with a base color and let dry. Mix canola or other light cooking oil into another color of dye (1 teaspoon oil per cup of dye) and quickly dunk eggs. The oil will repel color in some places and the dye will adhere in others, creating a marbled effect.

- Use markers, glitter glue, paint and/or stickers to add punch to your eggs. Just remember to keep a steady hand and let eggs dry thoroughly before adding adhesives.

Homemade Dyes

To make your own natural dyes, boil common ingredients in water with a tablespoon of vinegar until desired shade is reached. Strain to remove solids.

Yellow: Yellow onion skins, ground turmeric
Orange: Same as yellow, with added beet juice
Pink: Cranberry juice concentrate
Red: Beets, paprika
Blue: Canned blueberries, red cabbage, grape juice concentrate
Green: Spinach and/or kale
Brown: Strong brewed coffee or tea

The secret to beautiful eggs: let eggs dry thoroughly between coats of dye.

Source: Allrecipes.com

It’s been a long time since Old Navy has had a Super Saturday promo, and although this one isn’t necessarily something to go crazy over, it’s a pretty sweet sale.

This Saturday, April 3rd at Old Navy, all basic polos will be just $5! You can also use this 30% off coupon towards the purchase of a single item, making one a $3.50 polo for you.

I’m not sold on the quality of ON tees and polos, mainly because I’ve seen them shrink, stretch out of shape, and fade within 2-3 washes. BUT, I do see the value in having a couple of casual polos for around the house and running errands, so I can’t hate on the deal. And remember – Old Navy WILL do price adjustments for Super Saturday promos, so if you’d like to beat the rush and grab the sizes/colours you prefer, simply shop this week and arrive on Saturday with your receipt for a price fix.

The DaysAgo Digital Day Counter – now this is a product no Mommy should be without!

Last year, while introducing Ryder to solids, I had a mishmash of homemade baby food, jarred goodies, and of course, the dreaded baby cereal. The homemade food wasn’t really a problem to manage, as it was mostly frozen and required quick thawing and heating. The jarred food, on the other hand, was the bane of my existence. Ryder never seemed willing to finish an entire jar at one sitting, so I would have refrigerate the remainders for the following meal or day.

Then, of course, Mike would come along and open a new jar, only to realize after the fact that a partially enjoyed jar of banana puree was already in the fridge. Multiply this scenario with forgotten jars wedged behind a cantaloupe, a refusal to eat by a picky baby, and/or buffet-style sampling, and I would end up throwing the whole lot in the garbage, not sure which items had been opened more than 48 hours ago.

I suppose I don’t have to tell you we were thrilled when Ryder moved on to table food :)

However, had I known about DaysAgo Digital Day Counters at the time, my life would have been so much easier!

The DaysAgo Digital Day Counter is the first and only digital day counter that attaches to a variety of surfaces with a magnetic or suction backing and counts up to 99 days. It’s a simple gadget that is re-usable, versatile and helps save money. You can use it on food containers to let you know how many days ago you opened it, closed it, tried it, sauced it, grew it, etc. As for leftovers, it eliminates the doubt about when to throw it out.

The timer is a breeze to use! After opening the package, there is a removable clear plastic tab on the side of each DaysAgo unit. Pull the tab slowly and completely – this action will automatically engage the battery inside of the DaysAgo so that the unit will be ready to operate. Press and hold the button for five seconds to begin counting elapsed days. Reset by pressing and holding the button for five seconds. (If desired, you can also press the button once to view hours elapsed.)

And that’s it! The perfect way to keep track of perishable items, leftovers, fresh meats, bottled sauces and more! You’ll never have to ask “Does this smell funny?” again – rather than trusting your hazy memory, you can now have a cool little gadget keeping track of the important stuff for you. Like, you know, how to avoid food poisoning.

I tested this wonderful product through PTPA, and was thoroughly impressed with the simple features, slim design, and dependable output. It’s truly one of those products you can’t believe you ever lived without – and since receiving a 2-pack for review, I have purchased 4 more 2-packs in anticipation of refrigerated breastmilk/formula bottles, loads of leftovers, and the dreaded sampled jars of baby food. The battery lasts about 18 months and can be replaced – making it the kind of gizmo no home should be without.

DaysAgo Digital Day Counters come in three convenient formats:

Magnetic: Snaps to most metal surfaces; perfect for jar lids and refrigerators.
Suction: Sticks to most smooth surfaces; great for plastic and glass containers.
Band: Great for bottles, jars, and glass containers.

