Huge Indoor Garage Sale~Saturday May 1st~Tomorrow!

For all you local readers, there is a huge indoor garage sale happening at Bonnycastle School tomorrow. It starts at 9:oo and goes until 1:00, admission is free. There will be a canteen open selling Timmy's coffee, muffins and for you die hards like me Coke and chips. For the first time, there will be a vendor selling tasty sweets! Fudge, candied apples and more~ coke, chips, candied apple sounds like a well balanced Mom breakfast to me!!

With the rain we have been having, its perfect time to shop indoors for some great deals, hope to see you there~Bonnycastle School 1100 Chancellor.

The 411 on Gymboree

I love Gymboree - it is by far my favourite children's clothing store and I love to share my madness. I can't tell you how overjoyed I was when last night at parent-teacher conferences my daughter's teacher looked at K's fairy shirt and said "I have the same shirt for my daughter - it's adorable!". I didn't let her know the depth of my Gymbo obsession (so Mrs. H if you're reading, the secret is out!)

For the average person walking into Gymboree, the store seems incredibly expensive, but like most stores, there is a secret to the sales and while I'd say my youngest daughter's wardrobe is 90% Gymbo, I never spend much money on her clothing.


I started this Blog to share these secrets with you - so if you're Gymbo obsessed keep coming back to find out how to make this store work for you!

Now - for all of the latest Gymbo information!!

The Gymbuck Redemption line (Mid July) is the back to school line.

The theme is horses, which we just saw in Malibu Cowgirl, but for us pony lovers, it's not a bad theme to repeat!!  The colours for this line are lavender and chocolate. *swoon*

The Baby girl line has the most adorable outfit with a lavender tutu, a white t-shirt with a pony, flowered leggings and the absolute cutest moccasins. I am not a fan of the everyday tutu, but we will be buying the rest! The moccasins would look adorable paired with skinny jeans.

The boy line is ... you guessed it, skulls again. I'm not a boy Mom so I don't know how you think about it, but it seems sooo overdone to me! There is also a cowboy line coming out.

Now - on to the sales!! As always, it's Gymbuck Earning time. Pretty much as soon as redemption ends, we're back in an earning period now. For those who don't know what Gymbucks are, you earn 1 Gymbuck for every $50 you spend and then for 2 weeks you can redeem those Gymbucks for $25 off a $50 purchase, so basically it works out to 25% off if I'm doing my math right. (I'm no math whiz, correct me if I'm wrong!)


The next "sale" should be the knits sale, where all knit tanks and shorts are $7.99. Not exactly sure when this is but it should be before circle of friends, which means it should be very soon! I will post as soon as I have more info!


Circle of Friends (30% off, it's a coupon so you can't combine another coupon with it) is May 13th to May 16th.


That's all for now - but keep checking back!

Today is the last day to enter the Lennah Designs giveaway that we blogged about here.

If you made some entries but skipped others (becoming a fan on Facebook, following on Twitter, etc.) take the time to go and do those and earn some extra entries.

Even if you're not a nursing Mom, this necklace would make a beautiful gift for anyone, especially for Mother's Day.

Also, remember we have an exclusive 15% off coupon code for you, and since the beautiful, trendy necklaces start at just $20.00 (Canadian!) with FREE SHIPPING, there is no reason not to do some Mother's Day shopping, go ahead, treat yourselves - you deserve it. ;) The coupon code is "stylebymommy" and is valid until May 30th!

Sku's are here, Sku's are here!!

Oh dear, I love it all - we're in trouble!! 

Here is the link to them all, (thanks Diane!) and I'm posting a sneak peek from each line!

Baby Girl

Kid Girl

Girl's Sleepwear

Boys Wear

Newborn Girl  - SOOO cute!

Newborn Boy - So sweet!!

4th of July (Canada Day is coming, but usually they're pretty similar!)

Later tonight I will post about the upcoming back to school lines, sales, etc.

Kenzie Prudhomme Photograghy - Coupon Code for your Family Photos!!

