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Whirlpool Washer Dryer

The King of Laundry Mountain!

Mostly due to the fact that I am overly passionate about the way I feel the laundry should be done, I have inherited the title of “clothes cleaner” in our house. It’s not a glamourous job but it’s one that I have learned to enjoy doing, also because I believe that chores are an act of love. I am a huge laundry nerd, which we will cover in a future blog post, so deal with it!

Plus there’s really no task that music can’t make more fun and exciting, right? I’ll give you a minute to imagine me folding bed sheets while dancing to Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs”. A couple months ago while working on my t-shirt folding salsa dance, I heard a strange noise coming from our washing machine and knew it was time to say goodbye.

Our previous Whirlpool set served us well for 12 years, so when it was time to purchase new appliances, Whirlpool products were the natural choice. I couldn’t believe the innovative new features that were now available since I was last in the market for a washer and dryer. I guess that sounds ridiculous to say considering how everything seems to change so quickly these days, but it still caught me off guard.

Before I get to the cool features of our new washing machine I have to give a huge shout out to my mom for letting me use their washer/dryer for the couple months that we were without. You have no idea how much laundry you actually go through until you spend 2 weeks watching it pile up into a giant mountain on the floor. I was wearing clothes that hadn’t seen daylight in years, possibly ever, but we got through it and I believe we are a stronger family because of it!

The machine we chose was the Whirlpool 4.8 cu. ft. I.E.C. Front Load Washer with Closet-Depth Fit and two weeks in I am loving it. I think my favourite feature about this model is that it has a 12-Hour FanFresh® option which keeps clothes fresh for up to 12 hours after the wash cycle has ended. A built-in fan activates after the wash cycle is over, tumbling clothes for up to 12 hours so you can finish laundry when you’re ready.

Another awesome feature with the washer is the Load & Go™ system, which lets you skip adding detergent to every load. The Load & Go™ cartridge holds enough detergent to wash up to 12 loads of laundry and with their precision dispense technology you can simply fill it and forget it. You can see all the other features, such as Adaptive Wash Technology and EcoBoost by checking the unit out on the Whirlpool website! These innovations have all been inspired by the way families care for each other so that they can get the job done better and faster.

I’m going to be talking a lot about laundry in the coming months because I feel like it gets a bad rap. Now if you’ll excuse me I just heard the beautiful sound of another load of laundry that needs folding!

Disclosure: I was provided with a new washer/dryer set from Whirlpool, however I reached out to them in the first place because we were so happy with our last Whirlpool set.

Disney Moana

Disney’s Moana Review

I took my daughter to go see Disney’s new feature film, Moana, and we both absolutely loved it! While it may not have the same powerful soundtrack that a movie like Frozen had, Moana was fun and exciting from start to finish while also having an amazing message that even my 6 year old could grasp.

Besides Moana, who is a strong, ambitious and bright young girl, my favourite character was Maui, who is played by The Rock, Dwayne Johnson. His arrogance made for some hilarious scenes but his kindness keeps you rooting for his character throughout the movie. As you will see in the video from our experience, my daughter’s favourite character was Moana’s grandmother who is another bright spot throughout the movie.

The one thing that always strikes me about Disney’s movies is that there always seems to be an underlying message for viewers to think about. Whether it’s a strong political message in a movie like Zootopia, which I was lukewarm about, or the emotional roller coaster that was Inside Out, Disney seems to to want to make more than fluff piece movies that you will forget about in a week or two. Moana was no different as it delivers a strong message about the environment and the effects of taking from the land without giving anything back.

I really hope you get a chance to check out Moana because outside of Big Hero 6, this was my favourite Disney offering in a long time. Yes, I enjoyed Frozen, I am not a monster, but this one had so many great scenes that we will definitely be buying the DVD when it comes out so we can watch it over and over again! Feel free to check out the video I put together of our experience at the screening and I’d love to hear what you thought of Moana once you get a chance to see it!

