Energizer Camping

Camping In The Comfort Of Your Own Home? {Plus A $500 Gift Card Giveaway!}

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As we excitedly planned our camping trip for this upcoming weekend, I decided to set up our tent in the living room to make sure all the pieces were there. I walked away for maybe 2 minutes and when I returned I was shocked to see that the kids had already filled the tent with their blankets, pillows, books and stuffed animals, and had settled in for the night.

Not one to stifle their creativity, we decided it would be fun, and very inexpensive, to host a camp-in! The timing was great as well because we had been planning a backyard camp-out to celebrate Energizer Canada’s #EnergizeYourSummer campaign but the weather has been less than favourable here the last couple weeks, so we had been putting it off.

We read stories, made shadow animals, sang songs and laughed until the kids looked ready to pass out. In true sibling fashion not everything was sunshine and roses, but once my daughter got her vision back after having a spotlight pointed in her eyes, the kids were all love and snuggles once again! Seriously, though, check out how deliberate the boy was about pointing it directly in her eyes… Yikes!

Energizer Camping 2

You may be noticing that I was not in the tent with the kids. The simple, hard truth is that the kids decided that adults were not allowed in their fortress of solitude, so I was forced to sleep in my comfortable queen size bed instead. Bummer. We listened to the kids giggle and play together for about half an hour before they finally fell asleep but I could have listened to them having fun together for a lifetime before making them sleep.

On the kids request we decided to leave the tent up for a few more days so they could have more camp-ins together. I mentioned Energizer® before and that’s because I couldn’t believe how much we relied on batteries to power our camping adventure and to keep us safe while out in the dark. They also make a wide range of great lighting products for the outdoors, such as flashlights, headlamps, and lanterns that we will be using on our upcoming trip!

Giveaway!

Here is your chance to win a $500 Walmart gift card so you can stock up on your favourite Energizer® products before your next camping trip! To get you started, I thought I’d share some of our favourite camping products from Energizer®!

Energizer® Vision HD Headlight

Energizer Vision HD Headlight

 
 

This has three headlamp light modes: White spot light, white flood light & spot and flood together, along with dimmable to control brightness and run-time (only with all LEDs on).

It is also up to 4X brighter than standard LED technology, pivots to direct light where you need it and includes 3 AAA Energizer MAX® batteries. If you’ve ever had to use the washroom in the dark, you’ll be glad you had the Energizer Vision HD Headlight!

 
 
 
 

Energizer® Ultimate Lithium Batteries

Energizer Ultimate Lithium Batteries

 
 
 

Energizer® innovation strikes again! New enhancements make Energizer® Ultimate Lithium™ batteries THE best and longest-lasting disposable AA batteries.

The provide superior performance in extreme temperatures from -40F to 140F degrees which is great for use in all seasons. They also hold power in storage for up to 20 years, are lighter weight than alkaline batteries and are leak proof!

 
 
 
 

There are so many more great Energizer products that are perfect for camping, including Energizer MAX® Batteries, and you can check them all out by visiting Energizer.ca!

Alright, on to the giveaway! I am giving away a $500 Walmart gift card and all you have to do to enter is fill out as many of the Rafflecopter entry options below and I’ll contact the winner when I have the name in hand. This giveaway is open to residents of Canada, excluding Quebec. Happy camping!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was compensated for my participation in the #EnergizeYourSummer campaign.

Dance With Dad

The Changing Face of Masculinity

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For the longest time I associated masculinity solely to World’s Strongest Man competitors like Mariusz Pudzianowski and Magnus Ver Magnusson, and I don’t think I was alone in that belief. Times have changed quite a bit in the last few years, for the better, in my opinion and I think it’s great that my children will have a new example of what masculinity means as they grow up.

I’m always cautious with statements like the one above because I don’t want to take away from the excellent male influence a lot of us, especially myself, had growing up. My point is that society as a whole is more accepting of a version of masculinity that doesn’t solely revolve around fixing cars and chopping down trees and I love it. A 2014 study commissioned by Dove Men+Care showed that 9 out of 10 men globally believe masculinity has evolved since their father’s generation, and that showing care is a sign of a man’s real strength.

That’s a hard stat to argue with no matter how you look at it. I can’t imagine a world where I would have to feel self-conscious about consoling my son with a hug after a loss in the big game or dancing down the street with my daughter. Those are actually the moments where I feel the most like a man, as opposed to when I’m cutting the lawn or paying bills.

