kids – Canadian Dad

It’s Not About Me. It’s Not About Me. It’s Not…

January 30, 2018/3 Comments/in THE BLOG, The Daddy Files /by Chris Read

Letting go of things is hard for me, but with the help of my kids I’m learning. My son is a fairly athletic kid. He actually reminds me a lot of myself at his age. Good at everything but not quite a superstar at anything, yet. It’s a good spot to be in.

He plays house league hockey and has been having a lot of fun, which is the point, right? I used to sign him up for extra skating sessions and camps but this season he told me he doesn’t want to do any of the extra stuff because he doesn’t enjoy it. He said he still loves hockey, just not the extra things.

Although I fought him on it a little bit, I ultimately respected his wishes and stopped booking extra stuff. I guess I just see that he has so much potential and want him to be able to unleash it as he grows. The thing is, he’s happier without it, and it took me until this season to realize that that’s enough. In fact, that’s everything.

All smiles with his MVP award!

I didn’t get picked as a coach this year, so I get to watch from the stands. I find myself holding my breath with anticipation of my son’s next turn on the ice. He works so hard out there and makes me proud every single shift. I’m serious, between his work on the ice and his sister’s in the gym, I’m ashamed of the amount of time I waste in my daily life.

The point here being, we all want our kids to be the best at the things they choose to love, but it needs to be on their terms. We stopped doing the extra ice times and yet he is still excelling because he loves the sport and works his tail off. Sure, it took me a while to figure it all out but I’ve arrived at the point of acceptance and it has been a fun ride watching him smile out there!

I’m never more proud than when other parents come up to me after a game to let me know that they think my son played great. If only he was this enthusiastic about his homework…

Toughness Comes In All Sizes

January 25, 2018/4 Comments/in THE BLOG, The Daddy Files /by Chris Read

I can still vividly remember the high school gym class where I suffered my first, and only, major injury. We were learning to play rugby, a bad idea to begin with, when I took a hit in the back from one of the rougher kids in the school. He fell on my knee and I felt a distinct popping sound, only to find out later that day that I had torn ligaments in my knee.

It was an especially bad time for this particular injury as I had worked my way into the 2nd of 4 tryouts for the Team Ontario fastball team, with a chance to tryout for Team Canada if you made it. I’m under no delusion that I would have made Team Canada but the option was most definitely gone now.

What I remember most about this time was how I started feeling sorry for myself. I stopped rehabbing as hard as I could and spent a lot of time sulking around while my friends and teammates had another championship season. Because they felt bad, I received an invite to the final Team Ontario camp the following year but by that point I had already given up on myself.

I tell this story because last week my daughter broke her arm while training at gymnastics and it felt very similar to my story, with one minor difference. She’s been training 20 hours a week at the gym for the last year and was to have her first competition this coming week, so the timing couldn’t have been worse. We were devastated for her because she works so incredibly hard, as do all the girls, and we weren’t sure how she was going react to not being able to compete. If I’m being completely honest, we were also sad that we wouldn’t get to see all her hard work pay off in competition.

The difference between my story and my daughter’s is the way she has handled everything so far. While there have been a couple moments of frustration at not being able to do something she was used to doing, she has generally been all smiles and remained our happy little warrior. In fact, one week after the break she was back at the gym on her regular schedule, with a modified workload from her coach. We were nervous about letting her go back so soon but she begged and the doctor said it was fine, so we caved.

I have never been more proud of her than when a man approached me at practice on her first day back and asked if that was my daughter out there training with a cast in a sling. When I replied yes, he congratulated me on raising such a tough daughter and it opened my eyes to just how strong she is, both physically and mentally. Her love for this gym and motivation to be great at this sport is something that I carry with me every day.

She may not have gotten this strength from me but I am learning a lot about toughness from watching her, not just through this, but in general with the way she carries herself. She is absolutely a poster child for the fact that strength comes in all sizes.

