Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The Sling Sisters Giveaway Winner is...

...sea2bluesky!  You've won a reusable lunch bag and a snack bag set. 

Thanks to everyone that entered the giveaway!  If you happen to be in Regina, The Sling Sisters will have a booth set up at the Regina Baby Expo this weekend at the Conexus Arts Centre.  I will be going to check it out myself as I'm curious to see more of their products in person. 

To stay up to date with new products and news, be sure to follow The Sling Sisters on Facebook.  You can also visit The Sling Sisters Website where you can view everything and purchase products online.



Finally, please take a moment to click on the Top Mommy Blogs logo to vote for my blog.  You can simply click on the logo below to vote or the one at the top of my page.  They accept one vote her IP address per day.


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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Back from Disney World!

Poor Aleena didn't like the characters.
For those of you that don't know, my family spent the past two weeks in sunny and very hot Orlando, Florida.  We went to Disney World, Seaworld and Orlando Premium Outlet Mall (yep, that was a major attraction for me at least).  I plan on spending the next couple of weeks writing about our travels and posting a few photos.  Hopefully we can help out anyone traveling to Disney World especially those of you with small children.  I also plan on keeping this all for myself for the future as I'd love to go back again someday.  I realize that we were a bit limited in what we could accomplish and I'd like to do more rides next time around.

With that said, we still had a great time and I was pleasantly surprised at how much we could do with an eleven month old and two and a half year old.  I should also add that we went when they were so young because my husband had a conference there and it just made sense to plan a family trip around it since we haven't really been anywhere in almost four years.  It was at least attainable with Aleena almost being one year old now.  I am also still on maternity leave too so I didn't need to worry about taking any days off work..I just missed one of my university classes.  On that topic, I have a presentation tonight so that should be interesting...good thing it's only worth ten percent of our mark.

Just one last reminder that The Sling Sisters Giveaway ends tonight.  Also, I have lots more wonderful giveaways coming up this Spring AND if you're from Regina, don't forget about the Regina Baby Expo this upcoming Sunday.  I am excited to go this year after I missed it last year due to having a baby on that very day.  I think that was a pretty good excuse to miss it.  On that note, it's definitely prime time to get ready for Aleena's first birthday...so much to do and so little time.  What's new?!

By the way, if you could just click on that Top Mommy Blogs logo when you visit my blog, I'd really appreciate it.  You don't have to do any searching or register to vote...you just simply need to click on the logo and it automatically registers the vote once per day.  TIA!

Watch out Disney! We're bringing our two under three!
The Pirates of the Caribbean was fantastic...we took the kids on almost all of these "experiences".
The character dinner at The Crystal Palace with Winnie the Pooh and friends.  It was my favourite meal at Disney..a bit pricey but worth it for the characters and a huge buffet.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

The Sling Sisters Review & Giveaway (Closed)

If you participated in my recent auction for the Z99 Radiothon, you may already be familiar with The Sling Sisters.   They donated a couple sets of their snack bags which proved to be quite popular come bidding time!  I was lucky enough to receive some of these snack bags to review along with a wet bag and some organic wash cloths.  Even better news for everyone is that they are going to give away some of their wonderful products on my blog as well.  Finally, if you are in the Regina area, they will be at the Regina Baby Expo on April 3rd so you can stop by, meet them and check out their things for yourself.

Before I get into the review, I just wanted to provide a little bit of background on Sandra and Lori of the Sling Sisters as I think everyone enjoys hearing how Moms becomes Mompreneurs!  They are a couple of sisters from Winnipeg, Manitoba who started their business when fellow mommies began admiring their homemade baby slings.  Since then, they have begun selling a wide variety of products including the slings they started with as well as wet bags, organic cotton sherpa wash clothes, and reusable lunch and snack bags.  They now have their products in numerous baby stores across Canada and you can find a list of their retail locations on their website.

Now to the review!  First, I'm going to start off with the snack bags as those are the items we have been using non-stop on our trip.  We received three snack bags including one small flower snack bag and a snack bag set for Connor with a transportation theme.  They are cloth on the outside and the inside is lined to prevent crumbs and things from getting into the fabric.  They fit plenty of crackers, goldfish or cereal in them and I'm just referring to the small snack bags.  We used one for Connor, one for Aleena and saved the larger one for snacks for us which were usually granola bars and that sort of thing.

My favourite thing about the snack bags for Connor is that he can easily use the zipper to open and close it which doesn't work with a Zip-Loc bag.  Of course, they also have fun and colourful designs, are resuable so they're better for the environment, and kids enjoy having their own special snack bag.  On our trip to Disney World, we had them packed each day with snacks for all of us and it worked very well.

