Who Wants To Win Their Very Own Fathead? {Giveaway}{CAN/US}

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One of the coolest things about blogging is that I get a platform to share some of my favourite things with my readers. Today will be no different as I am teaming up with one of my favourite companies and a recent contributor to my Movember campaign, Fathead, to bring you an awesome giveaway!

Don’t know what a Fathead is? Have no fear, as you’ll be begging me for one of these by the end of this post! I have been a fan of Fathead ever since I received my first one, a Miami Dolphins helmet, back in 2008. I’d show you a picture of me hugging it but it got wrecked in the infamous move of 2010…Totally my fault too, they are actually very durable. Here’s what it looked like when I got it though.

Miami Dolphins Helmet

What started out with just a couple sports logos and life size player images has turned into hundreds of different genres of Fatheads. There are Fatheads for the sports junkie, Star Wars fan, dinosaur lover and even the Disney princess aficionado! The best part is that you just peel and stick them to your wall. I do recommend that you use two people for this process though, as some of them are trickier than others. Check out how happy my children were to get their very own Mickey & Minnie Fathead’s this Christmas!

Mickey Minnie Fathead

On to the giveaway! Fathead is graciously allowing me to giveaway one of their amazing products (up to a $100 value) to one of my readers. Giveaway is open to residents of Canada and the USA and will close at 11:59pm on January 20th.

To enter, all you need to do is visit the Fathead website and tell me which Fathead you would like to win.

Good Luck!

About Fathead LLC

Fathead LLC is the industry leader of graphics products for large & small spaces – led by authentic, officially licensed sports & entertainment graphics. Fathead gives fans the opportunity to feel passion For Real by bringing their favorite inspiration to life. Fathead wall graphics include the signature line, REAL.BIG. – life-size, high definition wall graphics of athletes, stadiums, logos and fan favorite entertainment characters. The art and décor line features murals of classic & modern artists while custom Fatheads, available in vinyl or gallery wrapped canvas, put the customer in charge. For the space constrained, Fathead’s product line also includes Big Heads, Street Grips, Fathead Juniors, Teammates and Tradeables. Fathead Business Solutions provides unique signage and décor alternatives for companies and universities. With in-house design capabilities, Fathead customizes and installs interior and exterior graphics with expertise across a variety of materials – from removable vinyl to aluminum and acrylic. Based in Detroit, Michigan, Fathead manufactures all products in the USA and Canada for purchase worldwide. Fathead carries thousands of images and maintains over 500 license agreements with leading consumer brands across many industries and professional sports leagues. For more information, visit www.Fathead.com. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Fathead. FOR REAL.™

My Windows 8 Phone – App Review {#HolidaySwap}

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Holiday Swap

It’s week 3 of my Microsoft Canada, Holiday Swap adventure! My last post took you through my first impression with the Nokia Lumia 920 and now I’m ready to talk about my experience with some of the apps that I’ve been working with. As a blogger, the social media and camera apps are the ones I use most, so I will stick mostly to those.

TWITTER

Let’s start with my home away from home: Twitter! You don’t send 22,000 tweets in 10 months without a good smartphone app, am I right? Then again, most people don’t do that anyway… Unfortunately for the Windows phones, the standard Twitter application is not very good at all. Low functionality, trouble sending tweets and the inability to link multiple accounts make this app almost unusable.

Luckily for the Windows Phone there are some great third party Twitter apps, with my favourite of the bunch being the Rowi app. I actually like the Rowi product better than the iPhone Twitter app I was used to. It has a fully customizable home screen that lets you check things like trending topics, your retweeted tweets and all the standard options. It also allows you to link to multiple accounts and makes it easy to switch between them. Essentially, Rowi saved the day for Twitter and the Windows Phone.

FACEBOOK

I have mixed feelings about the standard Facebook app. I like the way it looks but the functionality could be a lot better. It’s quite possible that I just haven’t learned all the in’s and out’s yet but just like the Twitter app, I have already found an alternative that I like better, so I’m not too worried about it.

That alternative is the Facebook Touch Pro app. It looks just like the Facebook we know and love, plus it has all the functionality you’d expect. If I have one complaint, it’s that clicking the notifications doesn’t always work, but those instances are few and far between.

CAMERA APPS

It’s funny, 2 weeks ago I was sad that there was no Instagram option for the Windows Phone. Then Instagram lost a good chunk of their subscribers because of their cryptic new terms of service. That’s where Fhotoroom comes in. Fhotoroom is the Windows equivalent to Instagram and even has more editing options for your photos. It also allows you to share the photo with your favourite social media networks, such as Twitter, Facebook & Flickr.