Don’t get me wrong, I love all the new superhero movies as much as the next guy but I think there is room for all kinds of heroes in the world, not just the ones with super physical strength. My main goal is to achieve hero status in my children’s eyes by showing them that you can be both tough and caring at the same time without worrying about what others think of you. Only time will tell but if the results to this point are any indication, I’m hoping to earn my cape by the time they are out of high school.

Just in time for Father’s Day and with 94% of men saying it is important to be a caring father, Dove Men+Care is paying tribute to the moments in real Dads lives that demonstrate how their care, rather than traditional physical traits, truly defines them as a hero. Dove Men+Care has created this amazing ‘My Dad, My Hero’ video that features real dads’ lives and shows what real strength is all about when it comes to being a father. Please enjoy the video and then keep reading below for an exciting giveaway!

Giveaway!

How great was that video? I thought it would be fun with Father’s Day on the horizon to giveaway a special package from Dove Men+Care. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post and let me know what your favourite moments with your kids are. Good Luck!

Disclosure: I was compensated for my participation in the ‘My Dad, My Hero’ campaign but I am truly thrilled at the way the public’s views on masculinity have changed.

Schick Hydro 5

Schick Yourself & Feel Great About It!

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The truth is that I’ve been tired lately. Working multiple jobs while trying to coach and be there for the kids as they take part in multiple activities. It’s our own fault for letting them try all the sports they wanted to all at once instead of making them choose one or two. My fault or not, it’s still tiring and with that comes sacrifices, some in the form of personal hygiene.

Before you avoid me like the plague, I still bathe, wash my clothes and brush my teeth, most of the time… My beard game, however, has been bordering on Jabba the Slob for the last couple months and I finally decided to take charge! I kept telling myself that I was a trendsetter and that disheveled dad was the new baby face. I wore the uneven patches of gray throughout my facial hair like a badge of honour after winning another battle over whose turn it is to shower next. The hair in my armpits bec…nah, I’m kidding, who cares about that!?

Of course, all of this is ridiculous and really comes down to simply being too lazy to shave. I considered it excellent timing from the folks at Schick that made me realize just how lazy I had become. They asked me to take the new Schick Hydro® 5 razor for a test drive and even invited 50 of you to try it out as well. More on that later, though! The new Schick Hydro® 5 system has an upgraded Hydrating Gel Reservoir which hydrates throughout each shave, a larger Guard Bar for increased skin stretch, and reduced Blade Span to minimize skin bulge which all help to get a smooth shave – all the while with the signature Flip Trimmer for hard-to-reach places. How could I say no??

So, I shaved, and suddenly being clean shaven after months of slobbery felt pretty darn good. Everyone in the house was excited for the change, especially my children who said they were tired of my beard scratching their faces. Who knew that taking some time to clean yourself up could feel so good? Well, I guess a lot of people who do it regularly knew that, but still! Of note, the Schick Hydro® 5 razor did an amazing job! Even with the thick weeds I had growing on my face it never jammed up once, which has been a problem with different razors for me in the past.

How To Get Your Hands On The New Schick Hydro® 5 Disposable Razor

As I mentioned earlier, I am not only giving away the new Schick Hydro® 5 razors for 50 people to review on Amazon.ca, but also an opportunity for one of those 50 people to win a $100 prepaid gift card! Here’s what I need from you to make that happen.

1. This is open to anyone living in Canada, excluding Quebec.
2. To leave a product review, you must have an Amazon.ca account and have purchased an item in the last 6 months.
3. Send an email to me at [email protected] with your Name, Email, Home Address and Phone Number. I will send the 1st fifty people the new Schick Hydro® 5 disposable razor along with instructions on the how to enter the $100 draw.

That’s it! Make sure to get your name in by June 23rd so you don’t miss out!!

*Disclaimer: This program is only open to age of majority residents of Canada (excluding Quebec). To participate, you must have purchased an item on Amazon.ca within the last six months; otherwise, you will be unable to leave a review. All participants will receive a Schick Hydro® 5 disposable razor as featured in this post.” Full Rules Here.

Schick Hydro® 5 Amazon Rate and Review Contest Rules

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THIS CONTEST IS OPEN TO CANADIAN RESIDENTS (EXCLUDING QUEBEC) ONLY AND IS GOVERNED BY CANADIAN LAW

1. CONTEST PERIOD:
The Schick Hydro® 5 Amazon Rate and Review Contest (the “Contest”) registration period begins on June 14,
2016 at 10:00:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and ends on June 23, 2016 at 10:00:00 AM Eastern
Daylight Time (EDT) or once fifty (50) eligible Registrations (defined below) have been received, whichever
occurs first (the “Registration Period”). The Contest review period begins on June 14, 2016 at 2:00:00 PM
Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and ends on June 30, 2016 at 2:00:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (the
“Review Period”). Collectively, the Registration Period and Review Period will be referred to as the “Contest
Period”.

