My Favourite iPad Apps for Toddlers

Lazoo Zoo

 

 

My iPad has been an absolute lifesaver with my toddler, especially when we’ve been travelling. Flying with him can be tricky, and I am positive we would have never survived without the iPad loaded with Apps and videos for him. It’s like torture waiting for takeoff, so having the iPad ready to go has been great to keep him occupied. We were stuck in customs once for an hour, and our iPad was the perfect distraction for our son and all of the children around him in line!

We also had a long road trip to Lake Placid where we needed a distraction for the long hours in the car, and the iPad was amazing. We try not to let our son play with the iPad too much since I am selfish and I want to play with it myself (ok partially, mostly because I would rather have him play outside at this time of year than sit on the couch), but we have had to admit to ourselves that there have been times when we would have been lost without it.

There are so many Apps out there, and I end up deleting a lot of them because they are frustrating for my toddler. Some of them are too difficult for him to navigate, and some of them I will download and he is bored in seconds. I think all Apps include a lot of trial and error when choosing a good one.

I’ve added a list of Apps that have been the most successful with my son. His favourite right now is the Lego Duplo Trains App. Do you know how hard it is to find a good train App? Very very hard. I feel like I have been through them all, but that one is perfect for his age. You can find my list below, but if there are any Apps that you are using right now that you love for your kid, please add them in the comments section below – I would love to hear them!

 

 

Lazoo Zoo

 

Lazoo Zoo

 

Lazoo Zoo

 

This App allows you to travel around the zoo and feed the animals. Once they are fed they may change colours, grow hair, or change in some fun way. This one is very easy because you just need to drag and drop food in the animals mouth, and there are lots of animals to visit at the zoo.

 

 

Lazoo:  Let's Color!

 

Lazoo:  Let's Color!

 

Lazoo:  Let's Color!

 

Lazoo: Let’s Colour!
 

This App is part of the Lazoo series as well, and in this one you can colour or add stickers to a photo, and then if you press “Go” the photo comes to life. There are trains and planes that move once you hit “Go”, fish that will swim and sundae’s that will melt when you are ready to hit the button. There are a lots of different pictures to colour, and it comes with a great little movie as well with the Lazoo characters.

 

 

Elmo Calls

 

 Elmo Calls

 

Elmo Calls

 

Elmo Calls

 

In this App Elmo phones and you can answer the phone and FaceTime with him. It’s great because I think kids probably get more excited seeing themselves on the screen! This App only has a few different calls Elmo can make, but the FaceTime keeps them occupied a bit longer. Elmo is a big hit at our place, and I think every child loves phones, so it’s a pretty awesome combo.

 

 

Talking Ben the Dog

 

Talking Ben the Dog

 

Talking Ben The Dog

 

We have had this App for over a year and it still doesn’t get old. Not educational in the least, but it’s a free App where the dog will mimic your voice or belch on command. It’s just a lot of fun. There are even a few spinoff animal Apps similar to Ben now, and he’s so popular you can find a stuffed talking version of him in stores.

 

 

Lego Duplo Trains

 

Lego Duplo Trains

 

Lego Duplo Trains

 

Lego Duplo Trains

 

Lego Duplo Trains

 

This App is great for boys who are obsessed with trains like mine is. It lets them build their own train, load the train and build tracks and bridges along the way. Plus it was free! I’ve probably downloaded a dozen train Apps, and this has been the best one!

 

 

Endless Alphabet

 

Endless Alphabet

 

Endless Alphabet

 


Endless Alphabet

 

This one was suggested to me by my friend Jen! This one was the most pricy of the bunch at $6.99, but it really is an endless alphabet! Words from A – Z pop up and you have to match the letters in the word. You can press the button to hear the word out loud, and to explain what it is. Each letter makes a sound as you match it to the right spot. You get bonus points as a parent for downloading something so educational too.

 

 

Elmo's Monster Maker

 

Elmo's Monster Maker

 

Elmo's Monster Maker

 

Elmo’s Monster Maker

 

This App was $2.99 but it’s really fun! Elmo parades a group of monsters out, and you have to pick one to dress up. Then you can decide if Elmo plays with him, or of he should dance. It’s pretty cute for Elmo fans.

 

 

Endless Numbers

 
Endless Numbers

 

Endless Numbers

 

Endless Numbers

 

Similar to Endless Alphabet, this counting App comes in a lite version so it’s free, but has some great matching games with numbers. Again, the educational points you will score by downloading this are great, plus the little monsters in the App are super cute and entertaining.