Building Just Got A Lot More Fun With LEGO Boost! {Giveaway!}

November 30, 2017/283 Comments/in Giveaways, Reviews/Giveaways, THE BLOG /by Chris Read

Like almost every kid out there, my children love building with LEGO! Over the years, our building habits have evolved from simply putting together the sets from the instructions, to creating whatever pops in to our heads, but the constant is that LEGO keeps us busy and creative for hours at a time.

With my son taking part in the Coding Club at his school, something I am constantly jealous of, I was excited to hear about LEGO’s newest product, LEGO Boost! Boost is a 5-in-1 model that introduces building and coding in one super-charged LEGO set, letting children add sound, movement and personality to their LEGO creations, bringing to life anything they can imagine! The LEGO BOOST Toolkit recently arrived on our doorstep and the kids were very excited to start their #BUILDwithBOOST adventure!

You can choose to build any of the 5 models, including Frankie the Cat, Guitar4000 and the M.T.R.4. We choose to start with Vernie the Robot as he seemed like a ton of fun! The kids and I had different ideas about how to start our new project, with them wanting to dump all 11 bags out at once, while I wanted a more level-headed and dadly approach. Needless to say, dad won that round!

After that, we downloaded the free LEGO Boost app and got started on building Vernie! Before we continue, please note that a tablet running iOS 10.3 and newer/Android 5.0 or above is required to build and play with LEGO® Boost™, so make sure your device is compatible by visiting LEGO.com/DeviceCheck before purchasing.

The app was amazing and very easy for the kids to follow along with. Full disclosure here, with 832 pieces, dad helped a little with the building as the kids were so excited to start giving commands to their creation. Plus, I am a giant child, so the opportunity to build with LEGO is still an exciting prospect for me…

Once Vernie the Robot was complete, the real full began! First things first, the kids absolutely fought over who would get to test him out first, which was ultimately decided by a rousing game of rock, paper, scissors. I was amazed watching as my kids used the LEGO Boost app to learn how to code on the spot and they had Vernie doing all sorts of tricks within a matter of minutes.

For the last week now, the first thing the kids want to do when they wake up and then get home from school is to play with their new robot friend. I’m usually careful about how much screen time they are getting but I can’t complain about it when they are teaching themselves how to code while also having a blast with their LEGO. Next up for us will be checking out the incredible BOOST BOTS series on YouTube, where we’ll be able to see what is possible with LEGO BOOST for those of us who like to put away the instruction manuals!

I honestly can’t say enough good things about LEGO Boost and if your kids are into LEGO, or coding, this would make the perfect gift for them! And because I believe in this product so much, I want to put a LEGO Boost in your home this holiday season! Feel free to fill out as many Rafflecopter entries below as you’d like and I’ll be giving away a LEGO Boost kit to one lucky reader!! Giveaway is open to residents of Canada, excluding Quebec.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: We received a LEGO Boost kit to facilitate this post, however it really is one of the best toys we’ve ever played with!

My Kids Are Growing Up Quickly, And I’m Okay With That

September 11, 2017/0 Comments/in THE BLOG, The Daddy Files /by Chris Read

“They’re growing up too fast, please slow it down!”

I’m sure I’ve been guilty of uttering a variation of the above phrase at some point in the 10 years I have been a father. I’m also guessing that we’ve all had moments where our children have left us in awe at their budding independence. I used to dread the day when my kids didn’t want to hold my hand anymore while walking to school, but the more they grow, the more I understand their need to blaze their own trail.

As I walked behind them on the way to school the other day, I watched as they excitedly talked about all the friends they were going to see and which classes they hoped they would end up in. If we accomplish nothing else as parents, I will always be happy that my kids genuinely enjoy each other’s company, which may or may not have anything to do with us but I like to think we helped foster that a little bit.

When we arrived at the school, both kids ran in opposite directions to greet the many friends they hadn’t seen all summer, with neither one of them batting an eye in my direction. This may have upset me a few years ago but now I actually enjoy watching their excitement as they pick up right where they left off with their friends. I’m also thankful that they are fortunate enough to have a strong core of friends to come back to.

