I was that mom running down the street in a panic looking for my toddler. Turns out she followed her brother out the door (who should not have gone out without telling me) after he told her to stay inside.

As I came running back towards the house, she walked around the van (coming from the backyard where her brother had gone). Door locked 24/7 now until Everleigh is 18.

<– This is what I saw when I walked out of the bathroom (staged this photo later, as I’m pretty sure I flew down the stairs and out the door in 5 seconds when I realized what had happened at the time!)

Blink of an eye, people.

This girl is going to turn me grey before I’m 40.

As part of the Maple Leaf Connects blogger program, I’m presented with new opportunities monthly to try different products from this huge Canadian brand.  Many times, they are products we’re already fans of in our household anyway but sometimes – like this month – a product is presented that we’ve never tried.

Maple Leaf is asking Canadians to break up with ground beef.  Instead of using ground beef in your favorite recipes, they suggest, why not switch it out for ground chicken or turkey?  I wasn’t sure about this.  I’m a white-bread and ground-beef kind of mom and while new recipes are always fun switching up the main ingredient is a big deal.  So what does ground chicken and ground turkey have to offer?

We eat chicken a few times a week, so I opted to try Maple Leaf Prime Naturally Extra Lean Ground Chicken.  I decided to sub it for ground beef when making taco salad.  I am not a fan of hiding foods (veggies, for example) within recipes for my kids but in this case I wanted to see if they’d notice the change.

They didn’t notice a thing (hooray!) and my husband had seconds and commented that he liked the change better than the usual version.  Well, then!

Here’s the recipe for Chicken Taco Salad using Maple Leaf Prime Naturally Extra Lean Ground Chicken:

Are you ready to break up with ground beef?  Or perhaps you’ve already been using ground chicken or turkey in recipes and want to use it more.  I have a giveaway for my readers from Maple Leaf to help you out!

Two of my readers are each going to win 4 Free Product Coupons (total value $20 each prize) to try Maple Leaf Prime Grounds products.  To enter, just use the Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A few months ago, I was one of the early testers of the new Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers with NEW SureFit Design before they hit store shelves.  My 2 year old was the real product tester, but we all know it’s moms who determine if the products we bring into our homes pass the test.  I was happy with these diapers and passed on my feedback to the Huggies team.  Here are a few features of the  Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers with NEW SureFit Design:

- A flexible waistband with all-around fit
- Now more conforming gap-free fit to help the diaper move with baby’s twists, turns and angles
- A more flexible, less bulky diaper
- New vibrant, modern Mickey Mouse graphics

When we tested the diapers, these were all features I noticed. The new designs stand out (my kids love Mickey Mouse and friends, and my 2 year old most definitely noticed the design). We didn’t have any leaks during our trial, and I loved how the diaper didn’t immediately sag when wet like some other flexible diapers do.

New mom E! Host Giuliana Rancic has partnered with Huggies to become an “Official Huggies Tester” – putting Huggies new and improved diapers and wipes to the test and finding they keep her son Duke protected from leaks and keep him clean and dry through their busy days. Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers with NEW SureFit Design provide up to 12 hours of leakage protection and Huggies Natural Care Wipes now have NEW Triple Clean Layers that clean in and out of the nursery!

You can become an official Huggies tester too!  Just visit Huggies.com/tester to learn more!  While there you can play games and win prizes AND help diaper a child in need, just for playing.  Before you go, though, I have a great giveaway from my friends at Huggies for my readers only!

One of my readers is going to win a 1 Month Supply of Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers with NEW SureFit Design (approx value $75-$100).  To enter to win, just use the Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guys are notoriously hard to buy for – I get it.  With Father’s Day coming, many of us will be left shrugging and trying to figure out what to get our husband’s and father’s to celebrate DAD without falling back on the usual (tee time, anyone?)  If the father in your life has a smart phone, here’s a gift that’s sure to please – and he can even take it with him on his dad’s day out as well (though a golf course may not appreciate the boom!)

The Logitech UE Mobile Boombox comes in a variety of colors so you can truly make it your own.  This compact speaker makes portability easy, so it can come with you to the backyard deck or local beach.  We use ours primarily in our kitchen and of course out on the deck.  The sound quality is great, and we haven’t drained the (rechargeable) battery yet and have had it for over a month!  Read the Logitech UE Mobile Boombox reviews for yourself and see how others agree!

Another use for the speaker – because of the bluetooth capability – is to use it as a phone speaker.  This is much easier than holding up a phone for the kids to all speak “at” and the sound quality is much better.