Now to the wetbag we received.  This bag features my favourite design of the bunch (although Connor would likely disagree as he liked his the best).  We have been using it for extra clothes changes and it's the larger size so there's plenty of room.  Two clothes changes barely even filled up the bag.  I brought it everyday in the diaper bag as well and it came in handy as I ended up changing Aleena into clean and warmer clothes almost every evening.  Basically, it's a great reusable bag for anything you want to use it for including extra clothing changes, cloth diapering, or swim suits/towels.  It also has a zipper to close things up when needed and a tab with a snap so you can attach it to your diaper bag or even the handle of your stroller.
Wet Bag
Strap for Attaching to a Diaper Bag or Stroller
Inside of the Wet Bag
Organic Sherpa Wash Clothes
Lastly, I also received some very soft organic sherpa wash clothes and I wish I had had something like these when my babies were newborns.  They are so soft and perfect for a newborn's gentle skin.  Of course, my babies are still small and it's nice to use these soft wash clothes even now.  I tried taking a couple photos to give you an idea as it's hard to explain how something feels.  Unfortunately, they weren't turning out very well so I borrowed the one from their website.  As I said before though, they are making the rounds at baby shows including Regina's Baby Expo so you can check everything out at their booth yourself. 

The Giveaway
The Sling Sisters are giving one lucky reader a lunch kit of the winner's choice to include a lunch bag, large snack bag and small snack bag.

How to Enter:
There are five ways to enter this giveaway contest.  Only separate comments will count as entries so make sure to make separate comments for each.  I will number the entries and select a winner using www.random.org.

Ways to Enter:
1.  "Like" The Sling Sisters on Facebook.
2.  Visit the The Sling Sisters Website and let us know what your favourite reusable snack bag print is.
3.  Follow A Sophisticated Mommy via Google Friend Connect.
4.  Like A Sophisticated Mommy on Facebook.
5.  Share this giveaway. (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Blog)

This contest is open until Tuesday, March 29th at Midnight SK Time.

Open to Canada only.

Here are a couple photos of the snack bags in action.  As I said, we've been using them daily!

Aleena having a snack on the airplane.

Monday, March 21, 2011

The kiddo designs Giveaway Winner is...

...Ashley (mamawee)!  Congrats!  You have won a long-sleeved bib from kiddo designs. :-)

Thanks to everyone that entered this giveaway.   So, as with any giveaway, the bad news is that not everyone can win.  However, the good news is that kiddo designs is offering all my blog readers a coupon code to thank you for participating in the giveaway and becoming new fans!

Coupon Code: SOPH20 for 20% discount until April 30, 2011.  You can use the coupon code on their Etsy shop here: Kiddo Designs Etsy Shop 

Also, be sure to "like" kiddo designs on Facebook if you haven't already.  Here's the link: Kiddo Designs
The shop is just brand new and many new items will be added including hats and headbands.  In fact, some headbands have already been added so you can already check those out.



Finally, please take a moment to click on the Top Mommy Blogs logo to vote for my blog.  I'd really appreciate it...things have been slow lately on the voting front with everything that has been going on.  Remember to vote everytime you visit my blog or everyday if you're a keener! :-)

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The Winners of the Regina Baby Expo Ticket Giveaway are...

Deanne and Laura T!

Congratulations to you both!  There will be a pair of tickets for each of you waiting at the door.  Thanks to everyone that entered to win tickets for the Regina Baby Expo and hopefully we'll see you there. 

Once again, here's the information for the show:

The Regina Baby Expo is a huge event for families.  It will feature plenty of local and national products and services for expecting parents and parents with young children up to preschool age.  There will be lots of great shopping, informative seminars, a children's play zone, a family rest lounge (that you will need after everything else) along with the concessions of course.  You can find a whole schedule of events on the Baby Expo Website.

If you like giveaways (who doesn't?!), there are also tons of door prizes up for grabs.  Some of the businesses sponsoring door prizes include Perfect Image Photography who recently took my childrens' photos for the Cutest Baby Contest, Hello Baby, Bath Goddess, and The Sling Sisters.  Once again, there are many more listed on the website so you can head on over there and check them all out.

I also wanted to mention that half of all admission proceeds go toward the Hospital of Regina Foundation in support of the Rawlco Centre for Mother Baby Care.

Here are the details for the show this year:

Date and Location:
Sunday, April 3, 2011
11 am to 4 pm
Conexus Arts Centre, 200A Lakeshore Drive Regina, SK.

Tickets: 

Admission $7 at the door
Kids 12 and under are FREE!
$5 advance tickets are available starting March 1 at Hello Baby and Henry's Baby Boutique




Finally, please take a moment to click on the Top Mommy Blogs logo to vote for my blog.  I'd really appreciate it!