2. ELIGIBILITY:
The Contest is open to residents of Canada (excluding Quebec) who have reached the legal age of majority in their
province/territory of residence at the time of entry, except employees, representatives or agents (and those with
whom such persons are living, whether related or not) of Chris Read (the “Sponsor”), Edgewell Personal Care
Canada, ULC. (the “Prize Supplier”), their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, prize suppliers,
advertising/promotion agencies and any other entity involved in the development, production, administration, or
fulfillment of the Contest (collectively, the “Contest Parties”). IMPORTANT NOTE: The Prize Supplier is merely
supplying the prizes and is in no way responsible for the administration, execution or fulfillment of the Contest. If you have any questions or complaints regarding the Contest, please contact the Sponsor.

3. HOW TO REGISTER:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. To register, go to www.canadiandad.com (the “Blogger Website”) and follow
the Sponsor’s instructions to register for the Contest during the Registration Period, including providing all required
registration information (including without limitation your name, email address, full mailing address and telephone
number) (a “Registration”). By submitting a Registration, you agree to be legally bound by these Official Contest
Rules (the “Rules”).
Each entrant (up to a maximum of 25) who successfully registers for the Contest in accordance with these Rules (as
determined by the Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion) will receive a free Schick Hydro 5 disposable razor
(approximate retail value = $9.49 CAD).

4. HOW TO ENTER:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. After you have received a free Schick Hydro 5 in accordance with Section 3, visit
Amazon.ca and post a review (a “Review”) regarding your experience with the product (and ensure it includes the
following hashtags: #gotitfree #contest) during the Review Period. In order to be eligible, your Review must comply
with the Review Requirements stated below. After you have posted a Review, send an email to
[email protected] that includes your name, email address, full mailing address, telephone number and a
hyperlink that leads to your Review (and any further information that is required to allow the Sponsor to attribute
your Review to you) before the end of the Review Period (collectively, a “Review Report Email”). If the Sponsor
deems that you have sent a Review Report Email and have posted a Review that complies with these Rules
(including without limitation the Review Requirements) (as determined by the Sponsor in its sole and absolute
discretion), you will receive one (1) entry (an “Entry”) into the draw (see Section 7 below for details).

REVIEW REQUIREMENTS: By submitting a Review, each entrant warrants and represents that his/her Review:

i. includes the following hashtags: #gotitfree #contest;

ii. represents his/her honest and truthful opinion of, and experience with, the Schick Hydro 5 product;

iii. is original to him/her and that the entrant has all necessary rights in and to the Review to enter the Contest;

iv. does not violate any law, statute, ordinance or regulation;

v. does not contain any reference to or likeness of any identifiable third parties, unless consent has been
obtained from all such individuals and their parent/legal guardian if they are under the age of majority in
their jurisdiction of residence;

vi. will not give rise to any claims of infringement, invasion of privacy or publicity, or infringe on any rights
and/or interests of any third party, or give rise to any claims for payment whatsoever; and

vii. is not defamatory, trade libelous, pornographic or obscene, and further that it will not contain, depict,
include, discuss or involve, without limitation, any of the following:
 Nudity;
 Explicit, graphic or excessive sexual activity;
 Crude, vulgar or offensive language and/or symbols;
 Derogatory characterizations of any ethnic, racial, sexual or religious groups;
 Content that endorses, condones or discusses any illegal, inappropriate or risky activity, behaviour or
conduct;
 Personal information of individuals, including without limitation, names and addresses (physical or email);
 Conduct or other activities in violation of these Rules;
 Commercial solicitations for products or services;
 Any identifiable third party products and/or trade-marks, brands or logos (other than Schick Hydro 5);
and
 Any other content that is or could be considered inappropriate, unsuitable or offensive, all as
determined by the Sponsor and/or the Contest Parties in their sole discretion.

By entering the Contest and submitting the Review, each entrant agrees to release and indemnify the Released
Parties (defined below) against any and all claims based on publicity rights, defamation, invasion of privacy,
copyright infringement, trade-mark infringement or any other cause of action that relates in any way to his/her
Review or participation in this Contest. The Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to
disqualify any Review, if it is deemed not to comply with these Rules (including without limitation the foregoing
Review Requirements).

