Join Me At The @MapleLeafPrime #BreakUpWithGroundBeef Twitter Party

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MapleLeafPrime

Look, I’m a huge fan of beef. Whether it be steak or ground beef for hamburgers or tacos, I’m all in when it comes to that beefy goodness! All that said, Maple Leaf Prime is hosting a Twitter party on May 15th where they are challenging all of us to #BreakUpWithGroundBeef and are asking us to try alternatives like ground chicken and ground turkey.

Now don’t panic, they’re not asking you to drop ground beef altogether. Maple Leaf Prime just wants you to tell beef that you’re on a break so you that can play the field a little. Just in case you need a little convincing, they are also giving all attendees a chance to win amazing prizes valued at a total of $1400, including FREE Maple Leaf Prime Chicken coupons AND one of two Hamilton beach Indoor Grills!

All you have to do to join the party is RSVP below and then show up. As a special treat, Maple Leaf Prime have invited special guest, Chef Bob Villeneuve to share some tips and tricks. Well, what are you waiting for?! Prizes are available to Canadian Residents Only but all are welcome to the party. Don’t forget to RSVP and please follow the hosts to stay on top of the action. Please check all the details below and I hope to see you on the 15th!

Date: May 15, 2013
Time: 9pm – 10pm EST
Twitter Party Hashtag: #BreakUpWithGroundBeef
Hosts: @MapleLeafPrime – @MommyKatandKids
Moderators: @ThisLilPiglet – @MapleLeafMommy – @CanadianDadBlog – @SoberJulie
Special Guest: @Chef_Bob_V



A Letter To My 5 Year Old Son

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Happy Birthday

You just turned five.

Every day that passes makes it harder and harder for me to admit that you are growing up. You rode a bike for the first time the other day and I expected that you would need me to follow along side of you, but you just pedaled ahead like a seasoned pro. Luckily for me, the pride over powered the thoughts of not being needed.

Even with your newfound independence, there are still reminders that you are my little boy. Someday you will understand how much it means to your Dad when we are just snuggling on the couch together, watching TV. I would never wish an injury upon you but having the power to make your pain go away just by kissing it better makes me feel like Superman. I also realize that my superhero time is running short.

The way you love your sister makes my heart hurt in a totally amazing kind of way. I had no idea that a child of only five years old could be that much in love with anything, but you prove it more with each passing day.

I wanted to share a few things with you about life, our relationship and the way that you probably perceive me to be, as your father. They aren’t form fitting for everyone but it is the way I feel and I think it’s important for you to know about. I’m sure I will be adding to this list as the years pass but this is what I have for now.

• When I say no to you, I really want to say yes a lot of the time. It hurts my feelings to know that I am hurting yours, but my job as your father is to do what I feel is best for you. So when I say that you can’t play Skylanders after dinner, it’s not because you did anything wrong, it’s just that I want to spend more quality time with you before bed time.

• I may act all cool, collected and sometimes even nonchalant when you fall off your bike, or the time you cut your eye on the dinner table, but inside I am a raging ball of emotional wreckage. I want you to learn about toughness but it takes every bit of my energy to stay calm myself.

• I cried to myself after dropping you off at your first day of school. The message here is that it is okay to cry, whether it is for happy or sad reasons. Being vulnerable does not make you less of a man, it just makes you human.

• No matter what age you are when you read this, do not bottle up depression or anxiety. I did this and it cost me the first year of your life. Please promise me you will talk to someone, whether it be myself, your mother, a friend or professional. You’ll be happy you did.

• I may not always say it but I am always proud of you, no matter what you do. I’m not supposed to over praise you so you’ll learn to want more from yourself but I am happy with you just the way you are.

• Your Mother is the best thing to happen to all of us. I know you don’t like the day care because you have to share your toys, time and family but she is doing it with your best interests in mind and I know someday you will understand how lucky you were. Without your Mom, we would be a lot less clothed, fed and taken care of. So after you read this, give her a big hug for me and then do the same for your wife.