Everyday I learn something new from my kids, and that could not have been truer just recently. My daughter came home from school and complained how EVERYONE she knows is going to Mexico, and why couldn't we? Two words, 5 kids. I asked who was EVERYONE, she proceeded to name two girls in her class and then said "Corey's Mom was just there taking pictures." I said, "you mean Corey and his family were there and his Mom took some pictures". She proceeded to set me straight, "NO, Mom she takes pictures of people, you know a photographer." The look of annoyance on her face was unmistakable~the attitude of an 8 year old going on 18. That's a post for another day!

But that is how I was introduced to Kenzie Prudhomme Photograghy, which is kinda of sad since our kids have been going to school together since kindergarten. How dare she have a secret life I didn't know about, LOL. I would love a secret life....

I quickly got online to check out what Kenzie had to offer and I was very excited to find a blog and website featuring some very beautiful photos. She does family and newborn sessions and of course weddings. Her "little people" tab is a must see, so many adorable wee ones you could just gobble up.

Her pictures always seem to portray the lighter side of life~families just hanging out together, the innocence of a newborn or the that twinkle in a grooms eye that is reserved for one day and one women. Kenzie is a local Mom, who understands that we all lead crazy, chaotic lives. So when she takes your picture she tries to capture a moment that you can return to on those days when your not sure why you had kids (wink-wink).

Her style is carefree, fun, and fresh and to quote Kenzie~if you want stuffy, boring or stale she may have to charge you extra.

Kenzie has kindly offered an amazing deal to our Style by Mommy readers, if you book an family or little ones session and quote the code "SBM" when emailing her through her website she will give you the session for $100, that saves you $50 off the regular price. Thank-you , Kenzie!

You will need to keep checking in with us because we have been lucky enough to book Kenzie for our website photos and I have recommend her to my best friend for her November wedding ( Natalie you need to call, stop procrastinating!)

Gymboree SKU's are coming!!

Citrus Cooler - pinks, yellows and lemonade - LOVING it!!

Check back later for the SKU's, hopefully they'll be ready before nap time ends at my house.

30% off EVERYTHING at Old Navy Canada!

Friday, Saturday and Sunday everything at Old Navy will be 30% off. Mens, Womens, Childrens, EVERYTHING!


Have fun shopping!

Crazy 8 - Few Sneak Peeks!!

Canadians - remember we can shop online at Crazy 8 now!!


Look at the Sneak Peeks that are up for the new lines, very cute. I *love* the black and white polka dots.

D-Listed, It's a Good Thing!

We are D-Listed!! I know that doesn't sound like a good thing but it really is. This is a list started to help out blogs that are trying to get their name out~you post your button and you blog is randomly selected to appear on the top five featured list. Today is our turn, woohoo!

If you are a new blogger you should check them out. We have found some great blogs to follow through them as well. You can choose to follow or not follow that is the great thing, no pressure.

They also provide a D-List for your Etsy shop and Twitter account.
Thanks D-List for the support!!

Matchables at The Childrens Place

I love TCP, and even more so when they have their matchables for summer. Right now in Canadian stores the matchables are 3 for $20, regularly $9.50 each. These are an essential part to my kids wardrobe, they are in great basic colours for the boys and fashion colours for the girls. They are easy to wear, perfect for the cottage or summer days at the park. They last forever and wash up so well~I have a tank and short set that are on the third kid and you cant tell at all!

Get there quickly, they always sell out fast.....happy shopping :)

Please Mum Sale

Anyone need some kids swimwear? Right now at Please Mum online all their swimwear and matching accessories are 40% off. This very cool hibiscus inspired swimwear looks good with great colours to make the kiddos happy but is UPF 50 to make you happy!

If you prefer shopping in store the promo they are running right now is buy two items and get the third for 40% off, and this does include the swimwear. I think I will be trying the online shop because they provide free shipping on all standard orders in Canada.

Summer's just around the corner, are you ready?

Offer to go with Lennah Giveaway!