Vacationing with a Toddler at The Westin Trillium House, Blue Mountain

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I’ve got a lot of hobbies, and some I decided to give up when I had a baby. Don’t feel too bad for me; it was a conscious decision to focus on the things I really liked, and to get rid of those extracurriculars that I didn’t really have the free time for anymore. Plus I found some of those hobbies were taking up some of my dinner and drinks nights, so a few things had to go! One of the things I gave up was snowboarding. I’m sure I will go snowboarding again if a fun trip comes up or something, but I realized even before I had a child I hardly went. I sold all of my gear and haven’t been in a couple years now, but in the winter I did miss heading out to Blue Mountain to go boarding, and more importantly hanging out in the Blue Mountain Village to shop, eat, and to keep warm!

This year I started to look into what Blue Mountain had to offer for the summer, and I was surprised how much was going on. We decided to head to Blue Mountain for a couple days with our son to check out The Westin Trillium Blue Mountain resort.

We decided to stay at The Westin Trillium House. The cost per night was not horrible (our rate was $199 per night), and they stated on the website that they had cribs as well. After I booked our room I called the hotel to ensure there would be a crib in our room as I requested, and I was informed that they were available on a first-come first-serve basis, and they would not reserve one for me. This was a little annoying as I was calling to reserve a bed – couldn’t I reserve a crib as well? We were told the best we could do is call the day of our arrival and ensure there was one available. We automatically decided then to bring our pack and play instead. When we arrived we were told our crib was already in our room which was nice, but because we had totally forgotten to call about the crib it didn’t really matter anymore.

 

 

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Our room was just a deluxe Guestroom but had lots of space and included a kitchenette, sofa, coffee table and chairs. The room was very clean and roomy! I think I would have gotten a different room next time though with a separate bedroom so my son could go to bed at a different time than us.

 

 

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The Westin Trillium House advertises the Westin Kids Club, where upon arrival your child is given a complimentary welcome bag with treats to keep them entertained during their stay at the hotel. We actually didn’t receive this (to be fair, we also didn’t ask for it). They also had a Kids at Blue Discovery Room at the hotel as well which had some fun toys and books to play with, but it was so nice outside we really didn’t play in there. The hotel also offers babysitting services, and a Kids Specialist who entertains kids in the Discovery Room.

After checking in went went straight to Plunge! Aquatic Centre which is attached to The Westin Trillium House. Our room was on the third floor which was where the entrance was to the water park – awesome. Children under the age of 3 were free, and the rest of the rates were for a 3 hour period, a full day, or for 3 days. We did the 3 hour option and it cost my husband and I $30.00.

 

 

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They had indoor and outdoor pools, an indoor water playground, hot tubs, a rope swing, and slides. Our son loved it – the children that were enjoying it were aged toddlers to teenagers. A towel was included, and although we enjoyed it, it was a little expensive.

 

 

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The Westin Trillium House has an Oliver and Bonacini restaurant in the hotel which we ate at for lunch. The had a great kids menu which had the option of cute kids appetizers like veggies and dip. Our kid felt pretty grown up when his appetizer arrived. They had high chairs and a great kids menu, but there weren’t a lot of kids eating at the restaurant so we were trying to keep the toddler fun to a minimum. It was a little stressful, but he was on some pretty good behaviour.

 

 

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The Blue Mountain Village itself had lots of restaurants to eat at that were kid friendly, or they also have lots to choose from with more of a romantic vibe. There were lots of options! The village is only a super short walk on a path from the hotel, and there were lots of cute shops like a Columbia Kids store, and an all year-round Christmas shop. For activities there were paddle boat rentals, a volleyball court, power wheel courses for kids, Segway rentals, zip lining, a ropes course, mini golfing, the mountain coaster, and the gondola ride to name the major ones.

 

 

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There was actually a lot to do! We tried a few activities, but our son really liked the gondola. It was very safe and had a great view at the top of the mountain.

 

 

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If you could show proof you were staying at The Westin Trillium House you could receive a discount on some of the activities, including the gondola.

At night there was a movie under the stars set up at the base of Blue Mountain which we loved – I took advantage of the Beavertail hut and Starbucks nearby!

 

 

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Overall we found the area very kid friendly with lots of fun activities, and we felt the hotel was very accommodating to children as well. The Oliver and Bonacini was good, but in the morning we couldn’t even get seated because there was literally no staff to do so and we had to go elsewhere. As I mentioned the Village is only a couple minutes away so we could easily go somewhere else for our meals.

Parking at the hotel was $20.00 for valet and $15.00 for regular parking which we didn’t see coming, and you really have no choice but to use their parking.

The hotel also had a great park and play structure, and a section where kids could catch frogs for fun.

 

 

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I thought The Westin Trillium House was very picturesque, in a great location near Blue Mountain Village, and there were lots of activities for our toddler to enjoy.

www.westinbluemountain.com

Fall Fashion From Winners

Faux Leather Top Handle Bag  $39.99  Compare at $75

 

 

I love shopping at Winners. I love hunting through the racks to find one of their amazing deals, or to find something that no one else will have. When I am looking for something to wear that is a little bit different, Winners always seems to pull through with a great find.