Another app I like is the Smart Shoot feature. This one snaps 5 pictures in succession and then allows you to edit the photos together to create the best one shot. It’s perfect for people with fidgety kids or for those who have blinky eye syndrome!

Just like every other smartphone on the market, there are hundreds of apps for your camera needs but these are just a couple of my favourites.

NOKIA CITY LENS

I’m going to close out my review with my favourite app on the Nokia Lumia 920. It’s called City Lens and I am in love with it’s capabilities. At first it felt like a novelty app but now that I have been using it, I am amazed at how useful it is. You simply go into the app and either choose from one of the options (Food, Lodging, etc) or type in a location and then hold the phone up and it geo-locates the nearest place.

City Lens

From there, you simply click the option you want and it takes you to the GPS directions screen. It’s perfect for when you are in a city or area that you are not familiar with and I highly recommend it.

And that, my friends, are just a few of the apps I am using on a daily basis. As you may have noticed, it’s not all roses but for every downside, there seems to be a great alternative. Overall I am still enjoying the Nokia Lumia 920 and am loving the camera/video quality and features more and more each day.

Cheers!

Disclosure: The Nokia Lumia Windows phone was provided to me by Microsoft Canada in order to facilitate this review as part of the #HolidaySwap challenge. I will also be receiving compensation in exchange for my posts related to the review of this phone, however all opinions on this blog are my own.

Social Media Commerce For Dummies {Review}

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9781118297933 cover.indd

I’m taking part in a program featuring the “For Dummies” books and my first book was entitled “Social Media Commerce For Dummies”. In the year that I have been blogging, I have developed a passion for learning about everything social media, so this was a logical next step.

About The Book

Social media commerce is a booming industry. By using social networks in the context of e-commerce transactions, brands large and small are making their products more available and more convenient for customers. This one-of-a-kind guide introduces you to social media commerce and explains how you can use social media to provide better customer service, collect payments online, and build your customer base. Online marketing expert Marsha Collier helps you determine where you have the best opportunity to reach your market, which sites you should integrate with, and much more.

I’ve always been a big fan of the “For Dummies” series, even though they call me a Dummy with each new book I read. Admittedly, I didn’t get through this entire book yet because, well, I just don’t read all that fast and I haven’t received my “Conquering ADD for Dummies” book yet. What I have read, however, is more than enough to make me want to get through to the end of it.

My favourite part of the book so far has been the “Casting and Catching Customers” chapter. It’s not easy to stand out in a crowded social media scene and this chapter teaches you not only how to find people in your demographic but also how to get them coming back for more. It also helps with tips on building your Facebook page, which we all know can be a challenge these days.

With things such as blogging, podcasts, video and social media advice included, this Social Media Commerce book has been an excellent tool for me to use in looking at the next step in my online development. I definitely recommend it for anyone looking to monetize their web space or for businesses looking to take the next step.

For more information on the book and where to get a copy, you can visit the “Social Media Commerce For Dummies” Info page. You can also catch up with the “For Dummies” franchise on Facebook and Twitter.

This is the part where you’d expect me to throw out some cheesy one liner like, “You’d be a dummy not to buy this book!” or “What are you waiting for, Dummy? Go get it!” Don’t worry; I won’t do that to you…

Cheers!

First Impression Of My Windows 8 Phone From @MicrosoftCanada {#HolidaySwap}

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I’m excited to have been invited to take part in a new program being put on by Microsoft Canada, called Holiday Swap. The idea behind it is that all the participants would agree to swap their current mobile phones, for the month of December, with a new Windows 8 Phone.

Obviously, as a blogger and more specifically as someone who is rarely without my iPhone, this was not something I agreed to right away. The thought of having to learn something completely new was frightening to say the least. In the end, I had heard really good things about the Windows phone camera, so I decided to give it a shot.

Being a father of young children, it’s very important to me to be able to capture high quality photos and video anytime the mood strikes me. Seeing as how I can’t carry my camera around with me all the time, I rely on my phone to capture those moments for me. Unfortunately, my current model hasn’t been getting it done and after only 4 days with the Nokia Lumia 920, I am in love!

One of my biggest complaints with my current phone is the inability to take photos in darker settings. The Nokia Windows Phone I am playing with, makes night time seem like mid-morning and the quality is amazing. Check out these two photos I took of my son at 6pm (which is very dark here), with flash and without flash.