Let's give Stella over at Lennah Designs another HUGE shout out~she is kindly offering a coupon code to the readers of our blog. Since we only have one necklace to giveaway this means that all those who don't win will have an opportunity to purchase one at 15% off. When checking out at Lennah type in the code
"stylebymommy" and its good until May 31. Perfect chance to buy that cool Mamas Day gift!

For all of our new readers make sure you link to the contest using the button on the right~"like" Lennah on FB for an entry, follow us or subscribe to us through feedburner.

Let's see if we can get Lennah facebook "likes" to 175, totally doable!!
Thanks to all who have already entered;)

Help Me Babyproof!

Meet Kelsie. She is my 3rd baby girl and is 9 months going on 2! This girl is a monkey and gets into everything.

She can't walk, but she can climb her bouncy seat and stand in it. She loves to get into the cupboards. She tries to scale over the baby gates and she crawls faster than any baby mammal I've ever seen.

My oldest girls never got into anything, I have never baby proofed. I've never even locked the cleaning cupboard. I need help!

What are your favourite baby proofing products? I hate baby gates. I am 5'2 and can't just step over. My husband laughs as I run through the hall to catapult over the gate. The locks on the cupboards are keeping me out more than her. I'm about to lose my mind.

Help!

Winnipeg Bath and Body Works is FINALLY here!!

Ok all you local Winnipegers - we finally have a date for the Bath and Body Works grand opening!!

Tuesday, April 27th is the Grand Opening date and you can click here for a coupon to receive a free Signature Collection Product with any $25.00 purchase!

I *love* Bath and Body works, my favourite product is the foam soaps - what's yours?

Manitoba Children's Museum & St. Vital Kid's Club

Remember when we told you about all of the great deals that the St.Vital Kid's Club has to offer?

Here's another one! On May 1st all members of the St. Vital Kid's Club will save $2.00 off children's admission!

It's free to join, so if you haven't done so, sign up now!

Treat Yourself - Great Mommy Deal at Mexx

If you're like me, you can't close your children's overstuffed drawers and their closets are bursting, while you wear the same pair of jeans over and over again.

Why do we shop so freely for our children yet never spend a dime on ourselves?

Now is the time to treat yourselves, and not feel guilty doing so!

On April 25th Mexx is having a great deal for the ladies! Pickup any womanswear item in white and save 50%!

Lennah Review and GIVEAWAY

THANK YOU FOR ENTERING - THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!! 

We are so excited to offer another Giveaway!!

I was first introduced to Lennah Designs through Facebook, a friend of mine became a friend and suggested I do the same. I went to the FB page and then connected to the website. I was very excited to find some beautiful jewelry, with two design roles. It looks great and it keeps tiny hands busy.

I kept browsing through the website and noticed that the company donated a proceed of their sales to the Children's Hospital of Toronto~very close to my heart. Just through that info alone, I decided to to a quick post about this generous Canadian company.

Well, it so happens that the owner, Stella, read my post and kindly offered to send me a necklace as a gift! She did not ask for a review, or for us to post her button, she just wanted to make a busy Mom of 5 day a little brighter. When I read her email a tear came to my eye, who does this nowadays? In a world where we communicate through machines~voicemail, email, twitter, blogs~it can be hard to make an actual connection, but I believe that I have, thankfully!

My necklace arrived on a less then perfect day, I felt relief that there was something other than bills and the usual junk mail. When I opened the manila envelope, there was my gift perfectly wrapped in brown tissue. When I tore the tissue I found a lovely "nursing necklace" made from green, amber and cream beads.

For those of you who unaware of what a nursing necklace is all I can say is that it is brilliant! The necklace is constructed with a break away clasp so when your wee one pulls on it when nursing it doesn't fall apart and break in their hands. The beads are made from non toxic acrylic beads that have been lab tested to ensure their safety for little ones who like to put things in their mouth. I am not nursing anymore but my twins love to play with it when I carry them in my sling. Liam especially likes hold the "ring" in between his fingers and coos at it. I feel good and the baby is happy, is there anything better? YEP!