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Thursday, March 17, 2011

Regina's Cutest Baby Contest

About a month ago, we had the kids' photos taken by Perfect Image Photography for a contest called Regina's Cutest Baby contest in which all sitting fees were donated to charity.  They did a wonderful job and we ended up with lots of great photos including the ones below.  In my opinion, all the babies are super cute but here are my sweeties and they are definitely the cutest in my eyes.  I would love some votes on Facebook for Connor and Aleena!  It only takes a couple minutes and, actually, Connor could have an outside chance if I can get some more votes for him.  Aleena is pretty much out of the running as I haven't been campaigning too hard for votes so this is my attempt with this blog post!  As with most contests like this, please "like" Perfect Image Photography's page and then "like" each photo directly under the picture.  Then, ask a friend to like them too!  Thanks in advance.

Vote for Connor!

Vote for Aleena!

Connor
Aleena

Monday, March 14, 2011

The Grand Total for the Z99 Auction Fundraiser is...

$1075!

A huge thanks again to all the sponsors that helped out.  I was totally overwhelmed by all the support this fundraising project received.  Just imagine what we could do next year if I start more than a week beforehand!  :-)

I also want to thank everyone for bidding and congratulate all the winning bidders because they won some pretty amazing items and were also able to contribute to a wonderful cause, the Z99 Radiothon and the NICU at the Regina General Hospital.  Please take a few moments to listen to some of the stories on March 17th and 18th on Z99 when the actual Radiothon takes place.  Every year, I listen to these stories and end up teary-eyed just hearing what parents go through and how important the NICU is.  This is truly a genuinely important cause and that's why everyone has been so amazing.

Once again, here's our list of sponsors who not only donated items, but in many cases, bid on items themselves and spent time promoting it or sharing the cause with their friends.  That's how this grew so quickly!  It really became a global effort with businesses helping from all over Canada and even from New Zealand.  I hope to do this again next year so please keep this fundraiser in mind!  Thank you!!!

Here are the sponsors!

Baby Chunky Cheeks - Regina, SK
Butterfly Bows - Darmouth, Nova Scotia
Something Sassy tutus and more - Warman, SK
Alys & Felix - Christchurch, New Zealand
Kenna's Kreations - Regina, SK
Little Threads by Rebecca - Hamilton, Ontario
Off the Hook Creations - Regina, SK
Rooted Instincts Services & Emporium - Regina, SK
Knits & Knots by Trista Miller - Regina, SK
Tupperware by Kathleen Eisler - Regina, SK
Perfect Image Photography - Regina, SK 
GurlyStuff... and more - Guelph, Ontario
A Balanced Approach Therapy Centre - Regina, SK
Baby Bliss Designs - Regina, SK
AlligatorSnaps - Toronto, Ontario
~Darling Designs~ - Regina, SK
lia sophia Jewellery (Christina Spackman) - Calgary, Alberta 
Baby Mine - Regina, SK 
Dawn's Design - Regina, SK
By JLC - Toronto, Ontario
Lil Divas Bowtique - Whitby, Ontario
Nellie's Laundry Soap - Regina, SK
PURSEnal Trends - Regina, SK
Sling Sisters - Winnipeg, Manitoba
Flawless Hair Design - Regina, SK
Scentsy by Kara Friebel - Regina, SK
Everything Mom and Baby - Toronto, Ontario
myMonkeymoo - Vancouver, British Columbia 




Thank You comments

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Z99 Radiothon Progress Update!

Good evening!  First, thanks to everyone that is bidding in the online auction to help raise money for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Regina General Hospital.  I thought I'd just go through the album tonight and add up the highest bids to give a Telemiracle-style preliminary total to rally the troops!  I also want to mention a couple other things for tomorrow night when bidding comes to an end.

So the total so far is....*drum roll*...$949!   Thanks so much for the generosity shown thus far and let's get that total up even higher!  Ring those phones! (or, in this case, make those bids!)

Just a few notes for tomorrow night:

Last minute bidding:
  • The auction ends at 8 pm sharp.  I will be using my computer's time and Facebook's listing of how many minutes ago it was to determine the last bidder.  Since this isn't nearly as exact as Ebay, I am asking for your understanding if it's not a perfect science.  The best thing you can do is to make your top bid for what you'd like and not wait until the last minute.  Remember that we're raising money for charity and you will even receive a tax receipt so be generous!
  • Next, as soon as bidding closes, I will ask you not to bid anymore to help make things easier on me too!  
  • Leading up to 8 pm Saskatchewan Time, I will give time reminders to help those of you in different time zones.
How to make payments if you win an auction item:
  • After the auction, I will be sending Facebook messages to winning bidders with a link to a Paypal donation page and you will have 24 hours to make the payment.  If I do not receive the payment within that time frame, I will contact the next highest bidder.  
  • I will also provide my e-mail so you could make an e-mail transfer payment if you prefer.  If you are in Regina and would rather drop off payment, we can even arrange that.  Cheques should be made out to "Z99 Radiothon".
  • Once I receive payments, I will e-mail the sponsor for that item with your name, e-mail address and mailing address.  Sponsors will contact winning bidders to arrange for item selection (if applicable), and make arrangements for either local pick up or shipping depending on the details of the listing.
  • I will be using the names and addresses to compile a list for tax donation receipts to give to Z99.
I believe that pretty much covers it!  I am also going to e-mail/call Z99 on Monday and there's a good chance I'll have an opportunity to share our fundraiser On Air for the Radiothon next week.