 

 

 

 

 

There are also some great editing features and lots of apps you can download to play around with the great pictures this phone takes. The only downside for me so far, is that the Windows Phone does not support Instagram yet and I’m hoping that’s something that will come down the pipeline soon.

The video feature is great as well, especially the sound quality. I find with my iPhone, that the sound is always faint whenever I am trying to get shots of my kids. It’s especially frustrating when I am filming them singing a song or catching them playing nicely together.

Excitedly enough, the day after I received the Nokia Lumia 920, I caught my children playing nicely on the stairs and took the opportunity to push the video and sound features a bit. Here is the result of that experiment. I’d say it was a resounding success.

Melted my heart and I’m so glad I had my phone on me. The only downside I have found with the Windows Phone video feature is that there is no way to directly upload your videos to YouTube yet. I have been sending them to my dedicated YouTube email address, which isn’t that big of a pain. Still, it would be nice to be able to direct upload with HD quality to YouTube.

My first impression of the Nokia version of the Microsoft Windows phone is a good one, especially the camera/video functionality. There are some things missing, such as Instagram and YouTube direct upload, but these are things that I am willing to live without in order to get the quality that this phone offers.

Keep checking in with me throughout the month as I will be documenting my journey with the Windows Phone. Next time I’ll talk about some of my favourite apps and how I feel the social media apps measure up between the iPhone and the Windows Phone. I’ll leave you with my favourite shot from my Windows phone so far. I played with some of the editing tools and love the end result.

Cheers!

Disclosure: The Nokia Lumia Windows phone was provided to me by Microsoft Canada in order to facilitate this review as part of the #HolidaySwap challenge. I will also be receiving compensation in exchange for my posts related to the review of this phone, however all opinions on this blog are my own.

Stanley’s Christmas Village in Ottawa

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There’s a new Christmas attraction in Ottawa this year and my family were lucky enough to be invited to the inaugural run. It’s called the Stanley’s Christmas Village and is held at Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm.

The Stanley Family has decided to open up a Christmas Village this year, in hopes of bringing a little more Christmas Joy to families across the city. There’s a twist to this village that makes it different from a few of the others out there. Owner, Earl Stanley, told me that it was his vision to focus more on the behind the scenes work of the Elves.

That’s why Stanley’s Christmas Village takes you, by magical horse drawn ride through the forest to an enchanted Elf Outpost. The whole tour is run by Elves, who sang songs, played games & were happy to pose for pictures with the kids (and the grown ups too)!

The night was very fun for our kids, as the Elf Village was decked out with Christmas lights and Elf Houses. They had The Wrapping Warehouse, Herme’s Dental Office, Candy Cane Daycare, The Reindeer Stables, Curby the Post Truck and my kids’ favourite, The C.E.O Station, which is in charge of gathering all of the local mail for Santa and transporting it, using the latest RIM (Reindeer In Motion) Technology to the North Pole Head Office.

Our family had a great time and the kids especially had fun. The best part is that the Stanley’s are collecting used toys to donate to the Salvation Army, so when you stop by, be sure to bring some along. It’s the first year for the Christmas Village, so there are some kinks to be expected, but overall I would recommend taking the trip out to Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm so your kids can enjoy the Elf Outpost.

Visits are by reservation only, so be sure to Visit The Stanley’s Website to book your time! Just watch out for that pesky Grinch!

Cheers!

Win Tickets To See Max & Ruby Live In Ottawa!

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As my kids are getting older (of course they are), they are starting to enjoy the finer things in life a little more. Things such as live shows featuring their favourite characters are at the top of their lists and I couldn’t be happier about it.

When I found out that Max & Ruby would be bringing their Nutcracker Suite show to our town, I was immediately excited! My daughter loves Max & Ruby, and although my son pretends he is too big for it, once he saw the commercial, he was hooked. Here’s a little info on the show:

About Max & Ruby in the Nutcracker Suite

Max & Ruby in the Nutcracker Suite is the newest live show produced by Koba Entertainment. The company’s roster of celebrated theatrical productions also includes Toopy and Binoo and the Marshmallow Moon and The Backyardigans: Quest for the Extra Ordinary Aliens.

Set to the timeless music of Tchaikovsky as well as delightful original songs, this 90-minute event boasts captivating original choreography by Patti Caplette – who has professionally danced in over 100 ballet performances of The Nutcracker with Canada’s leading dance companies: Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal and Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet – beautiful costumes by designer, Anne Armit, and breathtaking sets by Gemini Award-winner, Brian Purchaluk.