• Family always comes first. I don’t care what happens between now and whatever point you are at while reading this, nothing is more important than family. Write this down somewhere and keep it with you always.

The point of this letter is that I love you and your sister more than I ever thought I was capable of loving anything. There are no words to describe how proud I am of you and everything you have and will continue to accomplish. You may be another year older and you may not need me as much as you did last year, but I will never stop being there for you.

Your Dad had to fight off a few tears while writing this one and I have never felt like more of a man. Happy Birthday, kid. Here’s to many more!

Funny Faces

Selfies

Sailun Tires ~ With You Through Every Turn

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sailun_standard

I’m happy to be partnering up with Sailun Tires on a new program to put their tires to the test. When shopping for tires, there are three things that I look for above all others; Quality, Safety & Value, and Sailun Tires promises to deliver all three.

As someone who has been let down by his previous tire manufacturer, I am really excited to put the Sailun brand to the test. Just last year a faulty tire left me and my children stranded at the side of the road and it was an extremely unpleasant and helpless experience. There is nothing I would love more than to know that my family is completely safe while we are out on the road.

ABOUT SAILUN TIRES

Sailun Tires manufactures and distributes various types of passenger and light truck, medium radial truck, and off-the-road tires in all major markets throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. Sailun’s international teams have the ability, knowledge and long term strategies to expand in the tire industry.

Building on real world testing and continuing to develop a motorsports proven product, Sailun will continue to build the most advanced and cost-efficient platform for tire manufacturing and distribution, while utilizing its information technology and substantial research platform to help establish new tire enterprises.

PTPA WINNER

PTPA Winner Seal

I think it’s also important to note that Sailun Tires are also the recipients of the PTPA Award. The PTPA’s seal is one of the most publicized and highly recognized award seals in North America, and whenever I see it, I know that I am getting a high quality product.

I will also be joining the PTPA and Sailun Tires in Brampton on June 12th for the Sailun Tires Summer Track Event, where I will get a chance to test out the tires first hand. I hope you’ll check back in to read about my experience and to check out the great giveaway we have planned for you!

 

That’s all for now. Please take a minute to follow Sailun Tires on Twitter and Facebook, and don’t forget to check back in for the big giveaway coming this June!

Ottawa ComicCon Is Closing In!

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Well, colour me geeked out and excited because Ottawa ComicCon is only a couple days away and I can’t wait to take it all in! I missed last year’s event due to a sweeping family illness but have created multiple backup plans for this year.

The 2nd Annual Ottawa ComicCon kicks off Friday, May 10th at 2pm and runs until 5pm on Sunday, May 12th. I realize that this is Mother’s Day but if the kids were to make Mommy a Princess Leia costume, she couldn’t possibly say no to at least trying it on, right?

Of the stars in attendance, I am most excited to see Gillian Anderson, Billy Dee Williams and of course, blogger, actor and father, Wil Wheaton. I was introduced to the blogging side of Wil Wheaton through his hilarious encounter with The Bloggess, Jenny Lawson, but it’s his love for table top games that has me following him. You know, online, not literally… I have every intention of challenging Mr. Wheaton to a game of CandyLand, in hopes of avenging my loss to Harlem Globetrotter, Buckets Blakes. I’ll keep you informed on the status of this challenge as the weekend rolls on.

Are you planning on heading down to the Ernst & Young Centre for the show? If so, let me know who you are most excited to see and why? You can get more info on the 2nd Annual Ottawa ComicCon by visiting their Official Website and don’t forget to tweet me @CanadianDadBlog while you are there so I can come and say hi! You never know who might show up…

Capt Caffeine 4

Skylanders Giants Digital Homework Pack and Giveaway!

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Skylander Giants

Alright, I admit it. I am hopelessly addicted to Skylanders! From the moment I found out what it was all about, I was itching for my son to get involved with it. Much to my delight, he brought it up first and in my most Dadly voice I told him I would think about it. Secretly I was jumping for joy on the inside! You see, I have a a very addictive collector side to me that I haven’t been able to use since I was a young hockey card collector and I can’t wait to dig into this thing.