5. LIMITS AND VERIFICATION
There is a limit of one (1) Entry per person/email address during the Contest Period. If it is discovered by the
Sponsor (using any evidence or other information made available to or otherwise discovered by the Sponsor) that
any person has attempted to: (i) exceed any of the limits stated in these Rules; and/or (ii) use multiple names,
identities, email addresses and/or any automated, macro, script, robotic or other system(s) or program(s) to enter or
otherwise participate in or to disrupt this Contest; then he/she may be disqualified from the Contest in the sole and
absolute discretion of the Sponsor. Your Review may be rejected if (in the sole and absolute discretion of the
Sponsor) it is not fully completed with all required information or if your Review Report Email is not submitted and
received in accordance with these Rules before the end of the Review Period. The Released Parties (defined below)
are not responsible for late, lost, misdirected, delayed, incomplete or incompatible Registrations, Reviews or Review
Report Emails (all of which are void).

All Registrations, Reviews, Review Report Emails, any other Contest-related information (collectively, “Contestrelated
Information”) and entrants are subject to verification at any time and for any reason. The Sponsor reserves
the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to require proof of identity and/or eligibility (in a form acceptable to the
Sponsor – including, without limitation, government issued photo identification): (i) for the purposes of verifying an
individual’s eligibility to participate in this Contest; (ii) for the purposes of verifying the eligibility and/or legitimacy
of any Contest-related Information submitted (or purportedly submitted) for the purposes of this Contest; and/or (iii)
for any other reason the Sponsor deems necessary, in its sole and absolute discretion, for the purposes of
administering this Contest in accordance with the letter and spirit of these Rules. Failure to provide such proof to the complete satisfaction of the Sponsor within the timeline specified by the Sponsor may result in disqualification
in the sole and absolute discretion of the Sponsor. The sole determinant of the time for the purposes of this Contest
will be the Contest server machine(s).

6. THE PRIZES AND APPROXIMATE RETAIL VALUE:
There will be one (1) prize (the “Prize”) available to be won consisting of a $100 CAD gift card (subject to the
terms and conditions of the issuer). The Prize must be accepted as awarded and is not transferable, assignable or
convertible to cash (except as may be specifically permitted by Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion). No
substitutions except at Sponsor’s option. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to substitute
the Prize or a component thereof with a prize of equal or greater retail value, including, without limitation, but at
Sponsor’s sole and absolute discretion, a cash award. All characteristics and features of the Prize, except as
otherwise explicitly described above, shall be selected by the Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion.

7. PRIZE WINNER SELECTION PROCESS:
On June 30, 2016 (the “Draw Date”) in Kanata, ON at 2:00:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) one (1)
eligible entrant will be selected by random draw from among all eligible Entries received in accordance with these
Rules during the Contest Period. The odds of winning depend on the number of eligible Entries received in
accordance with these Rules during the Contest Period (but will be no worse than 1 in 25).

8. WINNER NOTIFICATION PROCESS:
The Sponsor or its designated representative will make a minimum of 3 attempts to contact the potential Prize
winner (using e-mail) within 3 business days of the end of the Contest Period. If the potential Prize winner cannot
be contacted within such time, or if there is a return of any notification as undeliverable; then he/she may, in the sole
and absolute discretion of the Sponsor, be disqualified (and, if disqualified, will forfeit all rights to the Prize) and the
Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion and time permitting, to randomly select an alternate
eligible entrant from among the remaining eligible Entries (in which case the foregoing provisions of this section
shall apply to such newly selected entrant).