All are sold in packs of 2, available online or at a store near you. In Canada, you can find DaysAgo at Home Outfitters locations nationwide, and at the Safety Superstore.

Click here to visit the DaysAgo website.

Now tell me this – How many days has it been since you won a fabulous contest? This may be your lucky day!

double u products, maker of the DaysAgo Digital Day Counter, has generously offered three (3) Listen to Lena! readers the chance to win a 2-pack of Suction DaysAgo! To enter, simply tell us what you would attach the counter to… or suggest a cool, new way to use DaysAgo! (I’m thinking, “How Many Days Ago” did hubby toss his dirty socks in the corner of the bedroom… let’s just see how many days elapse before he places them in the clothes hamper!) I’ll draw for three winners on Sunday.

Thanks to double u products for sponsoring the giveaway, and good luck everybody!

Thanks to everyone who entered the Lena Loves… Say Please Lunchbox Love contest. I was looking through the “Lunchbox Love for Teens and Tweens” notes, and found the following sayings that I thought were just perfect:

“Sometimes parents make mistakes. I’m sorry.”
“Thanks for being honest.”
“You can tell me anything. I promise not to judge.”

Oh, how I wish I had received one of those cards when I was a teen!

As a reminder, up for grabs is Say Please Lunchbox Love for Kids (Volumes 1-4). Without further ado, the winner is zoiysiabean! Congratulations!

Zoiysiabean said: I have been my 4 yr olds teacher in “school” since he started when he was 18 months old. In August he starts VPK and it will be the first year that I will not be his teacher. I think these are a wonderful idea to keep him comforted throughout the day when I am not there to do it. I love the first volume with the simple I love you message along with the trivia fun fact about the crocodile! Something any 4 year old would love to learn about.

Please send me an e-mail with your full name and contact details, so that I can have the prize sent to you right away. Thanks to everybody who participated, and to Say Please!

Perhaps one of the most popular Parent Tested Parent Approved winners ever – the Shark Steam Pocket Mop – is finally on sale at Canadian Tire! Until Thursday, April 1st, you can grab the mop for just $114.99, which is $15 cheaper than it’s usual selling price of $129.99.

I’ve been patiently watching the price of this item for over 3 months now, and am happy to report that this is the first time I’ve seen it discounted. You know what that means – Lena’s visiting Canadian Tire later today!

What’s so great about the Shark Steam Pocket Mop?

- Safe to use on all sealed hard floor surfaces: hardwood, linoleum, tile, etc.
- Super heated steam sanitizes and leaves floors virtually dry
- Turns ordinary tap water into a power cleaning agent
- Ready to use in 30 seconds or less; no rinsing, wringing, or dirty water
- Natural mopping motion creates Steam On Demand, delivering steam when you want it, where you want it
- 180 degrees of swiveling action – easy to maneuver into tight spaces, against baseboards, and around furniture
- Generous 2-cup water tank capacity provides more than 25 minutes of cleaning time and refillable anytime
- Includes: 3 quick release mop heads, 3 all purpose cleaning pads, 1 steam duster, 1 carpet glider, and comes with 30′ (9 m) power cord

Check out this quick 2-minute infomercial:

The Shark Steam Pocket Mop was featured by PTPA on the Rachael Ray show, and since then, has become one of the most talked about products on our Facebook and Twitter page. I can’t tell you how many times we receive inquiries about the steam mop, and we’re also inundated with rave reviews from parents who have purchased the product! I am so excited about this sale, as I’m finally able to give into temptation (and still follow my stern mantra of never paying full price) and purchase the Shark. I’ve got porcelain tiles and hardwood floors just itching for a good cleaning :)

A bonus: Toronto4Kids is also offering you the chance to win one! Simply click here to enter the contest – to qualify, you’ll need to sign up for their mailing list and answer this simple question: “What lifestyle changes have you made to fully enjoy your weekends with your kids?”

I’ve entered… and crossed my fingers and toes!

FYI – The Shark Steam Pocket Mop is sold online and exclusively at Canadian Tire locations across Canada.

Looking for an alternative to chocolates and candy this Easter? Why not fill up your Easter baskets with colourful tools for sparking the imagination?

I was in Zellers over the weekend and I stumbled across their Buy One, Get One FREE Crayola deal. I can’t believe I missed it in the flyer, but was happy to load up on crayons, chalk and paint (all washable, of course) for my budding artist.

