Win a “The Dark Knight Rises” Prize Pack From @IMAX® (CAN/US)

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Hey guys, if you are a Batman fan, I’m sure you’ve already seen “The Dark Knight Rises” by now. That doesn’t mean that I’m not still going to fill your briefcases with swag from the movie, courtesy of my friends at IMAX!

I was going to give my review of the film next, but then I realized a couple things. First, if you haven’t seen the movie, I will be the jerk that ruined it. Second, you don’t need me to tell you that the movie was awesome, do you?

Because it was!

If by chance you have not seen “The Dark Knight Rises” yet, this will be even better for you because part of the prize pack will include two IMAX movie passes! Here’s the rest of what you can take home if you are chosen as the winner:

* One 2 pack of IMAX ticket vouchers (ARV $42),
* Two different The Dark Knight Rises IMAX movie posters (ARV $20),
* Two different Adult Large t-shirts (ARV $20), and
* Three different The Dark Knight Rises IMAX mini posters (ARV $10 each)

That’s right, all of that from me to you. I’ll accept the virtual hugs or high fives, whatever you are more comfortable with. Before the rest of you get angry that you didn’t win, I forgot to mention something…I am not just giving away one prize pack, but two of these packages so you’ve just doubled you’re chances by simply reading this!

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below telling me who your favourite Batman actor is. Maybe you are a Michael Keaton fan or you enjoyed the original Adam West character best. Maybe George Clooney is your Batman of choice…..okay, okay, let’s not go that far!

This contest closes October 17th at noon EST and is open to residents of Canada (excluding Quebec) and the United States. One entry per household please, contest is moderated.

Good Luck!

IMAX® is a registered trademark of IMAX Corporation. For show times visit: http://www.imax.com/movies/m/the-dark-knight-rises-the-imax-experience/

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DEATH, AND/OR PROPERTY DAMAGE, AS WELL AS CLAIMS BASED ON PUBLICITY RIGHTS,
DEFAMATION, AND/OR INVASION OF PRIVACY.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY:

IN NO EVENT WILL IMAX CORPORATION BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY
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Incredible Infomercials – Insta Slim Shirts

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Well, just last week I let you in on my secret addiction to Informercials. Now that it’s all out on the table, I can finally share all of my favourites with you and attempt to explain why I am so addicted!

This week I am happy to introduce the Insta Slim shirt/tank top. Their tagline is, “Would you like to get rid of your lumps, bumps and bulges without surgery, exercise and pills?!” When your selling point is that you can “feel and look younger and more confident” without dieting or exercising, there is something flawed with your product.

They go on to explain that you can “firm and tone your chest” with their shirts. I hate to disagree with their market research and medical trials but, No You Can Not! You are not firming or toning anything, you are just hiding chub under a suit of armour. Which is in fact quite awesome, but not a medical miracle.

The testimonials are what push this informercial from good to great for me. One happy customer says, “the instant benefit is that I’ve lost 3 inches off my waist!” Again, Nope. You’ve simply found a place to hide the cinnamon buns for a short period of time. Once the shirt comes off, the 3 inches (and probably more) will come bouncing back!

Finally, the woman who says, “I threw away all my husbands shirts and replaced them with these” as she rubs his chest provocatively. Yeah, until you get home and he takes the shirt off! Then you are faced with the even worse reality of having beer goggles, without the beer!

For entertainment value and laughability, I give the Insta Slim Infomercial a very tight 7 out of 10! The other great thing about this product is that it spawned a number of amazing blog reviews on YouTube. Seriously, they are worth a watch as some of them are hilarious! Enjoy, the magic that is the Insta Slim Shirt!

Cheers!

Dad Blogs Exposed! – Luke, I Am Your Father

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Dad Blogs Exposed is back this week with a blog that gets my nerdy side excited just by reading it’s name. James is the blogger behind Luke, I Am Your Father and I can’t help but do the Darth Vader voice every time I see it…which greatly confuses my family.

I’m going to stop explaining where I met the Dad Blogger’s each week and you should just start assuming that I met them on Twitter, which is true for 99% of them, including James.

James has been writing LIAYF since 2008, a fact which makes me incredibly sad that I didn’t find out about blogging until this year. You can tell he’s been at it for a while too because his writing style is one that draws you in and leaves you wanting to read more. Then again, he could be an English major and I’m just blowing smoke…Let’s just go with my reason, okay?