9. WINNER CONFIRMATION PROCESS:
BEFORE BEING DECLARED THE CONFIRMED PRIZE WINNER, the potential Prize winner: a) may, upon the
Sponsor’s request (as determined by the Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion), be required to sign and return
the Sponsor’s form of declaration and release following the Sponsor’s instructions; and b) will be required to
correctly answer a mathematical skill-testing question without mechanical or other aid (which may, in the sole and
absolute discretion of the Sponsor, be administered online, by email or other electronic means, by telephone, or in
the Sponsor’s form of declaration and release). By accepting the Prize, the confirmed winner: (i) confirms
compliance with these Rules; (ii) acknowledges acceptance of the Prize (as awarded); (iii) releases the Contest
Parties and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents, representatives, successors and assigns
(collectively, the “Released Parties”) from any and all liability in connection with this Contest, his/her participation
therein and/or the awarding and use/misuse of the Prize or any portion thereof; (iv) agrees to the publication,
reproduction and/or other use of his/her name, address, voice, statements about the Contest and/or photograph or
other likeness without further notice or compensation, in any publicity or advertisement carried out by or on behalf
of the Sponsor in any manner or medium whatsoever, including print, broadcast or the internet; and (v) agrees that,
in the event the confirmed winner provides any other type (i.e. other than the Review) of testimonial, endorsement,
review or other type of representation regarding his/her experience with the Prize, such representation will include
the following hashtag: #gotitfree. If the selected entrant: (a) fails to correctly answer the skill-testing question; (b)
fails, upon the Sponsor’s request, to return the properly executed Contest documents within the specified time; (c)
cannot accept (or is unwilling to accept) the Prize (as awarded) for any reason; and/or (d) is determined to be in
violation of these Rules (all as determined by the Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion); then he/she may, in the
sole and absolute discretion of the Sponsor, be disqualified (and, if disqualified, will forfeit all rights to the Prize)
and the Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion and time permitting, to randomly select an
4
alternate eligible entrant from among the remaining eligible Entries (in which case the foregoing provisions of this
section shall apply to such newly selected entrant).

10. GENERAL CONDITIONS:
This Contest is subject to all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws. The decisions of the Sponsor with
respect to all aspects of this Contest are final and binding on all entrants without right of appeal, including, without
limitation, any decisions regarding the eligibility/disqualification of Contest-related Information and/or entrants. By
participating in this Contest, you are agreeing to be legally bound by the terms and conditions of these Rules.
ANYONE DEEMED BY THE SPONSOR TO BE IN VIOLATION OF THESE RULES FOR ANY REASON IS
SUBJECT TO DISQUALIFICATION IN THE SOLE AND ABSOLUTE DISCRETION OF THE SPONSOR AT
ANY TIME.

The Released Parties will not be liable for: (i) any failure of the Blogger Website during the Contest; (ii) any
technical malfunction or other problems of any nature whatsoever, including, without limitation, those relating to the
telephone network or lines, computer on-line systems, servers, access providers, computer equipment or software;
(iii) the failure of any Contest-related Information or other information to be received, captured or recorded for any
reason whatsoever, including, but not limited to, technical problems or traffic congestion on the internet or at any
website; (iv) any injury or damage to an entrant’s or any other person’s computer or other device related to or
resulting from participating in the Contest; and/or (v) any combination of the above.

The Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole and absolute discretion, to withdraw, amend or suspend this Contest (or to
amend these Rules) in any way, in the event of any cause beyond the reasonable control of the Sponsor that
interferes with the proper conduct of this Contest as contemplated by these Rules, including, without limitation, any
error, technical problem, computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud or technical failure. Any
attempt to deliberately damage any website or to undermine the legitimate operation of this Contest in any way (as
determined by Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion) is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such
an attempt be made, the Sponsor reserves the right to seek remedies and damages to the fullest extent permitted by
law. The Sponsor, at its sole and absolute discretion, reserves the right to cancel, amend or suspend this Contest, or
to amend these Rules, in any way without prior notice or obligation, in the event of any accident, printing,
administrative, or other error of any kind, or for any other reason whatsoever. Without limiting the generality of the
forgoing, the Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to administer an alternate test of skill as
it deems appropriate based on the circumstances and/or to comply with applicable law. In no event will the Sponsor
be liable for more than the one (1) Prize as stated in these Rules.

By entering this Contest, each entrant expressly consents to the Sponsor, its agents and/or representatives, storing,
sharing and using his/her Contest-related Information for the purpose of administering the Contest and in accordance
with Sponsor’s privacy policy (available at: www.canadiandad.com). This section does not limit any other
consent(s) that an individual may provide the Sponsor or others in relation to the collection, use and/or disclosure of
their personal information.

The Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole and absolute discretion, to adjust any of the dates, timeframes and/or other
Contest mechanics stipulated in these Rules, to the extent necessary, for purposes of verifying compliance by any
entrant or Review with these Rules, or as a result of any technical or other problems, or in light of any other
circumstances which, in the opinion of the Sponsor, in its sole and absolute discretion, affect the proper
administration of the Contest as contemplated in these Rules, or for any other reason.