The Logitech UE Mobile Boombox is available online for $99.99 US (with free shipping in the US).

There’s no time to lose after greedy Plunderin’ Pete snatches the legendary Crystal Mickey statue from the Clubhouse. Without this sparkly statue’s magic, the Clubhouse will
disappear forever!

Can the world’s most extraordinary hero “Kansas City Mickey,” get the magical statue back in time? Only with help from young viewers at home…and the right Mouseketools can Mickey journey across the Sandy Desert, brave the Rushing River and make his way through the Hidden Jungle. But watch out for Pete’s trickiest traps!

If this reminds you of Indiana Jones, you’re not alone.  That was certainly my first thought when we received this movie.  This is a great way to introduce kids to the adventure of characters like Indiana Jones but of course with adorable Disney characters.

Get ready for fun with friends with Spring Bingo, make your way through the Crystal Maze to find treasure, color in your favorite clubhouse characters then create your very own Crystal Mickey with a special folding craft:

Want to win your own copy of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Quest for the Crystal Mickey? Here’s your chance!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

While my three kids have had a multitude of shoes, and it would be difficult to pick an ultimate favorite, I can say that each of my children has had at least one pair of Robeez, if not um…more than one pair.

What’s not to love? The shoes always slip on easily (but stay on despite the attempts of curious babies), are perfect for backyard adventures when baby starts walking, and the resale is great (frugal me!) Moms know the Robeez brand and know the value of a pair of great Robeez shoes.

So, when given the opportunity to try out one last pair of Robeez shoes (they only go up to size 18-24 months!) I was happy, yet sad, to partake.

Everleigh loves her Olivia Mini Shoez by Robeez (shoes with a rubber sole instead of leather soft sole) because she can put them on by herself.  At just over 2 years old, the 18-24 size fits perfectly for Spring.  I’ve always found Robeez to fit a bit big in the beginning of the size-range so I knew that we could use these shoes for a few months at least.

I’m sad, though, that this is our goodbye to Robeez.  It’s been a lovely 8 years, Robeez, and you’ve definitely been a part of my children’s infancy and our memories!

I have had this recipe, on page one of my recipe book that I keep in my kitchen drawer, for 7 years now!  My mom found it in a newspaper, cut it out, and made it for a big family event and it’s been a keeper ever since!  The best part about this recipe, aside from how amazing it tastes, is that the ingredients are all items you normally have in your pantry anyway!

Onto the taste!  I used to love going out for beef on a bun nights at the local bar in my hometown.  This is classic beef on a bun goodness!  Use your favorite BBQ and serve on fresh kaiser buns.  Top with sliced red onion, coleslaw, mustard, horseradish – it’s up to you!  The recipe is delicious and you can tweek it to make it your own with toppings.  Leftovers are amazing as well and can be frozen for another day (that is, if you even have leftovers!)

Josh Groban has announced the next stage in his live career with his “In the Round Tour,” which begins October 2nd in Boise, ID, and continues through mid-November. Tickets for the Live Nation produced tour go on sale starting May 10th at LiveNation.com and Ticketmaster.com

The “In The Round” tour will give fans a one of a kind concert experience. Placed in the middle of the floor this 360 stage will allow Josh to interact with fans from all sides of the venue and hear Groban sing classic songs that span his illustrious 12 year career. The “In the Round” tour builds on the concept of Groban’s 2011 “Straight To You” world tour, bringing the intimate feel of a theater experience to an arena setting.

Says Groban, “It has been a vision of mine to do a tour in the round for a while now, it was just a matter of when was the right time. I have always had moments during the show where I walked through the crowd and interacted with the fans. I felt that now was the time to bring it all together. I can’t wait to bring music from throughout my career, great fun and new experiences to my fans.”

Groban will be joined by an ensemble of world class musicians – featuring Andre Manga on bass, Ruslan Sirota on keys, Pete Korpela on percussion, music director Tariqh Akoni on guitar , Dave DiCenso on drums , Christian Habel on violin and Daniel Rosenboom on trumpet. In addition, a local orchestra and choir will be added in each city.