Two things actually~first the break away clasp actually works. I didn't have the necklace but 5 minutes when my beast of a two year old ( I say that with love) grabbed it and ran. Out of pure knee jerk reaction a grabbed the necklace before he could get to far and in Keaton style he kept running~ SNAP! I instinctively closed my eyes, so afraid that this never worn creation was toast, but the clasp totally worked. It broke away and Keaton kept running and was holding a perfect necklace in my hand. The second thing that I love about my gift is this tiny silver tag that Stella places at the back of the necklace, it reads "made with love", and I believe that it is. Stella is busy working Mom who had other Mom's in mind when she started making jewelry. She knows what is like to stay home in sweats all day and not remember if you have brushed you teeth or not.

Stella has graciously offered another necklace for us to giveaway! So please visit her site and take a peak around, you don't need to be a nursing mama to enjoy her jewelry~buy a piece for the next shower you need to go to, or for that busy Gramma that babysits your rug rats twice a week, trust me any women would appreciate one of these necklaces. And maybe if there is enough us on board we can convince her to make some equally as stunning bracelets!!

Thank-you to my new friend Stella and her company Lennah ~jewelry for today's mama.

To enter the giveaway just follow these rules:


Visit Lennah Designs and tell us what your favourite necklace is.


Bonus Entries:
for each of these that you complete, enter one comment.


1. Become a fan of Lennah Designs on Facebook.


2. Become a fan of ours on Facebook.


3. Become a Follower of our blog.
4. Follow Lennah on Twitter and tweet the giveaway.

5. Follow us on Twitter and tweet the giveaway.


6. Grab our Button.


Open to all.

Giveaway ends on April 30th at midnight. Winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email and will have 48 hours to reply back before a new winner is selected. Please leave your email if it is not on your profile so we can contact you if you win. Good luck!

20% off at Crazy 8 with International Shipping

In case you haven't heard, Crazy 8 (Gymboree's sister store, like Old Navy is to Gap) now ships to Canada! They are also having a special right now, and international buyers will save 20% off their entire online purchase.

You need a unique code for this, if you didn't receive the email comment below and I'll send you code.

All of their shorts are $10.00 right now and they also just did markdowns online so there is LOTS to choose from!

I haven't ordered from Crazy 8 before, but this is a good incentive so I think I may just give it a try!

Any Crazy 8 shoppers out there?

Five Question Friday

I thought I would try my first Five Question Friday, hosted by Mama M at My Little Life~ its kinda of fun you should give it a whirl!

1. What was the first car you owned?
1996 Black Volkswagen Jetta, I loved that car!

2. What song are you embarrassed to know the lyrics to?
The Barney theme song.

3. Have you ever had stitches?
Only do to pregnancy, 5 children total,equals about 40 stitches. Who says you forget the pain?

4. What was your first job?
Working at McDonald's in the back end~means I flipped burgers. Most grils worked up front I was one of the first to work in the back. Gotta love women's lib.

5. Who is your favorite Sesame Street character?
Easy, Slimy the worm....too cute.

Old Navy Canada - Summer Shorts Sale

Old Navy Canada is having a shorts sale, now through April 29th, all adults shorts are $15 and all children's shorts are $10. 

Happy Shopping!

A Sweet Story

This story moved me to tears. Enjoy :)

More About Dawn~Happy Earth Day

Just a couple of more facts about Dawn!! Not only does it remove stains phenomenally but it's also is great all purpose cleaner. Like Sarah I am always trying to find more economical and productive ways to clean. Trying to keep up with 5 kids is hard enough, it is even harder when you are re cleaning areas you have already done. Plus, having 3 under two years old I am very conscience of what I am cleaning with because everything goes in their mouths.



I use Dawn, hot water and vinegar to clean my hardwood floors, of course I wring the mop out to ensure that it isn't sopping wet. It is as close to a dry mop as I can get it, to ensure that the hardwood doesn't swell. I used to use only hot water and vinegar but found my floors streaky, with a small drop of Dawn the streaks disappeared.



I also keep a spray bottle of vinegar, H2O and Dawn under the sink. I use it to wipe dirty fingers off the wall, rinse out a toothpasty sink in the morning and wipe down the highchairs. Again all you need is a drop and thats all it takes to cut through the grease.