The prices start at $1.97 and go all the way up to $24.99, making it one sweet deal! Just make sure to purchase the higher priced items in separate transactions, or the cashier will attempt to discount the lowest priced items… ie. if you purchase two $19.99 items and two $6.99 items, purchase the first two items separately, thereby receiving a BOGO $19.99 item for free and a BOGO $6.99 item for free. If you purchase them all in the same transaction, the cashier will automatically give you the two $6.99 items free (boo).

Now if your Easter baskets must include chocolatey goodness, Zellers is also a good stop – they’ve got a ton of Easter-themed chocolates and candies on sale too. Mix it up!

Ha ha ha, no – this isn’t a “Lena Loves” feature… but I did notice that fellow blogger Lotus had shown some love to one of my fabulous sponsors, Sleepy Moon, so I decided to post a copy of her shout out!

“I wanted to thank Lena for the great contest where I won the Sleepy Moon necklace; in a word, it’s gorgeous! I love wearing it, it goes with everything!

The thing that I love the most about it – no one else around me has something like it… which is great because sometimes you don’t want to wear the same things that everyone else is wearing.

It’s a delicate piece- which I love because it makes the piece look beautiful… it helps me dress up an outfit, but you can also rock it with a t-shirt and jeans:) I will be visiting her Etsy store soon to see what new stuff she has come up with.

Thanks again for the contest and to Sleepy Moon for the lovely necklace!!”

I just checked out Sleepy Moon’s site myself, and OMG are these pieces not to die for? I think some new pieces would fit nicely into a spring wardrobe :)

Click here to begin shopping at Sleepy Moon.

If you read my hydrasense review, you’ll know that both Ryder Roonie and I were sick all weekend (boo). Just the common cold – runny nose, sore throat and a headache from hell. Ryder stayed pretty chipper through it all (with interlaced bouts of extreme 911 crankiness) – as for me, I just walked around the house in my robe, muttering phrases like “I want to kill myself” and “please put me out of my misery.”

But there’s always one surefire way to make me feel better – swatching and testing beauty products. A couple of weeks ago, I let ya’ll know that my first e.l.f. Elite stash had arrived for review, which included the Beauty Encyclopedia, Everyday Eye Edition:

This is the perfect gift for yourself or for a friend. Add this trendy Little Black Book of Beauty as a reference guide to your collection. This all-in-one compact includes the must-have makeup essentials: 12 eye shadow shades, 2 cream eye shadow shades, 1 eyeliner, 1 eye shadow brush.

I was happy to crack it open and begin learning the basics of a smokey eye. Disclaimer: I love playing with makeup, but I’ve never been able to master eye shadow. My expertise reaches as far as a neutral highlight with a subtle crease – translation, the “barely there” look. So attempting to create a perfectly defined look while incorporating colour was definitely a challenge I was up for.

First things first, you should know that I only used the tools provided in the kit, which included a mini eyeshadow brush/sponge tip applicator. I was immediately impressed with the quality of the mini brush – the bristles were soft and felt like silk, not at all what I was expecting from a travel kit brush. It glided effortlessly across the shadows and picked up the colour very easily.

Speaking of colour, I was blown away with how highly pigmented the shades were. I literally had to tap the palette to pick up full coverage, and when I swatched the black, I actually found a simple tap was too much! The shadows blended easily without any excessive sprinkling, virtually clinging to the skin.

So did I follow the instructions? Of course I did. I started with an all over base colour (a linen beige) and then lined my upper and lower lash lines with the black eyeliner provided (excellent coverage, no tugging). A light brown on the entire lid provided depth, and then I carefully defined my outer crease with a combination of two shades: a deep silver and a mossy green. Finally, I blended the works with a slightly darker highlighting shade (a neutral medium beige). I topped it off with my own mascara (Cover Girl LashExact in Black) et voila! A sultry, smokey eye in minutes.

Since you know I love before/after shots, I only applied the colour to one eye to illustrate the difference:

As you can see, the effect is not too dramatic (perhaps even a day look?) but the shades are definitely there to take this from office to after party. A more experienced beauty expert would have used a heavier application, I’m sure, with daring but gorgeous results. And before you ask “WTH? Couldn’t you apply a little blush and lipstick to finish your face?” – I’m sick, okay? Give me a break! Just look at the eyes :)

The Beauty Encyclopedia has received 5 stars from reviewers online! What they love:

- Easy To Apply
- Good Pigmentation
- Good Value
- Long Lasting
- Versatile

At just $5, you can’t go wrong! I promise this will become your daily go-to for a quick eye fix – I’m already looking forward to trying out a cooler look and playing with the cream shadows.