Tour Dates:
10/02 Boise, ID Taco Bell Arena On Sale 5/10 at 10AM
10/04 Seattle, WA KeyArena On Sale 5/10 at 10AM
10/06 Sacramento, CA Sleep Train Arena On Sale 5/10 at 10AM
10/07 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion at San Jose On Sale 5/10 at 10AM
10/09 Phoenix, AZ US Airways Center On Sale 5/10 at 10AM
10/11 Salt Lake City, UT EnergySolutions Arena On Sale 5/10 at 10AM
10/13 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena On Sale 5/10 at 10AM
10/16 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center On Sale 5/10 at 12PM
10/19 Minneapolis, MN Target Center On Sale 5/10 at 10AM
10/20 Chicago, IL United Center On Sale 5/10 at 10AM
10/22 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena On Sale 5/10 at 10AM
10/23 Detroit, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills On Sale 5/10 at 10AM
10/25 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre On Sale 5/10 at 10AM
10/27 Montreal, QC Bell Centre On sale 5/11 at 10AM
10/28 Boston, MA TD Garden On Sale 5/10 at 10AM
10/30 Newark, NJ Prudential Center On Sale 5/10 at 10AM
11/02 Pittsburgh, PA CONSOL Energy Center On Sale 5/11 at 10AM
11/03 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center On Sale 5/11 at 10AM
11/06 Ft. Lauderdale, FL BB&T Center On Sale 5/10 at 10AM
11/08 Tampa, FL Tampa Bay Times Forum On Sale 5/10 at 10AM
11/09 Orlando, FL Amway Center On Sale 5/10 at 10AM
11/12 Houston, TX Toyota Center On Sale 5/11 at 10AM
11/13 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center On Sale 5/10 at 10AM

Is your city or a city near you on the list? If so…I have a little something for you!

I have 2 Tickets to give away to ANY STOP on the Josh Groban In The Round Tour!  To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter form below!  Make sure you grab all the bonus entries for more chances!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

It’s no surprise that most Canadians (nearly 90 per cent) recognize the importance of a clean car. In spite of this a majority (91 per cent) only clean the interior and exterior of their cars a few times a year. Canadians prefer the ‘DIY’ approach when it comes to cleaning their cars with more than half (63 per cent) claiming that they clean the interior or exterior of their cars themselves.

Armor All Survey Findings:

- According to the survey, more than three-quarters (83 per cent) of Canadians use a commercial car wash only once a year and nearly half (48 per cent) say they only spend between $5- $10 on commercial car washes each time.
- 49 per cent of respondents cite lack of time as the number one reason for not cleaning their car
- On average one in 10 Canadians never clean the interior (12 per cent) or exterior (10 per cent) of their cars
- Canadian men care less about the cleanliness of their car (29% of men say that a clean car is not that important to them vs. 22 per cent of women)
- British Columbians tend to spend more money ($10-$20 per visit) at commercial car washes. (42 per cent of residents of British Columbia pay $10 – $20 per visit vs. 27 per cent in the rest of Canada)
- Only a handful of Canadians state that being in their car for an extended period of time (3 per cent), special occasions (2 per cent), or being afraid others might judge them because of their dirty car (2 per cent) as a top reason for keeping their car clean.

Regardless of Canadians’ motivations for cleaning their car, given how much time Canadians spend in their cars, much like auto insurance, regular car care should be a non-negotiable. Whether cleanliness is your main concern or you’re looking to achieve a ‘showroom’ look, Armor All offers a broad range of car care products to suit the diverse needs of today’s car owners.

Stay tuned for an Armor All giveaway just in time for Father’s Day – coming soon! 

Looking for a splash of color without the committment?  dippity-do Colorgels and Colorpops each deliver a burst of blue, pink, or purple color until your next shampoo!  No committment, all fun – sounds like fun to me!

dippity-do Colorgels are electrifying colour gels with light hold. Equipped with its very own mascara wand for easy control and precision, you can mold your style and keep it there. dippity-do Colorpops instantly add a flash of bold, texture and body to your hair as you rub on the powder shadow which comes in a unique egg-shaped pod. The design makes it easy for application and portability, making touch ups simple to apply whenever needed.

I barely opened the box of dippity-do Colorboutique products when they arrived before my five-year-old was all over them!  She’s been wanting “yellow” hair for awhile (big sigh from her dark hued mom inserted here!) so I thought this would be a fun way to play with color without any damage.  At this age, it’s all about fun – I have plenty of years ahead to argue about permanent colors!

I liked the Colorgels best, because I could be more accurate with where I distributed color using the mascara wand.  The Colorpops would be great for textured hair though.  dippity-do Colorboutique Colorgels and Colorpops are available exclusively at Walmart in Canada at an awesome retail price of $6.86 each!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One of my readers is going to win the full dippity-do Colorboutique collection seen above (total value $42).  To enter to win, just use the Rafflecopter form below!