You can also use it with good conscience because they donate $1.00 from every sale to SaveWildlife. Speaking of money if you sign up for the P & G Coupon Saver you can save 50 cents off your next purchase of Dawn. I always wait until it is on sale for $1.47 at Superstore and them use my coupon then it is less then a dollar! In the coupon saver there are some great Pampers coupons too, well worth the five minutes it took me to sign up!

The BEST Stain Remover

There are a few things in life that I just hate spending money on. Laundry products are one. I mean obviously I know what they do, and that they're necessary, but they always seem so expensive!

Recently I started making my own liquid laundry soap and while it worked great to start, now it's not. I don't know why, if over time it isn't as effective, if it's coating the clothes or my washer somehow, I just know I stopped using it and went back to my trusty Tide, and again feel like I'm throwing pennies (sometimes Loonies) down the drain!

Another thing I've always felt like I spend way too much money on are stain removal products. I could never find the right one, so I would spend $5 on Oxy Clean, $5 on Spray and Wash, etc. and rotate through them all on that same stain until it would disappear.

Recently someone suggested I try Dawn dishsoap to remove those weird grease-like stains that appear on clothes and it worked! I'd tried EVERYTHING to remove those marks and no amount of stain remover/elbow grease/praying to the laundry gods would work, but 1 quick dab of Dawn and they were gone. I had a pair of jeans I had been trying to get grass stains out of and nothing was working, so I tried Dawn on those and voila - stains were gone!

Yesterday I took a pile of laundry I had with various stains on them (grass, mud, chocolate, baby food) and Dawn'd (yes, I'm inventing words now) them all and guess what - ALL of the stains are gone!!

No more spending crazy amounts of money on stain removers ladies - the $1.97 bottle of Dawn will remove them all and lasts forever!

Try it - and report back your findings!

Free Earth Day Tote at Canadian Bath and Body Works Stores

Click Here to print your coupon to receive a free Earth Day tote at Bath and Body Works.

Sadly Bath and Body Works hasn't opened here in Winnipeg yet, so we can't participate - but for those of you who can, enjoy!

Button

We have a button!! Please feel free to grab it from our sidebar and post it to your blog!!

Gap Canada

40% off all sale items tomorrow only - and another coupon book for 40% off Wednesdays in May is available so make sure you ask for it!!

Save 10% off at Hatley by clicking the link above and entering the code EARTHDAY at checkout, now through April 22nd.

For the little slowpoke infant of the family who is "Trailing a Little Behind", the "Purrfect" Child or the "Well Bred" mum trying to catch up on her zzz's, Hatley has something for everyone in the family. Pajamas, boxers, puddle stompin fun raingear and now Snow Gear to boot! Hatley pairs great fabric design inspired by nature or wildlife with a clever spin on everyday sayings and popular culture to bring out the "pun" in everyone.

If you've never shopped Hatley before, it's time! They have adorable everything, from pajamas to umbrellas and the quality is second to none!

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E Mickey Mouse ...

We are starting to plan a family trip to Disney World for next Spring. I want to go early enough that it's not too hot out, but late enough that it is going to be warm. We're looking at renting a house with a pool, and I want to be able to use it. I also hate being chilled and have no intentions on walking around Disney in socks and sweaters.

I would LOVE some information from those of you who have been and those who are regulars!!

1) Where do you stay? We're looking at renting a house near the park, but am also open to looking at other options!

2) When should we go, with my climate wishes in mind?

3) What other things are must's for our trip?

We will have a 20ish month old, almost 6 year old and almost 9 year old at the time.

Michaels Coupon

Click here for a 20% off coupon for Michaels, good on your entire purchase, excluding of course a few choice items.

I am going to use it for some Birthday party supplies and to fill up my girlies craft drawers.

Is it really April?

Here in Winnipeg the weather has been more like mid-July than April. Today it went up to 23C!

Rob and I took advantage of this beautiful weather and a day off of school and took our kids to the school playground for a picnic.