Once I get into the “Winners” zone I tend to hit more than one store in a day. Each store has something different to offer, and it’s so fun to be on the hunt for something awesome.

Is it just me that feels like this about Winners? I highly doubt it – I feel like shopping at Winners can be a bit addictive! If you see an amazing pair of shoes not in your size, the awesome price makes it worth it to drive to another Winners to find your size!

Fall shopping is my absolute favourite. I love buying sweaters and polished, warm outfits after being casual and beachy in the summer. It seems like fall outfits are more fun to put together since a summer outfit usually lacks complexity.

And the best part about fall? Back to school shopping! It’s been a little while since I have been in school, but I still go back to school clothes shopping. Fall is like a new beginning to the year, and obviously you need a cute, fresh outfit to begin something new!

Winners is starting to receive fall trends right now, and they have outlined some of the seasons hottest looks that are hitting the racks soon.

I’ve chosen some of my favourite looks from Winners and added them below – I obsessed with the faux Leather Top Handle Bag and the Wide Brim Wool hat. I must own both pieces!

 

 

Dress With Faux Leather Waist Detail  $59.99  Compare at $120

Dress With Faux Leather Waist Detail
$59.99
Compare at $120

 

 

Filigree Cuff  $24.99  Compare at $35

Filigree Cuff
$24.99
Compare at $35

 

 

Woven Fringed Scarf  $29.99  Compare at $40 and up

Woven Fringed Scarf
$29.99
Compare at $40 and up

 

 

Faux Leather Top Handle Bag  $39.99  Compare at $75

Faux Leather Top Handle Bag
$39.99
Compare at $75

 

 

Woven Wrap  $39.99  Compare at $60

Woven Wrap
$39.99
Compare at $60

 

 

Wide Brim Wool Hat  $39.99  Compare at $75

Wide Brim Wool Hat
$39.99
Compare at $75

 

 

Wool Cable Knit Skirt  $29.99  Compare at $45

Wool Cable Knit Skirt
$29.99
Compare at $45

 

 

Fringed Tote  $49.99  Compare at $98

Fringed Tote
$49.99
Compare at $98

 

 

Quilted Crop Tee  $19.99  Compare at $35

Quilted Crop Tee
$19.99
Compare at $35

 

 

Quilted Pencil Skirt  $19.99  Compare at $35

Quilted Pencil Skirt
$19.99
Compare at $35

 

 

Sweater  $19.99  Compare at $30

Sweater
$19.99
Compare at $30

 

 

Sweater  $19.99  Compare at $30

Sweater
$19.99
Compare at $30

 

 

Statement Earrings  $14.99  Compare at $20

Statement Earrings
$14.99
Compare at $20

 

 

For more information visit www.Winners.ca!

My Dinner Courtesy of Fresh Canteen

Fresh Canteen

 

 

I feel like my domestic cooking career has been through many stages so far in this life. When I moved into my first house with my boyfriend I was in the trial and error stage, desperately trying to fake my way through recipes and act like I actually knew what I was doing in the kitchen. This stage included a lot of burnt dishes, band-aids, and an emergency pizza delivery number on hand.

The next stage was when I finally had a foundation of a few dishes I could solidly make, and I felt comfortable experimenting with harder dishes. At this stage I was able to host dinner parties, and contribute something better than meatballs at potluck dinners.

Then I had a baby, and I entered a good six months of take out food. Cooking sort of started up again around that six-month mark, but I didn’t realize then there was an even harder challenge coming up! When I went back to work there was another stretch where those take-out menus got a good work out, and then I started to get into fast and quick meals. It’s so stressful to get home from work and need to get dinner on the table ASAP, plus to have it not suck.

It seems like the only time I can actually create a meaningful dish is on the weekend when I am not working, and usually my weekends are spent with family and friends at restaurants. I can’t believe I am going to say this, but sometimes I actually miss cooking a good meal!

This week I tried an AMAZING solution. I ordered a meal from a company called Fresh Canteen in Toronto.

The process for ordering a meal is super easy. First of all you should enter your postal code into the website to see if you are in their delivery range. If you aren’t yet, don’t stress because they are expanding their reach right now. If you are in range, consider yourself lucky!

Next up take a look at that weeks recipes to see what you would like.

 

 

Fresh Canteen

 

 

You need to chose which recipes you would like and the number of servings, and then Fresh Canteen will deliver the recipe and ingredients straight to your door.

They use a refrigerated box so you don’t even need to be home for the delivery.

 

 

Fresh Canteen

 

 

Fresh Canteen

 

 

All boxes are delivered on Tuesdays between 12pm and 6pm. The refrigerated box I received contained insulated packaging with a gel pack which kept my food fresh.