If you haven't got in on the fun yet, please check out the auction album on my Facebook page.  You have to "like" the page before you can comment on photos and bid.   Also, be sure to read this info before bidding as there are some guidelines to follow.  Most items will be shipped for FREE anywhere within Canada.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

'kiddo designs' Review & Giveaway (Closed)

I am very excited to tell you about a new Etsy shop called kiddo designs by Nicole Peppler.  Her shop includes handmade items for children and she will be adding lots of new things soon including hats and headbands.  For this review, we were sent a long-sleeved bib in the Bright Owls on Brown pattern and I absolutely love the design.  I was kind of sad when I had to take it off after Aleena finished eating.  It was much nicer than what she was wearing underneath!  Maybe Nicole should consider making little dresses or shirts too as her sewing skills are really impressive and she has an eye for choosing adorable fabrics.

I love long-sleeved bibs especially when babies are just starting to eat more finger foods and when they are starting to use utensils.  They are really a necessity and this one is perfect because it has a nice lining underneath to stop drippy food from leaking through and it's very long which is usually our biggest problem these days.  Instead of the food getting all over her pants like it usually does, it just sat on the bib which was much easier for post-meal clean up.  I was trying to think of something constructive to say about how it could be improved but I really haven't come up with anything.  If anything, I am just eager to see what else Nicole is going to come up with for her new shop. The bib is really a beautiful, well-made product.  I also appreciate the tie string for the neck rather than velcro or snaps.  Based on my personal experience with Connor, snaps and velcro aren't much of a challenge for active toddlers who are determined to get a bib off.

I took quite a few photos of Aleena and the bib itself.  However, you should also check out Nicole's Etsy Shop for kiddo designs as her pictures are much better than mine and they show several views of each item as well as the variety of  patterns available.  As for sizing, bibs come in three sizes: Small (6-12 Months), Medium (12-24 Months), and Large (2T-3T).  Just for a point of reference, we received a medium-sized bib so you can keep that in mind when looking at the photos.  Aleena is almost 11 months old and just over 20 pounds.  Also, the bibs are machine washable in cool water and tumble dry. 

Here are the photos we took today!  There are lots because I wanted to show you how awesome everything was from the packaging to the quality of the bib itself.  I am very impressed!

A picture of the bib when it arrived.  Aleena scrunched it up a bit.
As I said, pretty packaging!
Aleena loved the ribbon.
The front of the bib.  Hello cute owls!
The back of the bib so you can see the lining.
Aleena enjoying her lunch and wondering why I keep taking photos of her.
The Giveaway:
'kiddo designs' is going to give one of my blog readers one of these fantastic long-sleeved bibs.  You will have your choice of size and style from the Etsy Shop.

How to Enter:
There are five ways to enter this giveaway contest.  Only separate comments will count as entries so make sure to make separate comments for each.  I will number the entries and select a winner using www.random.org.

Ways to Enter:
1.  "Like" Kiddo Designs on Facebook.
2.  Visit the Kiddo Designs Etsy Shop and let us know what your favourite bib design is.
3.  Follow A Sophisticated Mommy via Google Friend Connect.
4.  Like A Sophisticated Mommy on Facebook.
5.  Share this giveaway on Facebook.

This contest is open until Sunday, March 20th at Midnight SK Time.

Open to Canada only.

The Haute Tots Giveaway Winner is...

#29...Amanda P!!

Thanks for all the entries and also thanks to Angela of Haute Tots for sponsoring this review and giveaway.  I know that many of you loved the various styles and colours of their hats and I can certainly vouch for the excellent quality.  If you would like to order from Haute Tots or find out who sells their hats in a store near you, their website is http://hautetots.ca/.  The hats (and headbands) are carried in lots of baby stores across Canada so odds are good that you'll find their products in a store near you.  They also make adult-sized hats for both men and women.

The Haute Tots Facebook page is a great way to connect with them as they literally respond to every single post, even our silly ones. :-)

Finally, be sure to check back this afternoon for another review and giveaway and remember that the Z99 Radiothon auction fundraiser will start on my Facebook page tomorrow at Noon SK Time.  I am still adding sponsors so it's not too late if any businesses would like to contribute some items!