The weather was fabulous and the girls had a lot of fun. Unfortunatly two out of 8 kids were sick and had to miss it, but it was such a quick and easy way to enjoy the day, I'm sure we'll do it again soon.

What are some fun ways you enjoy the outdoors?

Update (Old Navy & TCP)

Just a quick follow-up to my Old Navy and TCP shopping excursion. I had to return a couple things at both places but when I did I got some very valuable info. First, at TCP with your receipt you can fill out an online survey to receive 15% off your next purchase. The cashier let me know that you can use that along with the additional 50%, to get a grand total of an additional 65% the sale price. AWESOME!! I am headed back tonight.

At Old Navy, when you give them you email for the 20% off between 16-22, they send you a coupon for $10 off your next purchase of $50. Now if you shop between those days I was told that you can apply that coupon with the 20% off. I am going try it tonight and I will get back to you.

It's the perfect time for these deals because my daughter has NO summer clothes, so I know I will be taking advantage of these deals.

PS~Just something a little sad to add....when I filled out the survey for TCP, I had to fill in my age range and I got bumped! I use to be in the 25-34 age bracket, now 35-44!!! If I didn't feel old before I do now!

Doing some online Gymbo shopping?

We have a 20% off online coupon code to giveaway to one lucky reader!

The code is 20% off your online purchase and expires April 30th.

If you would like to win - comment on this post!

Gymboree Sales!!

I know many of you are wondering what's coming up for sales at Gymboree?

May 5th to 12th knit tanks and shorts sets will be on sale. The price point for the U.S. is $7.99, not sure what it will be in Canada yet. You can add a coupon to this.

Circle of Friends is May 13th to 16th and is 30% off your entire purchase. You need a coupon for this (either instore or they email them) so you cannot combine with an additional coupon.

May 26th Memorial Day Sale - 20% off all clearance items and you can add a coupon to this.

Happy Birthday Robyn!!

 

Today is Robyn's birthday and I wanted to take a minute to wish her a fabulous birthday!!

I've known Robyn for years, but only really got to know her well in the past six months since we discovered we shared a dream of opening a Baby & Children's Store.

We've been working hard together to get Everything After The Stork, Brand Me Downs and Style By Mommy off the ground and I have to say, having such a fabulous business partner makes it so easy!

Happy Birthday Robyn, I hope you had a chance to sleep in and will enjoy this beautiful day with your family and friends!!

Some Good Deals

So tonight the entire family headed to the mall...yes all seven of us. This may strike fear into some of you, but I am starting to become more comfortable with it. Thankfully, since we aren't getting any smaller or bigger for that matter.

Anyways lets get to the deals~ The Children's Place is now at an additional 50% of the sale price. I picked up some really great deals, I got the twins white golf shirt onsies for $2.50 each. "A" picked out a bunch of tees and they only came to $5.00. As well she got these really cute pants that roll to be carpi's for $6.49 ( I am going back tomorrow to pick up some more).

Next we headed to Old Navy~WOW~they completely flipped the store and renovated it. I love it, so much easier to shop, love the sale areas very shoppable. It just feels fresh and crisp, and they aren't finished yet. The cashier told me the full reno will be finished in about a month. Don't worry, you can't even tell its being renovated, it actually feels much more organized now then it did pre-reno! This is at the St. Vital location.

Right now they have all boys plaid shorts & girls linen shorts for $10 and men's shorts for $15. Mix and match kids tees and tanks 2 for $12. But the best part is that from April 16-22 they will take an extra 20% off your entire bill just for giving them your email address. Easie Peasie~saved me $22!

Well, Sarah and I are headed to Winners tomorrow we let you know if there is anything good...

Gap Shopping is COMING!!

Go to the Gap website, you will see a popup that says,

"Hello Canada!
Soon you will be able to shop your favourite styles at Gapcanada.ca.
Sign up now to receive new arrivals, special offers, sales and more."

WOOT!! That's one heck of a way to start my weekend!

So, go to the website and sign up!

New Season - New Shoes!