We actually have a few things in common too, which is always a draw. Our sons’ names are both named Luke, him Lukas, mine Lucas. He loves bacon. I love bacon. We are both die hard fans of a sports franchise that hasn’t been any kind of good for the past decade. Me with the Montreal Canadiens and James with the Seattle Mariners. Sorry James, the M’s are terrible but the first step to recovery is admitting it.

One of my favourite things about James, is that he understands the value in leaving comments on posts from other bloggers. It’s such an amazing feeling, as a blogger, to open your email and see the “Moderate Comment” message and it’s something I try to do a lot of.

James finds and creates stories out of life’s everyday moments and it’s fascinating to read his take. For an example of this, you need look no further than his post from just this past week, Yard of the Flies. It’s a mirror image of the street I live on but it’s told in a way that I would have never thought of.

In closing, James is a good guy and a great father, and I encourage you to check out his blog at “Luke, I am Your Father“. You can also connect with him on Twitter, my weapon of choice, @SeattleDad.

That’s it for another week of Dad Blogs Exposed! Have a nice day!

Cheers!

No Cougars Allowed!

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I guess this would qualify as a Wordless Wednesday post but I have trouble conforming to regular blogging standards, plus the fact that I like to provide a little background info on my photos, which would negate the Wordless part…

Anyway, this is a photo I took at our local library. At first glance, it looks like a couple obvious rules: No Rollerblading and No Dogs. It wasn’t until I took a closer look at the “dog” that I noticed that something was a little off.

Apparently dogs are okay at my library but you are absolutely NOT allowed to bring your pet cougar!!

Cheers!

The Most Awesome Snow White I’ve Ever Met

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If I learned anything from Scott Stratten’s presentation in Ottawa the other day, it was that awesome customer service can make you forget about anything bad that has previously happened and puts your focus solely on the awesomeness at hand.

This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to have been a participant in something awesome and it would be a crime for me not to share it with you all. We took our family to a local fair that we visit each year. The day actually started off on a less than stellar note as we spent way too much money on ride tickets, and then I found myself faced with a frustration that I tweeted about in a fit of monetary anger.

It was probably not one of my finer moments, but being asked to pay an extra $4 so my 2 year old daughter can ride on Dumbo for 45 seconds didn’t sit right with me. I’ve been to a lot of fairs and hadn’t had this problem before. It is what it is, I paid the fees and we had a great time on the rides despite the hit to the wallet. In what can only be described as perfect timing, right after I sent that tweet we ran into one of my daughter’s favourite Disney characters in Snow White.

Now, you may remember that I once posted about how my son was afraid of people dressed in costumes. My daughter is no different and just this July we had an incident with a princess at a carnival in our hometown, where my daughter got spooked while we went in for a photo op.

For some miraculous reason, this particular Snow White character had no negative effects on my little girl and as we approached her, I could feel my daughter shaking with excitement. We stood and talked with her for a minute as she asked my little girl’s name and gave her a high five. My daughter then surprised all of us by asking to have a picture with her, as you will see above.

That could have been then end of the experience and I would have been a happy Dad with just the fact that the interaction went surprisingly well. As it turns out however, Snow White wasn’t finished just yet. We moved on and went to the petting zoo and saw a magic act before making the trek back to the lunch area about 45 minutes later.

As we were just about to reach “Food Alley”, as I like to call it, we heard someone say, “Hi Julia”, and then I noticed my little girl stop and smile. I looked over to see Snow White waving to her and calling her name. Do you have any idea how many people she talked to that day? I’m guessing a lot, so to remember my daughter’s name and then to go out of her way to say hi to her amidst the sea of people at the fair was truly Awesome!

It really changed my whole view of the fair that day and ensured that it will remain a yearly tradition for our family. From now on, when I see the signs for this particular fair, all I will think about is that one interaction with the coolest Snow White I’ve ever met. I hope the people from the Carp Fair Board and the company that employs this Snow White, Official Princess Parties, will read this and share with their staff because this is the exact way that you create repeat business. When you impress people with Awesome, especially parents, you will be rewarded in the long run.