Please keep those votes coming for Top Mommy Blogs too!

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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Z99 Radiothon Auction Information

Hi everyone!  First of all, thanks for participating in this auction and helping to raise money for such a good cause.  Second, I have tried to think of everything possible for these guidelines so that the auction goes smoothly but obviously this is my first attempt so there may be a few glitches.  Please be patient with me. :-)

Here's what you need to know!  If I miss something or you have any other questions, please ask.

Time:  The auction will begin at 12 noon SK Time on Friday, March 11th, 2011 and end on Sunday, March 13th at 8 pm SK Time.  I will be using Facebook time to determine last minute bids.  Posts with time stamps of 8:00 pm or later will not count so get your bids in by 7:59 pm.  I will offer time reminders as the end of the auction approaches especially for those of you not from Saskatchewan.

Bidding:  To place a bid, simply enter the amount you are willing to pay under the photo.  Each item has a minimum bid and you may not start any lower than that bid.  Please increase bids by at least $2 so we're not quibbling over a few cents.  Once again, bids must be made by 7:59 pm on Sunday..anything after 8:00 pm will not count.

Questions about items:  You can contact businesses via their contact information or ask myself if you need clarification about anything.  I listed quite a bit of information as well as websites, facebook pages, and etsy sites so you can refer to those to help you with deciding on what you'd like and how much to bid.

Shipping: Some businesses have indicated local pickup only.  If that is NOT indicated, that means the sponsors are willing to provide free shipping to the winning bidder (within Canada).  There are no additional shipping costs.

Payment: I will be accepting the payments via a PayPal donations link that I will send to winning bidders at the end of the auction.  I will contact winning bidders via Facebook messaging to confirm the amount owed.  Winning bidders will have 24 hours to deposit the amount via PayPal.  I will take names and addresses for bids over $10 so the Radiothon may issue tax receipts.  If I do not receive the amount within 24 hours, I will contact the next highest bidder.  Once I receive payments, I will notify the sponsor and provide them with the winner's name and address so they can arrange shipment/pickup.

Auction protocol: As with any auction, please only bid if you intend to pay.  No bid deleting is allowed.  Once you make a bid, it must stand. 

Last but not least, have fun!  Let's try to raise as much money as we can for the NICU and remember that you are kind of getting a bonus item and a tax receipt for your donation so please be generous.  Also, feel free to compliment and thank sponsors shamelessly.



Here are the sponsors!

Baby Chunky Cheeks - Regina, SK
Butterfly Bows - Darmouth, Nova Scotia
Something Sassy tutus and more - Warman, SK
Alys & Felix - Christchurch, New Zealand
Kenna's Kreations - Regina, SK
Little Threads by Rebecca - Hamilton, Ontario
Off the Hook Creations - Regina, SK
Rooted Instincts Services & Emporium - Regina, SK
Knits & Knots by Trista Miller - Regina, SK
Tupperware by Kathleen Eisler - Regina, SK
Perfect Image Photography - Regina, SK 
GurlyStuff... and more - Guelph, Ontario
A Balanced Approach Therapy Centre - Regina, SK
Baby Bliss Designs - Regina, SK
AlligatorSnaps - Toronto, Ontario

~Darling Designs~ - Regina, SK
lia sophia Jewellery (Christina Spackman) - Calgary, Alberta 
Baby Mine - Regina, SK 
Dawn's Design - Regina, SK
By JLC - Toronto, Ontario 
Lil Divas Bowtique - Whitby, Ontario 
Nellie's Laundry Soap - Regina, SK
PURSEnal Trends - Regina, SK
Sling Sisters - Winnipeg, Manitoba
Flawless Hair Design - Regina, SK
Scentsy by Kara Friebel - Regina, SK
Everything Mom and Baby - Toronto, Ontario
myMonkeymoo - Vancouver, British Columbia 

Of course, the more sponsors we have, the more money we can raise for the NICU at the Regina General Hospital.  I would love to add more businesses to this list.  Since the auction will begin on Friday, March 11th at noon Saskatchewan Time, I will add sponsors up until the start of the auction.  You can contact me via e-mail at: trudylk@hotmail.com.

Other important links:
A Sophisticated Mommy Facebook Page
Z99 Radiothon Auction Photo Album
Blog Post about the Radiothon
Z99 Website about the Radiothon  (Our event is listed now!)

Z99 Radiothon Sponsors - Raising Money for the NICU

I wanted to make a special post to list and thank all the wonderful sponsors who are supporting such a great cause.  This fundraiser would not be possible without all of you and I am overwhelmed by the response I have received and very thankful!  I have yet to add the items for a few of these businesses and am excited to see it all come together.