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The “Max & Ruby in the Nutcracker Suite” show will begin it’s Canadian Tour starting November 9th in Surrey, BC and closes out in Pembroke, ON on Dec 19th. For all the Tour Dates, please visit the Official Tour Page.

I’m also happy to announce that the fine folks at Koba Entertainment, have given me a Family 4 Pack to giveaway for the Dec 18th, 3:30pm show in Ottawa, ON! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below to be entered to win. Contest is open to residents of Canada (Ottawa is obviously preferred) and the tickets will be left at the Centrepointe Theater will call for you.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck! I can’t guarantee that Max & Ruby’s parents will be there but it should be a great time all around! Good Luck!

I’m Gonna Wreck It! @WreckItRalph #Disney

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My son and I were fortunate enough to get a sneak peek at the new Disney movie, Wreck-It Ralph, and I wanted to share my thoughts on it. I have to admit, as excited as my son was after seeing his beloved, Bowser, in the trailers; his Daddy was even more excited to see all his favourite childhood characters!

From Sonic, Ken, Ryu and Zangief to Pac-Man and the Root Beer Tapper, Wreck-It Ralph took me on a wild ride through my video gaming years. I had really pumped myself up for this movie, so a little disappointment was definitely anticipated. I’m happy to report that this movie was so well made, I had a hard time picking out any flaws.

The story follows Wreck-It Ralph (John C Reilly), a video game bad guy who is tired of getting no recognition for his role in the game, Fix-It Felix JR. He sets out to win a good guy medal, by jumping into a couple of different games to try his hand at being good. The movie really gets fun when he meets Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman), who is an obnoxious little girl from the game Sugar Rush.

This movie has a little bit of something for everybody and I highly recommend it for the whole family. If you have ever played a video game, you will recognize at least one character in this movie and relive the glory days of when you could finish one level without asking your kid for help.

The only thing I will mention, is that there are a couple scary parts involving some radioactive bugs. Both 4 year old’s we went with mentioned that they were a little freaked out at those parts, but for the most part, the rest of the movie is fun and light.

The creativity that went into this movie is second to none and everything is very well explained. I always appreciate when I’m not left scratching my head at the end of a kids movie and this one delivered, big time! If I had to rank it among my recent favourites, I’d put it somewhere between Toy Story/Cars and Brave/Tangled.

Thanks so much to Disney for allowing us to experience this movie! For more information on Wreck-It Ralph, please visit the Official Movie Site; or you can visit the Disney Facebook Page!

Our First Family Photo Shoot! With The Talented Erin Petruska

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After 4 years of raising kids and snapping 1000’s of iPhone pictures, my wife and I decided to finally get some profession family pictures done. We were lucky enough to meet our photographer, Erin Petruska, while at a local charity event and she impressed us right away! We got to talking and very quickly set up our appointment.

Unfortunately for Erin, we had to reschedule about 13 times because of various kid illnesses and weather, but we finally got together for our big day and it certainly did not disappoint. I was a little worried about how Erin would view us after having to cancel so many times but she couldn’t have been more awesome, especially with the kids. When she started off the session by spending some time getting the kids to be comfortable with her and her camera, I knew we had chosen the right person for the job.

One of the reasons I hadn’t wanted to get family photos done, is that I had a preconceived notion that we would have to do all the work in scouting and planning poses for them. It’s not that I’m lazy; I’m just terrible at that part of it. Okay, and a little lazy… To my pleasant surprise, we told Erin where we wanted to have the shots done and when we arrived, she had a complete plan in place for the whole area, along with all the different poses she was looking for.

That’s not to say she wasn’t open to input because she asked us at each location if we wanted other shots and I appreciated that greatly! It’s tough to balance being friendly and professional at the same time but she did it seamlessly and we were completely comfortable the entire shoot.

I’m not even sure what else to say. She was exactly what we were looking for in a photographer. Kind, Professional, Great with kids and she emailed some photos immediately to us and delivered our CD very quickly after the shoot. If you are looking for all of those things (of course you are) than I very, very highly recommend Erin Petruska for your next family shoot.

For more information about Erin Petruska Photography, you can visit Erin’s Website Here! Also, if you feel like connecting with her online, you can reach her on Twitter and also on Facebook. Honestly, this was an amazing experience for our family and we are very grateful to have met Erin in our travels. Thank You, Erin, for all your great work!

Now on to some of my favourite shots!

**Photo shoot was provided in exchange for a review of services. All opinions are my own. I truly enjoyed this experience and hope you will give Erin a shot. Just look at those photos!**

What Can The @PTPA Seal of Approval Do For Your Brand?