I stood by myself for awhile, taking in all the sights and sounds, watching the other parents, each with their own 1st day styles and personalities, and hoping my kids would have a great back to school experience. I forced them both to give me a hug before I left because I’m still a dad who needs a little love and validation, but I walked away knowing that my kids would be able to handle anything that comes their way and that they had each others backs, no matter what.

When I picked them up after school that day and asked how their 1st day went, they answered in unison, “Good!”, before running ahead to walk with their friends. Good is better than bad, right? The way I see it, I can spend time stressing out about the kids growing too quickly and potentially hold them back or I can let them grow and explore at their own pace and be there for them when they need me most.

And, hey, every now and then they’ll throw us a bone, like how they’re still cool with our customary 1st day of school pictures!

Back-To-School Isn’t Just For The Kids!

August 29, 2017/18 Comments/in THE BLOG /by Chris Read

With all the focus on the kids for back-to-school season, I’d like to remind you that us adults need some back-to-school love too! We need equipment that can handle school year tasks such as making PTA flyers, photo editing, meal planning, life scheduling, ~~doing kids homework for them~~ and more!

That’s where Microsoft Canada comes in! Their lineup of back-to-school products is second to none doubly important if you have children in high school or heading off to college/university this fall! Have a look below at just a few of the amazing back-to-school picks from Microsoft Canada. Each of the devices is touch capable and includes Windows Ink on Windows 10, allowing students to take advantage of intelligent sticky notes, screen sketches and smart editing!

Surface Pro

The Surface Pro gives students the best-in-class laptop, plus the versatility of a studio and tablet. When class is finished, students can pop off the keyboard and use it for catching up on shows or connecting with friends.
• Weighs as little as 1.69 pounds and its 12.3-inch PixelSense display has stunning resolution on a brilliant touchscreen
• Combines the 7th Generation Intel Core m3, i5 and i7 processors and up to 16GB of memory
• Handles your most demanding creative tasks with up to 13.5 hours of battery life
Price: $1,049.00

Surface Pro Type Cover

The Surface Pro Type Cover gives students the full-laptop experience with slightly spread-out keys for fast and fluid typing, a two-button trackpad built for precision control, and back lighting for continued working after the lights go out.
• Change your tablet to a laptop in a snap with this extremely thin, light, and stable keyboard optimized for lap use when you’re tired of working at your desk
• Made from premium material that are sturdy yet soft to the touch and is ultra-quiet while typing furiously in class
• Choose from black, blue, bright blue, red, and teal so you can really personalize your Surface device and express your unique style
Price: $129.99

Surface Laptop

The Surface Laptop compliments students’ personal style with a blend of texture, subtle details and clean lines. Notetaking has never been so easy with the luxurious Alcantara covered keyboard – inspired by fabrics found in high-end Italian auto brands – offering an exceptionally comfortable typing experience for those three-hour lectures.
• Enjoy more space for your ideas with the 13.5-inch PixelSense edge-to-edge touchscreen display
• At 2.76 pounds, the device is lightweight but packed with Dolby Audio Premium sound and 14.5 hours of battery life
Price: $1299.00

HP Pavilion x360

For the student that wants an all-in-one device, the HP Pavilion X360 is a convertible PC that can be used four ways – as a laptop, stand, tent, and tablet – thanks to its unique 360-degree hinge.
• A 15.6” full HD touchscreen allows students to zoom, flick, or tap their way through all work and play needs
• Saving content year after year is a breeze with its massive 1TB hard drive and 8GB of memory
• Features an SD card reader, 3 USB ports, HDMI output and running the latest Windows 10 operating system
Price: $999.00

HP ENVY x360

Students can go full tilt with this super-flexible and supremely stylish HP Envy X360. It delivers laptop productivity, tablet convenience and everything in between on a 360-degree rotating display that flips to the perfect view every time. Performance is solid and smooth with a 6th generation Intel Core i7 processor and 256GB SSD
• An razor-sharp 15.6-inch full HD touchscreen pairs up with nearly 9 hours of battery life to keep going all day in class and into the night at home. Multi-format SD card reader, 3 USB ports and an HDMI output
Price: $1,199.00