In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between the terms and conditions of these Rules and disclosures or
other statements contained in any Contest-related materials, including, but not limited to: the Blogger Website
and/or point of sale, television, print or online advertising; the terms and conditions of these Rules shall prevail, govern and control to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Gordie Howe

My Moment With Gordie

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They called him Mr. Hockey and for good reason. The only professional hockey player to play the sport in six different decades and one of the greatest ambassadors you could ever ask for, Gordie Howe was and still is hockey. As news of his passing spread across the hockey world today, I was reminded of a particularly fortunate experience I was able to share with him.

In the early 90’s my father signed me up for the Stars Hockey Camp in Guelph. It was 2 weeks away from home where I would stay in a dormitory with complete strangers and while I was completely terrified about it, I also really wanted to go. Luckily for me, my father signed up for the adult hockey camp and was around for the entire 2nd week, which was a very welcome sight.

One of the main draws of this particular Stars Hockey Camp was that we had the chance to learn the game from some current and past NHLers. My group had players like John Tonelli, Chris Chelios and of course, Gordie Howe. This wasn’t just them coming out for 5 minutes, signing autographs and leaving, either. They were very serious about this and stuck around the whole time to teach us as much as they could.

After one of our sessions I was able to stick around to watch my dad’s group take to the ice with Gordie Howe. While Mr. Howe was trying to talk to the guys at center ice, one of the goalies had skated a few strides out of his crease and began to heckle Gordie, going on about how he’d never put a puck pass him. Calmly, Gordie took a step back from the group and nonchalantly flipped a puck from center ice over the goalie’s head and into the net. The group on the ice cheered wildly as the goalie hung his head in shame and returned to his coach. Gordie added a “You happy now?” before returning to his group and it something I will never forget.

Had that been the end of my camp experience I would have gone home a very happy kid, but there was still one more surprise waiting for me. While eating lunch in the cafeteria with my dad the next day, a man approached our table and asked if he could join us. I can really begin describe the looks on our faces as we looked up to see Gordie Howe standing there but I’m guessing he had a small chuckle inside to see it. Just imagine one of your idols asking if they can sit and eat with YOU instead on the other way around and then capture that face.

My dad and I were the envy of the entire camp that day as we sat and ate lunch with Mr. Hockey. The thing that struck me as most amazing about Gordie Howe was that he could have stayed in the back and had lunch with the other stars but he chose to come out and have lunch with the campers. At lunch that day he answered all of our questions, told us stories, asked about our lives and signed autographs for anyone who approached him at our table, and he never once made us feel like he didn’t want to be there.

I count myself lucky to have had this experience and am not sure I truly appreciated it until years later when I learned more about how truly great Gordie Howe was, not only as a hockey player but also as a human being. He will be greatly missed but never forgotten.

Bees Matter Honey Bee

Why Bees Matter More Than You Think

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I’m a little embarrassed to admit that up until a few weeks ago, my knowledge of the honey bee was limited to two things. The first was that I was secretly afraid of them and the second was the Honey Nut Cheerios mascot… What? I said I was embarrassed by it!

The funny thing is that I can’t even figure out where my fear of bees came from. I don’t remember having a particular traumatic experience with them as a child, yet every time I see a bee, I walk the other way. Sadly, it seems my son has caught on to this trend and is now terrified of anything bee related.

I saw a recent opportunity to partner with the folks at Bees Matter as a great chance to educate myself and my children on why we should learn to embrace bees as opposed to be being afraid of them. I only got as far as the first line on the Bees Matter website that reads, “One out of every three bites of food that we eat is made possible by pollinators like honey bees”, before I realized how wrong I had been about the importance of honey bees.

In reading more about the life of the honey bee I noticed that one of the biggest challenges they face is finding enough pollen to feed their communities. The Bees Matter ‘Buzzing Gardens’ program allows you to order a free seed kit to start a Buzzing Garden of your own. My 6 year old daughter, who has one of the kindest souls I’ve ever known, pronounced “Daddy, don’t be afraid of bees. We have to make a garden so we can save all the bees!! Pleeeeeeaaase!!!!”. While I didn’t have the heart to tell her the honey bees would be just fine, I also couldn’t say no to her pouty face and our seed kit is now on the way!

Bees Matter Fairy Garden

I’ll be sharing our Buzzing Gardens journey with you all as we plant the seeds and wait for the bees to arrive but in the meantime, I highly encourage you to head over to the Bees Matter website and order your own free seed kit. If my children’s excitement is any indication, you could have a really fun summer project on your hands!

Disclosure: This blog post is sponsored by Bees Matter and compensation was received. I am entirely responsible for the contents of and the views and opinions expressed in my blogs and posts and not the sponsor mentioned above.