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I learned of the Parent Tested Parent Approved “Seal of Approval” long before I began my blogging journey. In fact, the first time I saw it was on a PlaSmart toy I purchased for the kids, that they loved!

Ever since that day, I have purchased a number of other products from PTPA Winners. From companies like Norton and Indigo to PlaSmart and Vtech, I always check for the seal when I’m out shopping for my family.

The reason I do this, is because I know that the products with the PTPA Seal have all been tested and approved by the people that matter most, the consumers. That’s right; every PTPA winner goes through a number of tests from Moms, Dads and Kids, before they submit a final review.

As a brand owner, there is no better feeling than knowing that your customers not only approve of your product, but that you can proudly show that Seal of Approval right on your packaging. Here are some of the other benefits of submitting your product or service to the PTPA for Approval:

• Brands receive objective reviews from volunteer parent testers

• PTPA’s mission is to be a liaison for the Brands and the parents – providing each access and a voice to share and engage with one     another

• PTPA provides access to all of the completed evaluations providing invaluable market research

• PTPA has 60,000 volunteer parent testers across North America

• PTPA is the only Seal that awarded based 100% on the parents evaluations

• Earning the Seal of Approval gives Brands credibility and a voice to communicate with their target market

• The PTPA Seal of Approval is one of the most publicized and recognized seal in the family consumer market

• Award winners receive direct access to their target market through a variety of innovative marketing initiatives

• No risk guarantee – companies who do not earn the Seal of Approval do not receive any negative attention and are refunded for their submission

• Founder and CEO Sharon Vinderine has been featured on over 55 morning shows including The Rachael Ray show

If you’re not convinced yet, please take a trip over to the PTPA’s website and poke around at all they have to offer and you’ll also find an impressive list of some of their clients. You can even register your product for award testing on that site.

Also, feel free to stop into one of the many social media channels the PTPA has to offer. Their Facebook page is filled with great information, testing opportunities and contests. Furthermore, you can follow them on Twitter @PTPA and watch how committed they are to promoting your brand through all of their amazing Tweet Chat’s (Don’t worry; I can explain those if you haven’t heard of them).

Finally, there is the Blogaholics’ Page, where you’ll find me and many other amazing bloggers, who are there to talk about the things that matter most to them; their families, lives and the products they love to use.

If I were a business owner, the decision would be easy. I would want my product to go through the rigorous testing process provided by the PTPA and their group of over 60,000 volunteer parent testers.

So, what’s it going to be? Go get the PTPA Seal and watch your business shine in the eyes of parents everywhere!

Attention Poolies! “The League” is Back For Season 4!

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This is another one of those moments where I reveal a part of myself that most of you don’t know about. It’s a darker side of me that tends to take over my life for months at a time and makes me do things I am usually not proud of.

I am a poolie. That’s right. I am a hardcore, multi-sport fantasy sports fanatic and there is nothing I can do about it. In fact, even if there was something I could do about it, I probably wouldn’t. I just love the thrill of being the fake owner of an all-star sports franchise!

Never had my obsession been more over the top than the minute I discovered the TV show, The League. This show is about a group of friends who are all in a fantasy football league together and quickly became my favourite show on television; sorry Big Brother.

The best part about my new found obsession was that I found the show at the end of season 2, which meant I got to watch 2 full seasons in a 3 day marathon. Anyone who has had this joyous experience will agree with me that it is the best way to watch a show!

Anyway, back to the show! Season 4 begins Thursday, October 11th at 10:30 on FX and I am so excited that I most likely won’t sleep tonight. Sad, I know, but very true! The best part about this show is that you don’t have to be a fan of fantasy sports to be a fan of this show. If you like funny, this show brings it hardcore!

Check out one of the trailers below and also an interview with cast member Nick Kroll, who plays Ruxin on the show.

The really funny stuff is blocked from embedding for some reason but I promise you, if you watch this show you will laugh your ass off. Honestly, I just want more people to talk to about it because I don’t know a lot of people who are watching this and that makes me sad.

I’m pretty sure the first two seasons are on Netflix and after watching season 3 on Blu-Ray, I can say that the extra content/gag reels are almost funnier than the actual show. These guys have no filters and that’s what I appreciate most about it.

I’m not going to beg you to watch this or to buy the DVD/Blu-Ray’s but just check it out and then come to thank me here or on twitter, because you will! After you buy the DVD’s you will thank me even harder and will then owe me gifts and cash!

If you already watch this show, what is your favourite episode? I think mine is the very first episode, only because I wasn’t expecting anything and got blown away by how funny it was.

Cheers!