I realize that the people involved here will probably never see this but in case they do, I want to say a very big Thank You to our mystery Snow White! Not only did you give my daughter a memory to last a lifetime but you have also showed her that she doesn’t need to be afraid of people dressed in costumes anymore, which believe it or not, is a pretty big deal to a family who is afraid to plan a Disney trip.

It may seem like a small thing to some of you but that one small interaction has helped me understand the importance of each and every detail that goes into a job or project. Can you imagine not being able to plan a family trip for fear of your children’s anxiety? Then, in just a split second moment having those fears lifted and instilling some hope for a young family.

Totally Awesome!

Cheers!

Dad Blogs Exposed! – Manhood V. Dadhood

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Welcome to another edition of Dad Blogs Exposed! This week, I would like to introduce you to Joe from the blog Manhood V Dadhood.

As with most of my Dad blogger connections, I first ran into JB on Twitter, where he goes by the handle, @ManvDadhood. I knew we hit it off immediately due to our shared love of all things super hero.

It wasn’t until I saw his Justice League of Dad Bloggers post that I really understood how creative Joe was. I’ve been a follower since and have to say that his writing style is one that draws you in and keeps you coming back for more.

Joe started his own project called DADuary, which will run each January, and which he describes as “I want DADuary to be something that is open to dads, moms, and everyone else who wants to talk about their dads, or the dads they know.” I hadn’t started my blog yet so I didn’t get a chance to be a part of this year’s edition but you can’t bet I’ll be checking in for the 2013 DADuary!

If you’re looking for a Dad Blog that’s going to come at you from all emotional angles, Manhood V Dadhood is the one for you. JB writes from his soul but also gives you laughs and even a touch of geek. His Definitive Collection series is something that needs to be read. If this post hasn’t been enough to convince you to check out his site, maybe this tweet of his will put it over the top!

Yep, that’s what I’m talking about! You can visit Joe on his site Manhood V Dadhood, or check him out on Twitter @ManVDadhood and Facebook.

Cheers!

My Addiction To Infomercials Revealed!

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I think I’ve been blogging long enough that it’s time I start letting you in on some of the little things that keep my mind occupied. One of my very special secrets is that I have an abnormal love for infomercials.

It’s hard for me to pinpoint the reason for my obsession with these 20 minute masterpieces, but my best guess is that it’s due to a man named, Don Lapre. He was one of the first infomercial pitch men that really hooked me in. In fact, he was also my first experience in actually buying into an MLM scheme and also my first experience in being ripped off.

Here’s the video that hooked me for the very first time. As you can see, he is very persuasive!

Awesome, right?! Yeah, so that guy killed himself while he was in the middle of a giant federal court case against him for fraudulent activity… Glad I didn’t pursue that dream.

Anyway, my crazy obsession with infomercials took on a whole new life a few years after that initial video. It got to a point where I would stay up very late at night and literally watch hours of infomercials, with absolutely no intention of ever purchasing anything again.

From Magic Bullet’s and P90X to Flavor Wave and Get Rich Quick Schemes, I love them all. I especially love when the drug company warnings take up 80% of the actual ad. I can’t explain it, I’m not ashamed of it and I am certainly not about to stop loving these marketing miracles!

For this post, I want to leave you with one of my new favourite infomercials, for a product called the Schticky. You may think it’s because it stars that wacky ShamWoW guy, Vince Offer, but the real reason is for the insane sexual innuendo they somehow managed to slip in to the middle of it. Don’t worry, you’ll know it when you see it!

Now that I’ve opened Pandora’s box, you’ll be seeing a lot more of my favourite informercials on here. Then again, that could be a whole new blog site in itself….

Cheers!

A Great Giveaway From @TagAlongToys in #Ottawa!

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If you have kids and live in the Ottawa area, you have no doubt heard of Tag Along Toys. If you haven’t, I encourage you to finish reading this post and then proceed immediately to 499 Terry Fox Dr in Kanata so you can experience the joy that is toy shopping there!

Store owner, Patti, is one of those people that draw you in with her kindness. The first time I brought my kids in there, she welcomed them and treated them as if they were one of her own. My son then played with her son for about 30 minutes while we chatted. It was an experience that makes you want to come back in to the store everyday.

Patti has agreed to allow me to give away a couple great toys to my Ottawa readers and I couldn’t be happier. Even more happy about it were my children, who got to pick out one toy each to review for the store.