Netflix Lies

Netflix Is Filled With Lies

Link bait is also a form of lying, isn’t it? Well, now that I have you here let me explain myself. I recently agreed to sign on with Netflix to be a part of their Stream Team, which means that every month I will be talking about the shows my family is watching and sharing some of Netflix’s suggestions with you.

My first month happened to be an eventful one as I had the chance to pre-screen a few episodes of Marvel’s Daredevil and then proceeded to watch the entire 13 episode season in under 4 days… If you have been on the fence about this show, it is seriously time to hop off and watch it. It is incredibly dark and violent, which was actually a plus when compared to some of the other comic book shows on cable right now.

My wife and I also just started watched a show called White Collar and definitely recommend it so far, especially if you enjoy watching something like Suits. And speaking of Suits, I want to say that my wife and I are patiently watching for Season 4 to arrive on Netflix but there is no patience in this house…other than with our kids, of course.

As far as lying goes, Netflix has you covered with classics like Liar, Liar and one of my personal favourites, Mean Girls. I’ve also been told that the next show on our watch list, Bloodline, centers around lies and we can’t wait to hit it up!

That’s it for this month but stay tuned as I will be sharing more of my family’s favourite Netflix titles in the months to come! Stream on!

Dyson Cinetic DC77 Multi Floor

3 Things The Dyson Cinetic DC77 Vacuum Doesn’t Do Well

I have always wanted a fancy Dyson vacuum cleaner so when the opportunity to take one for a test drive came about, I jumped at the chance. In my head this was a device that could do no wrong but as I tried it out in different areas of my life, I learned that there were some things that it just could not do.

Here is my list of the Top 3 things that the Dyson Cinetic DC77 Multi Floor device could not handle.

1. Children’s Bedtime Stories

I mean, honestly, it’s not like I was asking the Dyson to shower the kids as well. All I needed it to do was to take care of the kids bedtime stories so that I could flip the laundry (a task it also failed at, by the way). When I heard my daughter crying, I entered her room to find the Dyson DC77 just lying in her bed pretending to sleep. Strike #1.

Dyson Cinetic DC77 Storytime

2. Designated Driver

Every now and then I like to go out for drinks with my friends and I figured the “multi” tag that the Dyson Cinetic DC77 carries meant that I had a full time designated driver. Wrong! I guess I should have clued in when Dyson just sat in the car the whole time I was hanging out with my friends. As the car sped through a pile of garbage cans and right into my garage door, I knew I had put the car in the wrong hands.

Dyson Cinetic DC77 Driving

3. Road Hockey Goalie

Picture this. Tied at 9 in a next goal wins situation against my 6 year old and he is in on a breakaway. All the Dyson has to do is make one save but it doesn’t even move an inch as my son easily stickhandles around him and taps the ball in for the winning goal. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to lose to your 6 year old in a hockey game?! I used to be good at hockey!!!

Dyson Cinetic DC77 Goalie

Luckily for the Dyson Cinetic DC77 Multi Floor Vacuum it does do one thing better than any other vacuum I have ever owned. It makes me look like a superstar cleaner and it does so with ease. One of my favourite features is the self-adjusting cleaner head because it picks up the dirt that sneaks between the hardwood floor boards and with little ones in the house there is a lot of it… I also love that the hose stretches from my main floor all the way to the top step on the second level. Anyone who has lugged a vacuum step by step up the stairs knows how valuable that feature is!

I guess when I really think of it, the one thing the Dyson Cinetic does really well kind of outweighs the things I was picking on above. You get what you pay for, folks, and the Dyson Cinetic DC77 Multi Floor Vacuum delivers in every way. Check out the links above to see more details and information on where to pick yours up today.

Disclosure: I got to keep the Dyson Cinetic vacuum I received in order to facilitate this blog post. It really did stink at driving the car and I wouldn’t recommend trying it. Also, I got through this entire post without making a joke about how the vacuum sucks. D’oh!