Baby Chunky Cheeks - Regina, SK
Butterfly Bows - Darmouth, Nova Scotia
Something Sassy tutus and more - Warman, SK
Alys & Felix - Christchurch, New Zealand
Kenna's Kreations - Regina, SK
Little Threads by Rebecca - Hamilton, Ontario
Off the Hook Creations - Regina, SK
Rooted Instincts Services & Emporium - Regina, SK
Knits & Knots by Trista Miller - Regina, SK
Tupperware by Kathleen Eisler - Regina, SK
Perfect Image Photography - Regina, SK 
GurlyStuff... and more - Guelph, Ontario
A Balanced Approach Therapy Centre - Regina, SK
Baby Bliss Designs - Regina, SK
AlligatorSnaps - Toronto, Ontario

~Darling Designs~ - Regina, SK
lia sophia Jewellery (Christina Spackman) - Calgary, AB  
Baby Mine - Regina, SK 
Dawn's Design - Regina, SK
By JLC - Toronto, Ontario 
Lil Divas Bowtique - Whitby, Ontario 
Nellie's Laundry Soap - Regina, SK
PURSEnal Trends - Regina, SK
Sling Sisters - Winnipeg, Manitoba
Flawless Hair Design - Regina, SK
Scentsy by Kara Friebel - Regina, SK
Everything Mom and Baby - Toronto, Ontario
myMonkeymoo - Vancouver, British Columbia 

Of course, the more sponsors we have, the more money we can raise for the NICU at the Regina General Hospital.  I would love to add more businesses to this list.  Since the auction will begin on Friday, March 11th at noon Saskatchewan Time, I will add sponsors up until the start of the auction.  You can contact me via e-mail at: trudylk@hotmail.com.

Other important links:
A Sophisticated Mommy Facebook Page
Z99 Radiothon Auction Photo Album
Blog Post about the Radiothon
Z99 Website about the Radiothon  (Our event is listed now!) 

Sunday, March 6, 2011

I Just Made a 'A Bundt in the Oven'

Before you get all excited, it's a Bundt not a Bun!  There will be no more buns in the oven around here...possibly ever.  At the very least, this mommy needs a break and I'm rather enjoying the two little ones I have.  It's kind of funny because when I mentioned 'bundt' to Jeremy, he thought of baseball since the Jays kicked off pre-season baseball today.

This bundt recipe is my favourite and I haven't made it for a long time so it was long overdue.  Seriously, this is the mother of all bundt cakes.  Okay, that's enough of that!  Here's the recipe from possibly my favourite cookbook ever, Eat, Shrink and by Merry, and a couple of photos.  There aren't really any special tricks although my cake ended up a bit purple because I used small blueberries in an electric mixer.  Purple or not, it still tasted delicious!  I would also recommend using a very non-stick bundt pan like I used so it's easy to get the cake loose from the pan before you invert it so the streusel is on top.

Streusel Topping
1/4 cup chopped pecans
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp butter, melted

Cake
2 cups Bisquick baking mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup lemon yogurt (or use 2 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp sugar with plain yogurt)
2 eggs
1/3 cup 1% milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups fresh blueberries
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray the bundt pan with cooking spray and dust lightly with flour.
  • To prepare the streusel topping, combine the ingredients together and mix well with a fork.
  • Combine the baking mix, flour, sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, eggs, milk, oil, lemon zest and vanilla.  Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened.  Batter will be thick.  Gently fold in blueberries.
  • Spoon batter into the bundt pan and sprinkle the streusel evenly over the batter.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes and then allow to cool.  Loosen the edges and invert the cake.  Then carefully flip over so the streusel is on top.
A couple quick notes: My bundt needed to bake in the oven a bit longer...more like 50-55 minutes but every oven is different so I'd keep an eye on it.  Also, the inverting and flipping sounds tricky but it went surprisingly smoothly with some patience.

The Bundt Cake fresh out of the oven!
My cake after the inverting/flipping procedure.

"Saving Babies' Lives!" - Raising Money for the Z99 Radiothon


If you've heard the words 'Saving Babies' Lives' before, it could be because you are familiar with the Z99 radiothon which supports the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) at the Regina General Hospital.  The Z99 radiothon has been supporting this special hospital unit for over ten years and will be raising money again this year on March 17-18th.  The proceeds from the 2011 Z99 Radiothon will help purchase Giraffe™ Omnibeds, overbed warmers and other essential equipment such as a blanket warmer and breast milk warmers.

No one really expects to need the NICU and our family was fortunate enough that neither of our children required a stay in the unit.  However, many babies spend time in the NICU, whether it's just for a few hours or sometimes for several days.  For expectant parents, it's reassuring to know that it's available and that babies will have the best chance at life even if things don't go as expected.