Altitude Sports Puddle

These Boots Are Made For… Everything, Apparently!

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Kids are funny creatures. They are completely opposite from us grown-ups in that they don’t seem to care about things such as fashion, common sense or practicality. Okay, they are unlike ‘most’ of us grown-ups…

My son recently received new Bogs rubber boots from Altitude Sports and I was very excited about it. There’s something special about watching a child splash through puddles in rubber boots. It helps remind us of the freedom we once enjoyed as children to do whatever we pleased. The smiles on their faces as they thrash their way through the rain are enough to tell a thousands stories.

As it turns out, what I saw as a simple and practical pair of puddle jumpers meant something completely different to my son. Sure, he still loves splashing in puddles with them but much like a new pair of running shoes, his new boots came everywhere with us! Without further ado, here is my list, in no particular order, of the strangest things my son used his new rubber boots for.

Baseball Practice

Altitude Sports Baseball

*Jose Bautista also plays in rubber boots! (*Not true)

Street Hockey

Altitude Sports Hockey

Everyone knows rubber boots are best for running…

Jumping on the Bed

Altitude Sports Bed Jump

Are my kids living the dream, or what?

Soccer

Altitude Sports Soccer

Actually the rubber boots are good for unleashing crazy kicks in this case.

As you can see, my children are just as weird as yours and I couldn’t be happier about it. Having structure is cool but sometimes you just need to throw on a pair of rubber boots and jump on a bed, am I right? Please tell me your kids do this kind of stuff too…

I should also mention that Altitude Sports is a 100% Canadian company and my transactions with them have all been amazing. Their discount website, The Last Hunt, has some incredible deals from brands like Salomon and The North Face and you should definitely check it out if you don’t mind wearing the previous season’s gear.

Don’t forget to visit Altitude Sports at their Facebook and Twitter pages to say hello and to let them know that you support a solid Canadian company!

Quaker Chewy Super Grains

Why Didn’t You Eat Your Lunch??

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We have asked our children this question on an almost daily basis for this entire school year. I have no idea what it is about the lunches we are packing that repulses the children so much but it seems the one thing we can count on in our house is a less than half eaten lunch when they get home from school.

When prompted about their decisions to neglect their lunches we have received a number of different, yet equally unsatisfying answers, that range from “They didn’t give us enough time!!” to the half-mumbled version of “I don’t know” that sounds kind of like Tarzan’s roar if he were to do it quietly and curtly. It is a frustrating daily exercise that we have tried to fix in a number of ways but still seem to be losing the battle.

Much like the rest of you, we have very active kids who compete in multiple sports and activities. I’m actually at a loss on how to explain to them that they need this food in order to fuel themselves throughout the day, as everything we have tried seems to go in one ear and out the other. Actually, if you guys have any tips, please feel free to share them in the comments because I am all ears! All this said, we have found a few items that the kids will eat no matter how little time their dictators, oops, I mean teachers give them.

The latest such items are the new Quaker Chewy® Super Grains granola bars, which were sent to us by Quaker for the kids to try out. In the last week since we have been sending them in the kids lunches, they are the only empty compartment in the lunch bags when they return home and the kids would eat them all in one sitting if I left them out in the open. The things I didn’t tell the kids are the reasons why I am happy they are eating them. The Quaker Chewy® Super Grains granola bars are made in a peanut-free facility and combine super grains like whole grain oats, brown rice, whole wheat, quinoa, sorghum, and barley to deliver 8 g of whole grains, 5 g of protein and 2 g of fibre. Remember the mention of fuel earlier? This is at least some of the fuel they will need to get through their afternoon activities.

Quaker Chewy Super Grains Kids

I will admit that the lunch time battle is far from over but I will definitely take these small victories as they come. I mean, my kids are enjoying both the Oats & Chocolate and Oats & Honey flavours of the Quaker Chewy® Super Grains granola bars. That’s a win in itself for my picky eaters and we are now one step closer to an empty lunchbox at the end of the day. Now if only we could force them to eat their fruit…

How about you? Do you have picky lunch eaters? How do you deal with it? No, seriously, please help!

Disclosure: I was compensated for my participation in this program but I did in fact have to hide the granola bars because my son is a granola monster who would hide in his room and eat them all in 2 minutes…

Crappy Lawn

The Lawn Struggle Is Real – Scotts Miracle-Gro To The Rescue!

