Mabel’s Labels

Everyone loves Mabel’s wonderful sticky water-proof labels! I was first introduced to them when Mabel’s Labels suggested I give their labels a try as loot bags for one of our parties. Now my kids (and their friends) are enjoying the labels on their schoolbags, lunch bags, water bottles, pencil cases, piggy banks and more. The cost for the loot-bag combo (like all of their combos) is very reasonable: $30 for 6 sets — each set includes 5 sticky labels and one bag tag.

Name Your Tune CDs

Name Your Tune CDs suggested this as a loot bag item for one of our birthday parties too. How could I say no? The CDs were a hit with both kids and parents, especially since Volume 2 is brand NEW! If you go for the loot bags, you can get 10/more for $10 each. The company wraps them up for you in pretty cellophane bags with a ribbon — all ready to go for your party!

Tip: If you decide to go with Mabel’s or Name Your Tune’s fab personalized loot bags, make sure you indicate the gender of each child (even if you think it’s obvious).

ColoursToGo.ca

My friend Susannah Findlay — whose daughter went to preschool with The Monkey! — makes these awesome products by hand out of environmentally-friendly felt (made from recycled pop bottles!). My kids enjoy taking their own “wallet” full of mini gel pens and a pad of paper on road trips to the cottage. You can also get purses, crayon “rolls,” bags, adorable aprons and more. Prices are so reasonable, from $10 to $15 (i.e., for the aprons).

For more of my fave mom-created products, check out my article over at Todaysparent.com! What are some of your fave mom-made products?

Love!

xo Haley-O

PS. All of these products were generously given to me for review, and I loved them, so I had to share.

Even my sister’s FIVE-MONTH-OLD loved the show. His big round eyes were glued to the rink, his little head bobbing to the fabulous Disney music. And doesn’t Disney have the most fabulous music? Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid….

I think The Little Mermaid was my favourite part of the show (at least of the first half). Because the skater who played Ariel was a-ma-zing. I felt like I was watching Olympic-class skating.

After taking us through 4 Princess stories — Aladdin, Snow White (Rascal LOVED the Dwarfs!)….

…Sleeping Beauty (the music…!), Mulan, and Beauty and the Beast — there was an intermission. The Monkey and I ran downstairs and she DANCED with me, as if she herself were a princess! Did I mention she was, of course, wearing her Disney princess dress? Complete with RUFFLES and PINK? Motherbumper and Her Bad Mother‘s kids (whom we bumped into on the way out) were ALSO wearing their dresses!

After the intermission, we were treated to the entire Cinderella story….

Bippity bobbity boo! And we loved it.

I got teary-eyed at one point in the show. Because this production was so wonderful for the kids: the settings, the costumes, the choreography, the skating were all pretty spectacular — and it was all FOR THE KIDS. Fahklempt! And I got teary-eyed because the show succeeded in bringing ME back to my own childhood, and my dreams and belief in magic.

Cheaty highly recommends…. Check Cheaty Goodies for tix and a special promotion.

Happy Holidays!

It was my parents’ 37th anniversary on Saturday. THIRTY-SEVEN. And, I wanted to do something special for them. So, I took them and the Monkey, my sister, her hubby, and their little boy to DISNEY ON ICE: DISNEYLAND ADVENTURE at the Rogers Centre, Toronto.

I gotta tell you, Gorgeouses, I was really fahklempt before the show, during the show, and still now just thinking about it.

When I was little, I wondered about these Disney on Ice shows. I LOVED figure skating, and I imagined these shows were amazing and magical. But, we never went, for some reason. We went to other, perhaps more intellectual stuff, like every musical that came out, Macbeth, and others that I (in my post- Hanukkah-party state) can’t recall at the moment. It was important to my parents to expose us to the arts. And, we never got around to Disney on Ice. We went to Disneyland, yes — travel was always important, too — but we never went to the Ice show in our very own city.

And, you know? It’s okay that we never went. Because I’m making up for it now, and I LOVE it!

We aren’t getting to Disneyland this year either, but we got our Disney fix at Disney on Ice: Disneyland Adventure. It was DEFINITELY magical and amazing — for the Monkey, and for me!

Here’s a video of the show highlights to give you an idea of what it’s like:

As you can see, there’s actual skating in this show. We’re talking triple jumps and spins…. And, they really went all out with the choreography, the costumes, the music, the sets, the story. It was a GREAT SHOW. I got chills throughout it because it was such a treat, and because Monkey was loving it. My heart melted over and over again…. FAHKLEMPT!

The monkey loved every minute of it. She and her cousin even helped the Incredibles save Mickey and Minny from the evil SYNDROME with their li’l cheers! It was awesome.

Everyone showed up for the event, too. EVERYONE. Even my favourite — GOOFY — was there! And Pluto, and Alice in Wonderland, and Cinderella and Snow White, the Pirates of the Caribbean, and Monkey’s favourite, BUZZ LIGHTYEAR from Toy Story was there!

And, her NEW favourite, FROZONE. She totally fell in love with him….

She keeps insisting she wants to be him for Halloween! Here’s her classic at a FROZONE COSTUME….

Ha! Eeeee! What else? You have to go and see for yourself. Seriously, Gorgeouses, if you love Disneyland, you’ll love this show. You literally FEEL like your at a Disneyland parade for a lot of it — only you don’t have to squeeze onto the sidewalk with a million other people to watch. And, the Incredibles’ adventure is edge-of-your-seat, indeed!

If you’re interested in getting tickets to the show, it’s on until December 28th. Check it HERE! Enjoy the show, and tell us how you liked it!