With that said, I would love to help raise some money for the NICU with the help of all the lovely mommies that read my blog!   There isn't a lot of time before the Radiothon so we need to act quickly to make this happen but I believe we can do it!  What I would like to do is have an online auction on my Facebook page.  I will post sponsors' items up for auction in a photo album and these items can be "purchased" with all proceeds going towards the Radiothon.  I am going to call Z99 on Monday to figure out the best way to arrange payments and issuance of tax donation receipts.

What I need to get this going are some donated items for the auction.  I will post photos to a photo album as I receive them so people can view what's going to be up for grabs.  My goal is to run the auction for 3-4 days starting late next week.  Obviously, the more sponsors and auction items we have, the more money we can raise so feel free to share this opportunity with anyone you think might be interested in participating.   Also, please be patient with me as this is my first attempt at doing this type of fundraiser so there may be some glitches along the way!

If you are interested in donating some items for the auction, please contact me via my Facebook Page or you can e-mail me at asophisticatedmommy@gmail.com.  

For more information about the Radiothon, you can check out their website.

Great news!  I've got a few sponsors lined up already but would love more.   Thanks to the following businesses for volunteering to contribute so far! 

Baby Chunky Cheeks - Regina, SK
Butterfly Bows - Darmouth, Nova Scotia
Something Sassy tutus and more - Warman, SK
Alys & Felix - Christchurch, New Zealand
Kenna's Kreations - Regina, SK
Little Threads by Rebecca - Hamilton, Ontario
Off the Hook Creations - Regina, SK
Rooted Instincts Services & Emporium - Regina, SK
Knits & Knots by Trista Miller - Regina, SK
Tupperware by Kathleen Eisler - Regina, SK
Perfect Image Photography - Regina, SK 
GurlyStuff... and more - Guelph, Ontario
A Balanced Approach Therapy Centre - Regina, SK
Baby Bliss Designs - Regina, SK
AlligatorSnaps - Toronto, Ontario

Friday, March 4, 2011

No High Chair? Try the Tie Chair!

As we plan for our upcoming trip to Florida, I realized we have a baby and toddler and no high chairs.  I still plan on calling the hotel to see if we can borrow a high chair but I thought I'd give the Tie Chair Deluxe a chance since I'd seen it on Babysteals in the past.  Unfortunately, there weren't any available in the archives so I turned to the Discussion Board where there are some items up for re-sale and was lucky enough to receive a response from a fellow Canadian that sent it pronto!  It just arrived today so Aleena and I tried it out for the first time.

Here's a fun little review based on a very short few moments.  First and foremost, the material is a very heavy cotton and there's lots of it.  I didn't expect the ties to be quite so long or wide.  I guess it's a good thing but it was a bit surprising.  The material is machine washable and you can also throw it into the dryer.  I'd be careful about the long ties though...maybe put it in a pillow case or something first so they don't get destroyed in the spin cycle.  This design isn't my favourite pattern but I wasn't being picky for half price and fast shipping.  I love how small it gets and I have high hopes this will help us out a little on our trip especially if there aren't any high chairs at the hotel.

If you want to check out their website, they are located at www.tiechair.com.

Now to the best part..the photos!

Muhaha!  I'm a big girl now!

Picture of the back so you can see my wonderful tying job.
Yep, just chillin' out eating my Toddler Mum Mum.
Whoa! I think you need to tie me in tighter Mommy!
Seriously!  I think you need to tie me in tighter.  I'm falling here!
Here's the package.  This girl looks really happy.  I wonder if my toddler will look this happy?!
As you can see, I think I need some practice tying my tie chair but it worked well enough while Aleena was eating.  She only started getting loose when she was squirmy and had nothing to do.  It worked better when I actually tied it up in the front so it was a bit tighter and more secure.  This was our very quick review with mixed results.  I'll have a much more thorough one after our trip and I'll let you all know how the toddler reacts to being tied in a chair.  I have a feeling he won't care if there's good food in front of him but we'll see.



Don't forget to enter for a super cute hat of your choice from Haute Tots!  You can click on the photo below to go to the giveaway post.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Haute Tots Review & Giveaway (Closed)

I was so happy to receive the mail this morning and find a cute crocheted hat from Angela of Haute Tots.  She generously sent a hat for Aleena and it's just in time for her birthday photo shoot coming up!  If you haven't heard of Haute Tots, it is based out of Calgary, Alberta and they make adorable hats for babies, toddlers, mommies and soon to be daddies too with their new Haute Pops line!  I tried out the term Haute Pops on Jeremy this morning but it took him a while to catch on.  He did appreciate the little cartoon joke on the Haute Tots Facebook page though which you can check out when you visit it.