I’m incredibly happy to have teamed up with Activision to be able to share a new downloadable Skylanders Giants Homework Pack, that aims to help your child educate YOU on their favourite characters and introduce you to the wonderful world of Skylanders! You can download a digital copy of the Homework Pack by CLICKING HERE.

The Homework pack features five chapters of fun – one for every week day:

– Monday: History (Skylanders story – SSA and Giants)
– Tuesday: Science (elemental sources)
– Wednesday: Characters (character’s abilities, strengths and weaknesses)
– Thursday: Technology (practicalities of what and how to buy and play)
– Friday: Art (to include dot-to-dot and drawing of key characters)
– Quiz sheets at the end of each chapter testing parents on what they’ve learned that day
– Reward charts to stick on the fridge door with a Skylanders sticker that children award parents once a chapter is complete successfully.

GIVEAWAY

But that’s not all I have for you! I am also giving away a Hard Copy of the Homework Pack that will be accompanied by one of the popular Skylanders characters! I don’t know which character but it doesn’t really matter, does it?!

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment and tell me who your child’s favourite Skylander is. It’s as easy as that! Does your child have 5 favourites like I do? That’s okay, list them all! Giveaway is open to residents of Canada, excluding Quebec, and will close at noon on Sunday, May 19th. Good Luck!

Also, you can follow the Skylanders on Facebook and Twitter to make sure you don’t miss any of the news and action from inside the game!

Congrats to the winner, Alanna Smith!

The Ultimate Mother’s Day Gift Guide! What Mom Really Wants

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mr7Dlau

I know, it’s strange for a Dad to post a list of what Mom’s really want for Mother’s Day but I promise you that I have done my research. I thought instead of creating an actual list, I would just directly quote the answers I got from the Moms out there and create the Ultimate Mother’s Day Gift Guide!

Dads, it’s time to pay attention. I asked Moms what they really wanted for Mother’s Day and here is what they had to say!

“To be left alone for the whole day. No “Moooommy so and so smacked me”. No diaper changes. No cooking (I really hate cooking). I don’t care about the whole breakfast in bed thing. Just cook dinner so I don’t have to! And I like to spend the day playing Scrabble and cribbage with my mom.”

“Honestly? Just a day “off!!” I spend my day at home with my kids, and I also run a home daycare. I love what I do, but the break from the noise and the physical demands of working with the little ones would be really nice. Sometimes I just need some me time! That being said, it wouldn’t feel right to spend Mother’s Day without my own kids, so after a day of just doing my own thing (shopping? mani/pedi?) I want to come home to an ordered in dinner and hang out with my husband and my 1 and 4 year olds, watch a couple of family friendly movies and just chill.”

“That’s easy…an extra 30 minutes of sleep followed by an uninterrupted shower…out to brunch with the family…them being sent away to meet a few girlfriends for a light lunch & pedicure.”

“Let me sleep in till 10 am. Bring me a coffee and something delicious to eat (involving bacon) then we go for a nature walk together. I am at a movie or cafee relaxing and when I come home the house is clean.”

“PANDORA!”

“No kids.. peace, take out, a good book, candles, and all phones, electronics, and any other way anyone on earth can get a hold of me turned off. ( Can you tell I am craving a break?)”

“For the house to be quiet..no wrestling..no dog piling..no fighting..no one asking me for food or snacks…not having to cook any meals…sleeping in for 1 hr…really..i just want a peaceful home…”

“Waking up and spending some time with my boys; then heading out to a movie with MY mom, and back home for a BBQ (cooked by hubby) As for a gift, anything the boys make is great for me.”

“Anything that I don’t have to plan myself.”

“A sleep in, breakfast in bed, flowers and then an outdoors outing with my family-like a hike and a picnic. Togetherness”.

“A pandora charm, breakfast in bed, spa day, lots of crafts from the kids. I don’t want to lift a finger.”

“Cleaning Service!”