HP Spectre x360

The HP Spectre X360 redefines what is expected from technology. This 8-million-pixel ultra-thin convertible PC allows students to accomplish more than ever before.
• Indulge your creative side by viewing and editing high resolution photos on a 4K display, or sketch and draw with your active pen and Windows Ink
• 16 hours of battery life and HP Fast Charge means uninterrupted all-day performance with a lightning-fast Intel Core i7 processor
• Quad HP speakers, HP Audio Boost, and custom tuning by Bang & Olufsen experts makes entertainment after class come to life with sound you can feel
Price: $1,199.99

Surface Mouse

Stand out in class (for all the right reasons) with rapid clicks and silent scrolling with this precision-tuned ultra-quiet Mouse. Sculpted for your hand and designed for a simple work space, Surface Mouse is the perfect partner to your Surface and Keyboard.
• Premium precision pointing and clicking for scalable performance across the screen of any Surface and external monitor
• A clutter-free and reliable experience that works from up to 50 feet away
• Metal scroll wheel that feels solid under your finger while the body fits perfectly in your hand
Price: $64.99

Surface Pen

Surface Pen lets you create without limits. It’s precision ink, rubber eraser, and tilt for shading means greater sensitive and virtually no lag between documenting your thoughts onto your device.
• A natural writing and drawing tool that writes like pen on paper allowing you to rest your hand on the screen of your Surface device just as you would with a sketchbook
• Sketch, shade and paint with artistic precision and finer control with 4,096 pressure points that respond to the lightest touch
• Available in four colors – platinum, black, burgundy, and cobalt blue
Price: $129.99

As you can see, Microsoft Canada has something for everyone in your family to help them get ready for back-to-school! I’ll be getting my hands on a brand new Microsoft Surface Pro soon to help me with all the back-to-school blogging and photo/video editing I’ll be doing this Fall!

Well, are you ready for back-to-school? Which item on this amazing list is the one you would get the most out of? I can’t wait to hear from you!

Also, I hope your kids have a great first week back at school and an amazing year!

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

On Kids Developing Their Own Fashion Sense

August 25, 2017/5 Comments/in THE BLOG /by Chris Read

It’s back-to-school season and admittedly, this one has been harder than the others. Normally we’d pick out a fancy outfit for the kids to wear on their first day back, which they’d put on without a fight, then we’d snap come cute pictures of them holding signs saying what they wanted to be when they grow up. This year, however, has been a little different.

Sears Canada challenged the kids to go back-to-school shopping on a budget of just $100 each, with the goal of putting together an outfit for their 1st day back at school. Because we are good parents who don’t make our young children travel to malls alone, my wife and I tagged along to help pick out the clothes for them. Little did we know that not only were the kids done with us choosing their clothes for them, they didn’t want our help or input in any way whatsoever.

When I really thought about it, it made perfect sense. We have sporty kids who now have a different version of cool than we do, so we let them loose at our local Sears Canada location and only kept track of how much each item was for them. Another stipulation of the challenge was that all of the clothing had to come from the Sears Canada Private Label collection, which was no problem because they had so much to choose from!

I’m happy to report that both kids managed to come in under budget, with my daughter actually scoring multiple outfits and my son picking up a sweet new pair of shoes to go with his clothes. Here are some of the items they managed to grab!

My beautiful daughter, seen here channeling her inner model, fell in love with this “Believe in Yourself” Short-sleeve Graphic Tee, and we fell in love with the $3.97 price tag! She also managed to score these Zip Detail Pants for a cool $14.97 and an awesome Girls’ Fitted Running Jacket for $8.96! On top of all this, she managed to get a couple new swimsuits and got a free denim lightweight backpack for spending $50 on her back-to-school items!