We landed on a Make Your Own Paper Airplane Set for him and a Make Your Own Sock Puppet set for her. Oddly enough, both sets were from the brand Creativity for kids and I couldn’t have been more happy with their choices. They were so excited that we did both of the when we got home that day!

My son was up first and we had a blast making paper airplanes all together. Here’s the proof!

Next up was the puppeteer! I could post a million pictures of how that went down but I find that videos always work best! Enjoy the amazing JubeJubes!

And there you have it! The kids loved both toys and now I have a chance to award one of my Ottawa readers with both of these great and creative items! All you have to do is leave me a comment below with your child’s “Must Have” toy for this year.

Simple as that! Contest closes Monday, October 8th at noon and is open to residents of the Ottawa Valley and you must be willing to go to the Tag Along Toys store to pick them up. In the meantime, I encourage you to stop in to the store anyway or you can follow them on Twitter and Facebook. I promise, you won’t be disappointed with their social media presence because it’s where I became a huge fan!

Good Luck! Cheers!!

Please Help A Fellow Dad Blogger To #LiveFightWin

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I’m doing a modified version of Dad Blogs Exposed this week because a fellow Dad blogger has received some bad news and I want to try to help any way I can. This week’s feature is about John Taylor, aka The Daddy Yo Dude.

John was recently diagnosed with cancer and will begin treatment this coming week. He is the dad of two amazing, wonderful, beautiful, but also independent, snarky, and opinionated children. They are aged 5 and 3. He is a stay-at-home-dad, part-time blogger, house cleaner, pull up changer, dinner maker, and craft fanatic. All of these things that will get harder as treatment goes on.

Anyone who has gone through any sort of battle with cancer, knows that the medical bills pile up quickly. That’s why today I am asking you all for your help. If you can visit John’s “Live. Fight. Win.” Page and donate anything you have to spare, I’m sure John and his young family would really appreciate it.

Even if all you can afford to do is spread the word, it would be greatly appreciated. Also, feel free to visit John on Twitter @TheDaddyYoDude or on his Tumblr Page. He’s a really nice guy and a great dad and I’m sure he’d appreciate the well wishes.

Thanks for your time and help! It’s times like these that I am greatful to be a part of such an amazing blogging community. Let’s show John what we can do when we band together to support and protect one of our own!

Cheers!

Tonight I Mailed In “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”

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{Mailing It In – Slang for doing the least amount of work possible or slacking off.}

We’re all parents, right? Let’s not sugar coat this then. I get tired by the time the kid’s bedtime rolls around some nights. Truthfully, I’m tired pretty much every night as the kids get ready for bed but tonight was a little different.

I didn’t have a good sleep last night because my daughter woke up at 11pm with nightmares and spent the night in bed with Mommy and Daddy. I know some of you don’t agree with letting your kids sleep with you but I’m not overly concerned with that.

Tonight, my wife went out to an ECE class and I was in charge of bedtime. This is not an unusual occurrence and I am more than capable of handling my children on my own. It was just one of those nights where I had absolutely nothing to give to anyone.

We played a rousing game of “Jump on Daddy while he lies on the floor”, then we played “Let’s see who notices we’re watching Doc McStuffins reruns”. We closed out the night with story time, which is usually immediately followed by a Canadian Idol style rendition of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”.

The only problem with that was that story time took up the little bit of energy I had left. Between that and the countless times I had to ask my son to get back into bed, I was completely drained. I’m not proud of what happened next but I’m only human and I know it’s happened to the best of us.

We got to the Twinkle, Twinkle portion of the evening and instead of the usual Michael Buble-esque performance they are used to, the kids got something that best resembled a performance by Oscar the Grouch, if he had tape over his mouth, and had forgotten the words, and yawned 30 times in the middle….Yeah, just bad.

Funny thing about my mailing in of our nightly tradition though, the kids didn’t seem to notice. If they did they certainly weren’t about to throw tomatoes or eggs at their Dad. This helped prove two things for me:

1. I AM in fact a rock star because I can turn the crappiest mood into solid gold!

2. Your kids will love you even if you aren’t 100% all the time. Plus, they know Daddy will knock it out of the park tomorrow to make up for it!

Cheers!