When I opened my first box I found all of the ingredients I would need to make my chosen recipe, which was Honey Glazed Chicken with Watermelon, Feta & Mint Salad and Potatoes.

There were a couple things I needed out of my pantry like salt, pepper, a bowl, a pot, and a dish to use in the oven, but otherwise everything else was provided. That was amazing news to me because I had a box of Cherios and a loaf of bread in the pantry at the time, so I wasn’t really prepared to add anything significant to the meal based on what I already had on hand.

 

 

Fresh Canteen

 

 

Fresh Canteen

 

 

Included in the box were step-by-step instructions complete with photos to explain how to prepare the meal. I LOVE recipes with photos because I really need a visual to see what dinner is ACTUALLY supposed to look like.

 

 

Fresh Canteen

 

 

Fresh Canteen

 

 

So basically Fresh Canteen does all of the shopping for you, and they send you the ingredients with a quick and easy recipe to follow. My meal only took 40 minutes to complete which solved my time issue, along with the fact that the shopping and meal idea was sent right to my house. It doesn’t get much easer than that. The produce was super fresh as well! Fresh Canteen source their ingredients locally whenever possible, and everything was already measured out so I could just chop a few things up and add them to the mix. All of the nutritional information is included as well if you are watching what you are eating carefully.

 

 

Fresh Canteen

 

 
Fresh Canteen

 

 

You are able to choose how many portions of each meal you would like, and Fresh Canteen charges $12.50 per serving.

 

 

Fresh Canteen

 

 

Fresh Canteen sends you almost everything you need to make any of their meals, but you may need a few things out of your own kitchen. They suggest you keep on hand a ladle, locking tongs, spatula, chef’s knife, grater, serrated bread knife, y-shaped vegetable peeler, colander, skillet or frying pan, pot, baking tray and cookie sheet. You will note that Cherios and bread were NOT on this list, but if they were I would have totally been prepared.

I absolutely loved this service! I loved that all of the shopping was done for me, and that I was able to create this quick and healthy meal without needing to do much other than some herb chopping. It felt good to create something in the kitchen so easily. The instructions were so easy to follow, and it really was time saver to have everything measured and ready to go.

 

 
Fresh Canteen
 

 

Fresh Canteen

 

 

Check out Fresh Canteen at www.FreshCanteen.com – but only if you are interested in saving time, eating healthy, and want to look like you have mastered the whole “cooking” thing.

It’s National Tequila Day! So Have a Drink!

Milagro Santa Sabina

 

 

I bet you didn’t know it was National Tequila Day until I told you just now, right? Did I make your day a lot better? Wait, don’t think back to that last time you had a tequila shot, because I am sure it will only elicit memories of terrible hangovers, or possibly no memories at all that night of how you got home.

In honor of National Tequila Day, Chef Arturo Anhalt of Milagro Cantina on Queen West in Toronto was nice enough to pass along two awesome recipe’s to me made with tequila that I promise will taste a lot better than that shot you last took with only a lemon and some salt to get it down your throat!

I promise, this will make your Thursday a lot better!

Check out one of Milagro’s three locations in Toronto as well – details are at http://milagrorestaurant.com/

 

 

Milagro Santa Sabina

 

MILAGRO CANTINAS
Santa Sabina Cocktail Recipe, Care of Chef Arturo Anhalt

Ingredients
1 ounce Cazadores Añejo Tequila
1 ounce St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
¼ ounce Martini Dry Vermouth
¼ cup English cucumber, diced
¼ ounce dark agave syrup
2 cups ice
1 English cucumber
1 lime

Steps
1. Chill a martini or wide-rimmed cocktail glass.

2. Pour spirits and agave nectar into electric blender. Add diced cucumber and puree on high for 30 seconds.

3. Place ice and cocktail mix into steel cocktail shaker. Shake well.

4. Using a strainer, pour mixture into chilled glass. Garnish with cucumber round and lime wedge. Bottoms up!
 

 

Milagro Rose Canela

 

MILAGRO CANTINAS
Rosa Canela Cocktail Recipe, Care of Chef Arturo Anhalt

Ingredients
1 ounce Hornitos Reposado Tequila
1 ounce Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey
¼ ounce Martini Red Vermouth
½ ounce pomegranate juice
¼ ounce dark agave syrup
1 cinnamon stick, whole
1 twist of orange rind
2 cups ice cubes

Steps
1. Chill a tumbler cocktail glass.

2. In a steel cocktail shaker, pour in spirits, juice, and add the cinnamon stick and ice. Shake well

3. Using a strainer, pour mixture into chilled glass. Add in some fresh ice cubes. Garnish with orange rind and cinnamon stick. Cheers!