Every new season brings a need for shoe shopping in our house. (As if I needed an excuse!)

I cannot believe how fast my kids feet are growing, my 8 year old is in a size 3!!

Thankfully there are some great sales going on. At Footlocker all shoes are Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off, and they have Chucks for $24.99!! 

If you text the word "Payless" to 77777 you get an additional 20% off your purchase at Payless Shoes. They also have their BOGO event on now.

Thank you Corrie-Anne for these great deals :)

I'm headed to Winners this afternoon to see what they have in stock, I usually have good luck finding Geox there.

And the Winner is......

So post #3 wins the Starbucks gift certificate, I made A choose a number between 1-8 and Kenzie you are the lucky winner. Just email us at stylebymommy@gmail.com and we will get it out to you ASAP.

Thank-you to everyone who commented, we love creating a conversation. And truth be told I am going with Kenzie suggestion, The Sling Sisters. I met with Sandra (one half of the sling Sisters) and she couldn't have been more kind or accommodating. She has even offered to fit me with the twins, alone and together. Ahhh, think of the freedom I am going to have!

Thanks again ladies, keep checking in because we have few more fun giveaways planned for May, to help celebrate you.

A Tale of Great Customer Service

When I was pregnant with K I searched around for the best diaper bag. With my first two daughters I had just picked cute bags from Walmart or Toys R Us and I always went through 3 or 4 because they broke. This time I thought I'd invest a decent amount of money and buy something that would last.

I settled on the Skip Hop Studio Tote, it was really cute looking (looks more like a purse than a diaper bag, but we'll get to that later!) and I loved it's features. Anti-bacterial lining, many pockets, insulated bottle pockets and my favourite - the stroller clips! It has clips so you can hang it off of the back of your stroller and you don't have to take up the entire basket with 1 diaper bag!

Now that K is 9 months old, we've given this diaper bag LOTS of use and I love it as much as I did the day it arrived. We also have a Skip Hop Dash for when my  husband takes her out, because as I said before, the studio tote really does look like a purse, and my husband refused to carry it.

One evening while we were at the mall, the metal clasp on the stroller clip broke. The diaper bag was still perfectly functional but sadly I couldn't attach it to the back of the stroller anymore. When I came home I posted this on Skip Hop's Facebook page and immediatly was given an email to contact.

I emailed customer service, and they quickly replied the next morning with instructions on how to replace my bag. All I had to do was take photos of the broken clasp and the serial number of the bag and email them. They quickly shipped out a new bag to me, I didn't even have to send the broken one back!

Thank you Skip Hop for your excellent Customer Service!

Those of you considering a new diaper bag, or any of Skip Hop's fantastic items - don't hesitate!! GREAT company!

What to do with Expired Carseats!

For my local followers - you can take your expired carseats to the MPI Claims Centre at 930 St. Mary's and they will dispose of them.

For non local followers - I contacted our local car insurance company to find this information, I suggest you do the same!

Old Navy - Check your Emails!!

Old Navy sent out an email for 20% off your entire purchase, it has a unique code so you can only use it once.

The sale runs April 16th to 22nd.

Sears - Chucks

Went to Sears last night to scope out the Converse All Stars - they have the high top style in black, pink and a bright blue sizes 12 and up. They have high top style in black and pink for infant size 5 to 11. They also had the triple velcro style in black.

They are $24.99 and right now all kids shoes are an additional 25% off - again, great deal!!

Remember~Free Coffee Today

Remember your travel mugs today so you can take advantage of the free coffee Starbucks is offering!

Additional 40% of Sale Items at The Children's Place

The Children's Place has an additional 40% off all Sale Items right now! It started yesterday, not sure how long it runs for.

Sadly everything I want is still full price! Let us know what you find :)

Mama's Night Out

To begin I want to say that just because I am a little late in getting this post out doesn't mean that we didn't have a fantastic time last night....because we did!!

We would like to thank Allison DePaulo for putting on such a lovely evening, Tiber River for hosting the event and Sandra O'Malley for the extremely helpful pointers. It was a fun, informative evening with the bonus of hanging out with other Mamas. Sarah and I both bought a couple of things and fell in love immediately.