“Someone who does the things that they tell me not to do that day. Rather than everything just waiting for me anyway, ie, dinner cooked, kitchen cleaned, laundry done and put away etc. A ‘day off’ only nice if work is actually done.”

“Afternoon tea with my mom and daughter. We did it last year and it was great. We later came home to supper cooked by DH and DS. I’m hoping for a repeat!!”

There you have it, fellas! While 1 in 10 Moms wants a flashy Pandora bracelet, most just want to have some time to themselves to unwind, without having to worry about cooking and cleaning. So do your wife a favour and send her to the spa or to the movies with some of her friends, clean the house, make some crafty gifts with the kids, then fire up the BBQ and cook a nice dinner. THEN let her enjoy an after dinner coffee while you put the kids to bed. Let’s give Mom the perfect day that she deserves.

Hey Moms, did I miss anything? Leave your list in the comments and help us Dads get it right!

Podcast ~ Discussing The NHL Playoffs, We Day & Letting Children Explore

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CJAD800

I am always excited to join CJAD’s Ric & Suzanne for their “Family Matters” segment and this week we started out by discussing how I am going to convince my son to cheer for the same sports teams I do. From there, I shared my experience from attending Free the Children’s “We Day”.

We also talked about the Ottawa mother who made the difficult decision to leave her severely autistic son at a government office and we also discuss how to build self esteem in your children. You can find the recording below.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/90633577″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

We Day Empowers And Inspires Our Youth To “Be The Change”

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We Day

I’m going to do my best to accurately recap the events that were National We Day in Ottawa. Considering the magnitude of the event and effect it had on every single person there, I hope I can do it justice. We Day, for those of you who are not familiar, is an event from Free The Children founders Marc and Craig Kielburger, that inspires our youth to be the leaders in creating local and global change.

I spent the day, along with 5000 young adults who all EARNED their tickets to the event with community service, listening to incredible speakers like Martin Sheen, Spencer West & Rob Stewart, as they told their inspirational stories and encouraged the children to get out there and make a difference in the world, one small act at a time.

There were so many highlights from this event that it is impossible to list them all, so I’ll give you a few of my favourites. For me, it started in the backstage media room, where two very young activists anxiously awaited Free the Children founder, Craig Kielburger’s arrival, so that they could ask their questions and press him for knowledge about how they could make a difference. I hadn’t been there 5 minutes and I was already beaming with inspiration at how devoted they were to changing the world.

Next up was Ottawa native and double lung transplant survivor, Helene Campbell, who strode across the stage and spoke as if she had been doing it her whole life. If ever there was someone to channel when you feel like giving up, she absolutely fits the bill. My favourite part is when she challenged the now famous, YOLO slang, by offering up a much more suitable and inspiring term in Carpe Diem. It wasn’t the first time I teared up at the event and it wouldn’t be the last.

My most vulnerable moment came when young Molly Burke took to the stage. I thought I had done my homework on the speakers but somehow I had missed Molly’s bio and videos. Even typing this, I am welling up at how powerful her story of blindness and bullying was. Of everything I saw at We Day, Molly’s story affected me the most. Please take a second to watch a clip of her incredible story and share it with the children in your life.

While We Day is an event that was developed to inspire our youth to take action in creating change for our world, I can tell you first hand that the children are not the only ones affected. I spent a good portion of my day dancing, and wiping away emotional tears from not only the stories of the speakers, but also from watching how inspired all of the children in that building were. It wasn’t just those kids who experienced a change today, I felt it too. I am absolutely confident that my children are going to be raised as better human beings because I attended this event, and I will be forever grateful for that.

I’ll leave you with one of my favourite messages of the day, from Marc & Craig Kielburger. It’s not enough to wait for the change or follow the change, you have to go out there and Be The Change! That’s a message I will be passing on to my little ones as they grow into young adults themselves. The event was amazing, I met some really awesome people and leave you with a small sampling of the pictures I was able to snag. I highly recommend attending a We Day if your child ever gets the opportunity and please read up on all the inspiring things that Free The Children are doing to help out both locally and globally.