Admittedly, my son spends less time worried about fashion than his sister but I think he still managed to do quite well with his choices. He went with the “New York” Boys’ Popover Hoodie for $19.97 and paired it with a very cool Graphic Jersey Tee for $3.97, which reminded me of Guardians of the Galaxy! With the rest of his gift card he grabbed a pair of Double Face Mesh Shorts for $9.97 and capped it off with a nice pair of Airwalk Neptune Skate Shoes for $38.49. All in all he surprised me with his knowledge of how to match things, which is a nice departure from the combos he tends to throw together at home…

As you can see, the kids really cleaned up with their purchases and we even had some money leftover to get mom and dad some sweet Sears Label Hamburger and French Fry socks! As you can see, there is a lot of great stuff for children of all ages at Sears and if you are looking to get some back-to-school shopping done, this is definitely the place to be!

Disclosure: We received compensation in order to complete our shopping challenge, however the children absolutely would not let us help in any way whatsoever…

Win A $300 Sears Canada Gift Card In Time For Back To School!

August 21, 2017/372 Comments/in Giveaways, Reviews/Giveaways, THE BLOG /by Chris Read

There may still be a couple weeks of summer left but it’s Back To School shopping season for parents! Whether you’re sad to see summer come to an end or excited to get back to a structured schedule, you can’t escape the fact that clothing and accessories need to be acquired and I’m going to send you on a Sears Canada shopping spree to help you get it all done!

Sears Canada holds a place close to my heart as my grandmother worked there for years and would take me there on the bus at least once a week for many, many years of my youth. I don’t remember much from those years but I do remember hanging in the shoe department and the fact that she used to have a bag full of used tissues that she’d pull out to clean my face. I know that has nothing to do with Sears, I just wanted to throw it in there…

Where was I?? Oh yeah, I took the kids to Sears Canada this week to do our back to school shopping and while I’ll be writing about the full experience later in the week, I can say that I was amazed at how much stuff we were able to get for the budget we had set. I was also impressed with the Sears private label clothing line, as were my kids, which you can see in the above photo.

So, how do you win this amazing shopping experience?? Simply fill out as many of the Rafflecopter entries you feel comfortable with and I’ll draw the winning name in a weeks time! Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Join Springfree Trampoline Canada For Their Summer Jumpoff Event!

July 24, 2017/0 Comments/in THE BLOG /by Chris Read

We’ve had a blast working with Springfree Trampoline Canada this summer and it has definitely helped me keep my figure from expanding with all the summer fun and travel we’ve been doing. Now Springfree wants to invite you to their Summer Jumpoff event to benefit Cystic Fibrosis this Saturday, July 29 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Young Dundas Square in Toronto!

Springfree has partnered with two-time Olympic Gold Medal-winning trampolinist Rosie MacLennan to host a Canada 150-themed event that is sure to be an amazing time. Trampolines will be set up with the TGOMA interactive gaming system and guests will be invited to play a custom, Canada-150 themed version of the Quizzle game where the questions will all be Canadian trivia! For each 150 questions correctly answered collectively by event guests, Springfree will donate one trampoline from the event to Cystic Fibrosis Canada.

Cystic Fibrosis Canada was an easy choice to partner with as trampolines are great therapy for those who suffer from Cystic Fibrosis as it is an exciting, low impact alternative to traditional exercise.

Plus, since Cystic Fibrosis primarily affects children and young adults, trampoline jumping is also a creative way to encourage exercise for children in a way that’s fun and still makes them feel like a kid – a feeling that may sometimes get lost amongst the daily treatments and physiotherapy required to maintain their health and lung function.

I hope you’ll be able to make it to the Springfree Trampoline Summer Jumpoff Event this Saturday, July 29 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Young Dundas Square in Toronto as it promises to be an amazing event, and for a great cause!

In the meantime, if you do happen to be in the market for the greatest trampoline known to man, I’m also excited to announce that as a special offer just for you guys, if you order a trampoline from the Springfree Trampoline Canada website, you can use code SpringInto150YYZ4 to get a tgoma game system (RV $399.00) absolutely free! tgoma is an interactive Smart Play attachment for your Springfree trampoline that allows you to use jumping power to play different games which are both educational and fun!

Disclosure: I was provided a Springfree Trampoline in exchange for my participation in this program.