Since I’m on the subject of loving e.l.f., here are some of their latest coupon codes for you to enjoy…

- Buy one get one 50% off on orders of $15 or more with code SPRING. Expires March 31, 2010.

- FREE Mini Makeup Palette ($80 value) on orders of $20 or more with code MARCHMINI. Expires April 1, 2010.

- 50% off all products, valid on the first $15 in your cart with code SORRYPATTY. Expires April 15, 2010.

- FREE Professional Brush Set of 12 ($60 value) on orders of $20 or more with code EGSPBRU. Expires May 1, 2010.

- 75% off all SugarKiss products on orders of $15 or more with code EGSK75. Expires May 1, 2010.

Click here to begin shopping at e.l.f. Cosmetics.

I’m embarrassed to admit that I all but fall apart when my little guy is sick. I just can’t bear to see my child in any sort of discomfort (which mom can?) and constantly hover like a neurotic hen. Thankfully, Ryder has only been sick twice in his 22 months… once at 11 months, and again right now :(

So my review for this product could not have come at a better time~

The hydrasense Nasal Aspirator and its filters were developed with pediatricians, and are brought to you by hydraSense, the leading brand in saline solutions for the whole family. The hydraSense Nasal Aspirator is a gentle and safe way to relieve your baby’s nasal congestion quickly and effectively. It’s soft nasal tip is specifically designed for babies’ delicate noses and its transparent design allows for you to see the amount and type of mucus that is being removed. hydraSense Nasal Aspirator has a protective single-use filter that traps excess mucus, providing hygienic aspiration. Unlike squeezable nasal aspirators, the hydraSense Nasal Aspirator allows you to control the strength of the suction with your aspiration.

The good folks at hydrasense, in partnership with Mom Central, sent me a complete hydrasense kit to review, including the Nasal Aspirator, Easydose 100% Natural-Source Desalinated Seawater Drops, Ultra-Gentle Mist with Comfort Tip, and a box of replacement single-use filters.

Here’s a quick demo of the product – I promise, it’s not your average bulb syringe.

When I first watched the video, I thought, “Huh? You have to put this in your mouth?” I couldn’t decide if it was incredible revolutionary or incredibly silly. But after reading the instructions, and inspecting the unit, I realized that by gently sucking on the valve, you can actually control the amount of pressure used to remove the mucus – particularly wonderful for newborns and younger babies. (And as the video clearly shows, the single-use filters trap the mucus, keeping it hygienic for both you and baby.)

So now came the test – using it on Ryder’s runny nose. He’s still in the early stages of his cold (mommy’s got it too) so his mucus is mostly clear and runny – trouble is, he’s got a lot of it. Time to aspirate!

Now I won’t lie to you and pretend that he stayed perfectly still just like the baby in the video – he actually thrashed around the bed screaming while I locked his arms down and Mike tried to get within an inch of his nose. Of course, this is normal behaviour for him any time he sees a syringe – even though the last time we used one was over 10 months ago! Don’t tell me that babies don’t have amazing memories…

By the time we were able to actually place the aspirator in his nose, we were amazed at the loud suction noise that came from the tip – in addition to the gobs of clear mucus that made their way into the chamber! LOVE that the chamber is clear – you can easily see the amount and type of discharge collected into the unit. Mike claimed that inhaling on the valve was no more difficult than trying to squeeze a rubber bulb syringe – but this way, he controlled the amount of force and suction.

Now I’m not sure if you can get a good look, but here’s what we collected after just two attempts: (hard to see, I know – at least it’s not green! Click to enlarge.)

The hydrasense Nasal Aspirator is definitely Lena Approved! I have to be honest – had I not been given the chance to try it myself, I probably would have hesitated purchasing it (at about $15 plus filters, it’s decidedly more expensive than a $3 bulb syringe) – but now that I have, I can’t go back. It truly is a quality product that works.

If I’ve convinced you to throw out your rubber bulbs like I did, hydraSense is offering an $8.00 off coupon towards the purchase of hydraSense Nasal Aspirator – savings of over 50% off the retail price! To print your copy, visit the hydraSense Dolphin’s Club Website before April 10th and fill out the registration form. Once complete, login and click on coupons, entering the code MC2010 (please ensure your printer is ready). The coupon expires December 31, 2010.

I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central and received a Mom Central gift pack to thank me for taking the time to participate.