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Let me set the scene. Your child goes over to a friend’s house and comes home gushing about how much fun they had playing on the lawn and then having a picnic. Your child then asks if they can invite a friend over to do the same at your house and you have to let them down because your lawn looks like a disaster site that is not welcoming to, you know, people of any kind.

To say I am lacking in the lawn maintenance skills department would be a gross understatement. I have never been able to figure out how to keep my lawn weed-free and growing the way my neighbours do and I’m getting tired from the struggle, so when I got the offer of help from the people at Scotts Miracle-Gro, I jumped at the chance!

As you can see from the above photo I have my work cut out for me but I have accepted the #ScottsWeedBGon Challenge and I’m hoping to finally create a lawn that we can use and be proud of as a family. I have already using the Scotts® Turf Builder® Green MAX™ Lawn Food as it gives my grass a deeper green within 3 days and also helps to provide the nutrients needed for a healthy lawn to develop strong roots that can help to crowd out weeds. As you can see I also have a lack of grass in certain areas, so I will be applying some Scotts® Turf Builder® Grass Seed in hopes of growing a lawn my kids will be happy to play on. Finally, the Scotts® EcoSense Weed B Gon 5L Ready-To-Use Spray with Wand Applicator will help kill my weeds without harming my lawn, and the battery powered applicator makes applying it a breeze!

Now, I’m not exactly sure what the dress code is for this type of work but I think this should just about cover it, right??

Scotts Gardening Gear

I don’t really want to do the challenge alone though, so I invite you to come along with me and I’ll even make it worth your while! Simply snap a photo of the weeds in your yard, post them to Instagram with the hashtag #ScottsWeedBGon and tag both myself (@CanadianDadBlog) and Scotts (@ScottsMiracleGroCanada) and I’ll be handing out some great coupons for some Scotts Weed B Gon!

In case that wasn’t enough for you, you can also head over to the @ScottsMiracleGroCanada Instagram page now until May 31st and enter to win a $250 IKEA gift card, plus a phone consultation with lawn & garden expert Frankie Flowers! Yeah, I know, you’re welcome!

Please follow along on my social channels as I share my #ScottsWeedBGon journey to a better lawn and don’t be afraid to visit the Scotts Facebook and Instagram channels for tips and inspiration for your next project!

Disclosure: I was compensated for my participation in this program.

Baseball Season Is Upon Us

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I’m struggling to express the joy I felt when our son let us know that he wanted to give baseball a shot this year. Having played ball for my entire youth and well into adulthood, I was excited to have the opportunity to help him on his way to baseball mediocrity as my father had done for me.

We are two weeks into the season and things seem to be going according to plan. The kids love kicking their feet around in the dirt, creating mini dust tornadoes and making it impossible for anyone to see what they are doing, as we did in our youth. Wrangling twelve 7 & 8-year-old boys and getting them all to pay attention at the same time is always a fun challenge but you learn to appreciate all of their individual quirks and mannerisms. That said, one of the many perks of volunteering to be on the coaching staff is that you can always keep your own child inline and paying attention!

True to the chaos that is parenting, right before the season started we realized that our son had no proper baseball equipment. Flashing back to my youth I can remember the excitement of my dad bringing me to Canadian Tire because I always new I was about to get some new gear. The only downside to shopping when I was a kid was that we were at the mercy of the stock on the store shelves. We live in a slightly different time now so I was excited to present my son with the new Canadian Tire WOW Guide so he could pick out the items he wanted and then I had them ordered right to our store.

Canadian Tire Baseball

Tell me this kid doesn’t look like a seasoned baseball player now! Through the Canadian Tire WOW Guide, we were able to score him a new Troy Tulowitzki glove, a Raptor baseball bat, a new Rawlings baseball, new cleats and an amazing Easton bag to carry it all in. I loved watching his face as he flipped through the WOW Guide and excitedly circled all the things he wanted. I obviously had to shave the list down as he circled about 6 pages worth of sports gear but it reminded me about the fun of going through catalogues when I was a kid.

I highly recommend that you grab the WOW Guide from your local Canadian Tire store or check it out at Canadian Tire’s website. The guide covers everything from lawn and garden and home décor to power tools and tires, plus you can use the Canadian Tire app to hover over the products you love in the WOW Guide to unlock dynamic digital extras like videos, how-to’s and DIYs. Well, what are you waiting for?!

Canadian Tire WOW Guide

Disclosure: I was compensated for my participation in this program, however I used that money to buy more baseball gear from Canadian Tire because I have no self control.