Who Says Dads Can’t Have Fun On A Trampoline?

July 19, 2017/0 Comments/in THE BLOG /by Chris Read

Ever since having children I’ve wondered when the age will hit that I don’t feel like behaving like a child anymore. When I see the kids at the splash pad or out on the baseball diamond I instinctively want to join in on the fun, ignoring the fact that I may have lost a few steps.

While we were discussing the addition of a new trampoline from Springfree Trampoline Canada, I was mostly thinking about how much fun the kids and their friends would have but there was also a little piece of me that was excited to have a trampoline of my very own to jump on as well. Now, when I say a little piece of me, what I really mean is that I did all this for myself and the fact that the kids are having fun with it is a cute side note.

The trampoline couldn’t have come at a better time as I have really been lacking in the physical activity department lately and I’m pretty sure I have jumped on it every day since it arrived at our house. There’s just something about feeling like your flying that I can’t get enough of. Luckily for me, I have a beautiful young daughter who has been there to motivate me by reminding me daily to be careful because I am dangerously close to the suggested weight limit for the trampoline and she doesn’t want me to break it… Thanks, honey.

So, to all the dads out there who think the fun has to end just because we are getting older, I say get those shoes off and start jumping! In fact, hit the splash pad, shoot some hoops and play some tag with the kids, too. There’s no law that says we have to grow up at a certain speed. Have fun with your kids while your bones still allow it!

If you do happen to be in the market for the greatest trampoline on the planet, I’m also excited to announce that as a special offer just for you guys, if you order a trampoline from the Springfree Trampoline Canada website, you can use code SpringInto150YYZ4 to get a tgoma game system (RV $399.00) absolutely free! tgoma is an interactive Smart Play attachment for your Springfree trampoline that allows you to use jumping power to play different games, both educational and fun!

Disclosure: I was provided a Springfree Trampoline in exchange for my participation in this program.

With These Kids, Everything Is A Competition

July 12, 2017/0 Comments/in THE BLOG /by Chris Read

Having never owned a trampoline, and knowing how competitive my kids are, I was curious to see how they would possibly find a way to compete against each other with our new trampoline from Springfree Trampoline Canada. In the first 5 minutes of jumping on the trampoline, they had already invented 3 new games and haven’t looked back since.

Making their lives a little easier was the fact that we ordered a few add-on accessories for our Springfree Trampoline, including an attachable basketball net and the tgoma interactive game system. The basketball net is pretty self explanatory and I have to admit that it has me bouncing on the trampoline more than I expected to. The tgoma, however, is a really neat device that has the kids laughing and jumping for hours so far.

The tgoma system is cool because it is controlled by four sensors on the Springfree mat which connect wirelessly via Bluetooth to a tablet. Using the body as the controller, the sensors track movement creating an outdoor interactive Smart Play experience. The games built into tgoma range from fun and educational for the kids to fitness programs for the adults.

Now, I’m sure you’re thinking the same thing I was before we actually tested out the tgoma system, which is that we spend so much time trying to get the kids to put the technology away, so why would we encourage them to go outside and use it. My only response to this is that you have to try it to fully understand how great it is. Watching my kids jump on the trampoline while also solving math problems is amazing. It works multiple parts of their brain while also keeping them active and having fun all at the same time.

We’ve had the Springfree Trampoline for a couple of weeks now and not only is it the safest trampoline I’ve ever jumped on as a bigger guy, but my family has never been so active during the lazy days of summer. So, yes, the Springfree costs a little bit more than the average trampoline but the safety, longevity and quality you get out of them really makes it worth the investment.

All this said, I’m excited to announce that as a special offer just for you guys, if you order a trampoline from the Springfree Trampoline Canada website, you can use code SpringInto150YYZ4 to get a tgoma game system (RV $399.00) absolutely free!

Now if you’ll excuse me, my daughter challenged my to see who could do the most jumps in 5 minutes, which is something tgoma can track! Happy Jumping!!

Disclosure: I was provided a Springfree Trampoline in exchange for my participation in this program.

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