Photo Bombing Martin Sheen!

Photo Bombing Martin Sheen!

Hanging with Spencer West

Hanging with Spencer West

Blogger, Shannon's View From Here's daughter

Blogger, Shannon’s View From Here’s daughter

Blogger, Macaroni Kid Ottawa's son

Blogger, Macaroni Kid Ottawa’s son

Lego + Star Wars = A Great Giveaway From Tag Along Toys

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Tag Along Toys

I can’t think of a better way to introduce a new advertiser to the site, than to run a giveaway for some of their merchandise. Especially when that merchandise combines two of my favourite things in Star Wars and Lego!

Before we get to the giveaway, I would like to introduce you to my new advertiser and one of my favourite places to visit in my city, Tag Along Toys. It’s probably no surprise to people that know me, that I like to hang out in toy stores whether my kids are with me or not. The difference with Tag Along Toys is that it is a local small business that always makes you feel like a part of their family whenever you visit.

The owner, Patti, always has new things for the kids to do, from charity spa days to visits from real princesses, my kids ask to go in every single time we drive by and I can’t blame them. In good news for all of you, Tag Along Toys has just launched their online shop as well, so now all of you can check it out and find a lot of toys that you can’t get at the big box stores.

How about a giveaway to kick off this new partnership? Patti had generously donated this amazing Lego Star Wars, Darth Vader LED Desk Lamp and in honour of the new online store, has opened up the contest to all of Canada (excluding Quebec).

Star Wars Lego

 

All you have to do to win is “Visit Tag Along Toys Website” and leave a comment here letting me know which toy your child would like most. That’s it. I’ll draw the winning comment at Noon on May 10th and we’ll ship it out to you! Good Luck!

 

 

For more great deals and giveaways, you can also follow Tag Along Toys on Twitter and Facebook.

A Side I Never Knew I Had

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Stars On Ice

I’ve experienced a lot of emotional changes since becoming a father, but crying at a Stars on Ice figure skating show was probably the most baffling one yet. I attended the show with my soon to be three year old daughter and had no expectations about how she would react to it. As it would turn out, we both loved the show but this is far from a theatrical review.

I always consider myself to be a lucky father, in that I have a regular day job and weekends free to spend time with my family. The blogging has provided my family with further opportunities but even without that, I feel blessed to get as much time with them as I do. And as much fun as it is to do group activities, it is the one on one time with my kids that I cherish most of all. This is the time that they get to shine and it’s especially great for me because they show me sides of them I rarely get to give my undivided attention to.

In my daughter’s case, she is very excitable and also has a tremendously big heart. She is so excitable in fact, that we once had to walk out of Madagascar 3, but not for the reasons you would suspect. We had to leave because every time a new character came onto the screen she would yell, “Lion, Lion, Lion!!!” or “Zebra, Zebra, Zebra! We saw a zebra at the Zoo!!!” Hilarious and frustrating at the exact same time because she didn’t understand why we had to leave.

Watching her excitement at Stars on Ice opened up a whole new realm of emotions that I never knew I had in me. I melted at the way she would yell out when she recognized a song, clapped vigorously at the end of performances and especially when the pairs skaters hugged at the end of their routine and she remarked, “Aww, that’s so nice”. The kicker came during Kurt Browning‘s “Singing in the Rain” performance. My daughter was getting a little tired but I have always wanted to see him skate that one live, so we stuck around. She sat quietly on my lap, hand in mine, with her head resting on my shoulder and we enjoyed the final skate.

I’m not sure how to describe what happened next. I’m guessing it was a mix of the perfection of the moment, the grace of the performance and Brene Brown’s vulnerability speech stuck in my head but I was suddenly forced to fight back some tears. I still have no idea what happened but I’m pretty sure it had everything to do with that little girl and the pride I have in being her father. It’s a side of me I hadn’t seen before but is definitely something I am willing to embrace.

For those of you who don’t know Brene Brown, here is one of her Ted Talks. She spoke at Dad 2.0 Summit and I carried her message back home with me.