Angela's story is very similar to many other mommy businesses that have started out in the home.   She also began crocheting hats for her own little one when she wasn't able to find what she was looking for in baby stores.   After receiving compliments on her adorable hats, she began taking orders and couldn't keep up with the demand on her own.  Now, she has a hard-working team of mommies in China helping out and Haute Tots stays in constant communication with these women to ensure they are rewarded for a job well done.   Each hat tag says 'Home Made by Hand in China' so these are truly still handmade hats.  You can find their line of adorable hats in a variety of styles and colours in baby stores all across Canada.  There is a store locator on their website to find a store near you. Their website is http://hautetots.ca/.

Now to the hat itself.  It is very soft and the flower is not a clip-on type.  It's actually crocheted into the hat but only onto the outside of the hat so there aren't any annoying bumps or strings rubbing against baby's head.   I'm not a crocheting expert but it's definitely solidly made and I can see it being able to handle a lot of wear and hold up very well.   As for washing, the tags says "gentle wash - dry flat".  Of course, little girls don't get dirty anyway so I'm sure this won't be a problem, right?!  Last but not least, it's adorable and I think it looks lovely on my baby girl.  I can't wait to try it on her with different outfits.


The Giveaway:
As I mentioned earlier, there are a variety of colours and styles available for boys and girls and Haute Tots is going to give away one of their hats to one lucky winner!  The winner will have their choice of colour and style.

How to Enter:
There are four ways to enter this giveaway contest.  Only separate comments will count as entries so make sure to make separate comments for each.  I will number the entries and select a winner using www.random.org.

Required Entry:
1.  Follow A Sophisticated Mommy via Google Friend Connect.

Bonus Entries:
2.  Like Haute Tots on Facebook and let us know your favourite style/colour of hat in the comments.  You can find these in their Facebook photo albums.  (Also feel free to let them know I sent you!)
3.  Like A Sophisticated Mommy on Facebook.
4.  Share this giveaway.  (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Blog)

This contest is open until Wednesday, March 9th, 2011 at Midnight SK Time.

Open to Canada only.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

True Cuddles Website Review (By Request)

True CuddlesFirst of all, I want to make it clear that True Cuddles has asked me to write a review about their blog along with several other Canadian mommy bloggers I presume.  With that said, they also asked for the good, bad, and ugly in hopes of making their website even better and I totally respect that.  I am a fairly diplomatic sort though so I can't see things getting too ugly here.  Also, I just submitted my very first academic book review for my Education Master's class so diplomatic it must be! 

I don't profess to be an expert in the field and you can't be overly critical when you're a newbie to something and I definitely consider myself new to being a mom with my oldest child only being 2 years old.  I also consider myself fairly new to the mommy blogging world.  The one area I do have some knowledge is marketing so, at the very least, I can make some constructive criticisms utilizing my minor in commerce which included plenty of marketing classes.

With all that in mind, here's my point form analysis of the good, the bad, and the ugly as requested!

The Good:
  • It's Canadian and I love that!
  • Features lovely Canadian Moms venturing out into the business world.
  • Friendly and courteous owners who would love to do a giveaway on my blog someday I'm sure  :-)
  • Lots of giveaways
  • Great deals once a week for the Cuddle of the Week
  • Attractive logo and website colours that complement each other
  • Paypal for deals instead of just credit card options
  • Excellent products and companies featured for deals and promotional giveaways
The Bad:
  • Even though I love the different parts of the website, it's almost like it's having an identity crisis for such a large site.  It's okay for me to post about anything and everything on my little blog but a large site should be focused.  Are you a deals site?  A review and giveaway site?  A mommy info site?  
  • If it is a deals site, I want to see more than one deal a week.  I think this keeps people checking regularly.  If there's only one deal a week, it's hard for people to remember to even check especially in what is becoming a rather saturated market of daily deal sites including other Canadian ones.
  • Not enough posts in general.  For example, there must be more amazing mommies out there to feature on a more regular basis.  I'm positive there are because I have found several in the few short months since I've started my blog.  If there were even one Mom per week featured, I'd be much more likely to check back and read that amazing woman's story.
  • While the font colours complement each other well, some of the lighter coloured text is actually quite difficult to read for my aging eyes.
The Ugly:
  • I mentioned it before but the plethora of flashing ads is really too much.  Ad space should not take up half the page when one looks at a website.  There must be a more organized and professional way to showcase all the lovely sponsors supporting the website.   It also really detracts from the other content on the site and makes it hard to focus.
There's my review and I tried to be diplomatic but I also wanted to be honest and point out the shortcomings of a website that I think could use some improvements, and consequently, become even more popular than it already is.  Good luck with the changes and I can't wait to see the new website!

Trudy
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