Sarah bought a headband from Bugalug, which fit her middle daughter perfectly and staid on all day. I picked up a ponytail holder as well, very hip, great colour combos. I also purchased a lip balm from Tiber River, Funky Monkey, more as a joke for my husband because he hates bananas, but I have already become totally addicted to it. Unlike Carmax, it doesn't dry out my lips but rather they are smooth and soft. And it tastes fantastic!

You can find Bugalug and many other fun and functional baby products on Allison's website Bambino & Sprout, and Sandra is half of the Sling Sisters based right here in Winnipeg. For those who have been following, I think I have found my baby carrier.

We would also like to thank the ladies who were giving the mini-manicures, a small piece of heaven for a busy Mom~thank-you Sarah for waiting :)

One more quick shout out to Owen, who was the perfect "doll", if it weren't for him I may not feel as comfortable as I do wearing a wrap. And man was he cute!

Thanks again, can't wait to do some more shopping with all of you!!!

Gap Canada - 25% off all markdowns!

Went to Gap to use my Wednesday coupon and this time there was plenty I wanted!!

I bought my oldest the peace sign bermuda shorts, 3 t-shirts for $20.00 and a sweater that was marked down to $9.99 and then - all markdowns were an additional 25% off!! 

They had tons of t-shirts and tanks marked down to $6.99, great deal when you add the additional 25%!

What to do with Expired Carseats??

I have a Graco Snugride and base that expired in December of 2009. What do I do with it? I have no idea how to dispose of it.

I've heard that some shelters will take them, inspect them and then use them, but I don't know if this is safe, or if anything like this exists in Winnipeg.

Anybody know?

Gap Online in Canada? Will it *FINALLY* Happen??

Gap has been promising us online shopping capabilities in Canada for years, but it looks like it finally might be in the works!! 

They sent out an email survey this week and this is what was included;

"Thinking back to shopping online for apparel, we have a new website idea and we would like to know how appealing it is to you.

What if all three Gap Inc. brands -- Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic -- were offered online via one Canadian website. You could shop or buy from one, two, or all three sites and checkout one time with one low shipping fee. All orders would ship within Canada (and avoid duties, fees and delays). The site would be offered in English and French and all prices would be in Canadian dollars. How appealing is this new website?"
 
" Here is some exciting news -- Gap Inc. will launch a new Canada retail website in 2010. Watch your email updates for the official launch date of Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy’s new online store! ."

This is so exciting because Gap Online has amazing sales, and we would finally have access to new stock (and actual stock not one or two items) for Give and Get sales!!  

Cross your fingers!!  

It's Wednesday!!

You know what that means - Gap 40% off for us lucky coupon holders. I hope to find some things to actually buy this week rather than give all of my coupons away. However, I am in desperate need of some new clothes so even if I can't find anything for the girls, I'll give myself some time to shop.

I am also going to The Children's Place to see what is out from their new line Hip Chick, it's adorable and finally something my 8 year old will love!!

What's for Lunch?

As I face another day of trying to figure out what to make for lunch, I thought I'd ask you for some ideas!!

I don't have long to prepare the girls lunch, between picking them up and dropping them back off at school and dealing with what is usually a fussy time with Kelsie.

I need fresh ideas, healthy ideas, and fast ideas! We are sick of sandwiches and even more sick of KD and alphagetti.

Thanks!

The Lucky 7: "Big Baby" Food

The Lucky 7: "Big Baby" Food

Come and read Mandy's blog for some great recipes for babies who love to feed themselves. I can't wait to try these out!

Who is interested in a Mama's Night Out?

Tiber River is hosting a Mama's Night Out, sponsored by a local company called Bambino & Sprout.

The event is tonight from 7-9pm at their Kenaston location.

There will be mini manicures, nibblies (I love this word!) and great prizes! They are accepting donations for Fill The Cradle, to help provide the necessities to underprivileged moms.

Great company, great cause - we hope to see you there!