Fellowes Canada AeraMax 300

Fellowes Canada AeraMax 300 Air Purifier {Review & Giveaway}

This week I had the opportunity to try out the Fellowes Canada AeraMax 300 Air Purifier and wanted to share a few thoughts about my experience with it. If I’m being perfectly honest, I had never considered purchasing an air purifier in the past, mostly due to the fact that I didn’t really know what the benefits were.

That said, it was definitely encouraging to read this statement from the President & CEO of the Asthma Society of Canada, Robert Oliphant, who said, “The new AeraMax air purifiers are the only such devices in Canada which have been scientifically tested and proven to be Asthma & Allergy Friendly. Investing in a quality air purifier is an essential tool for reducing allergens in your home, helping to minimize asthma and allergy symptoms.

My wife has a pretty bad hay fever allergy that affects her quality of sleep (which in turn affects my sleep), so we were excited to get the AeraMax 300 hooked up and running. Having never used an air purifier before, I was skeptical about whether it would do anything to help, but after only a couple nights we both noticed a dramatic decrease in the amount of times we were woken due to coughing. In fact, when we put the AeraMax 300 on our main floor, the one that houses our guinea pigs, we noticed not only that our family’s noses were less stuffy but also that those dust particles you see floating around were almost completely gone. I’m no air purifier expert, but I do know change when I see it and there has been a clear improvement in the air quality in our house.

I just wanted to share a couple more quick notes about the AeraMax 300. Much like Baby, air purifiers do not like to be put in the corner, so make sure you find a fairly open space, in the room that needs it most, so that it can do its job. Also, although the AeraMax 300 looks a lot like a slim R2D2, it will not interact with you no matter how many Star Wars reference you make to it. On the other hand, its Four-Stage Purification System captures 99.7% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns, which is way more useful to your family. Without trying it out for myself, I had no idea that there were so many benefits to purifying my air and now I don’t know how we managed without it!

Now, who wants to win one of these amazing Fellowes Canada AeraMax 300 Air Purifiers?! Check out the form below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kid Reviews Nerd Block

Kid Reviews – Episode 1: Nerd Block

Welcome to Kid Reviews! After a long negotiation with my kids, we have agreed on a contract that works for both sides in order to facilitate this new feature. Basically, they get the toys, I get the video… Anyway, our first episode of Kid Reviews features a mystery box from Nerd Block*! I came into contact with Nerd Block when they agreed to provide some prizes for my twitter party for #UnicornChat and they also offered to send me a mystery box.

Nerd Block is a subscription service that delivers a mystery box full of nerd themed gear to your door every month. They have packages for adults, horror fans and also children that start from $13.95/month. Check out the video to see how we enjoyed opening up our mystery box together as a family!

Go to NerdBlock.com* for more info and to order your mystery block today!

Disclosure: I received this mystery box free of charge from Nerd Block. We truly did love the box and can’t wait to see what September brings!

*Denotes Affiliate Link

Brookstreet Hotel Family Buzz

A Weekend To Remember At The Brookstreet Hotel. See Also: How To Tire Out Your Kids!

Last weekend my family and I stayed at the Brookstreet Hotel in Kanata, Ontario. Being from the area, I had always attributed the Brookstreet to being on the fancier side and as such, it had never occurred to me to take the kids there for one of our local mini vacations. Well, this weekend definitely changed my mind about that, over and over again. PS – Before I get started, you can check out all our photos from the weekend by heading over to this Google+ Album.

Before the kids arrived to stay with us, however, my wife and I had the luxury of spending the first night at the hotel on our own. We started off our stay with a couples massage in the serene Au Naturel Spa that set the tone for the rest of the weekend. Relaxed and sans children, we took a long stroll around the hotel and the attached Marshes golf course, before heading to the Options Jazz Lounge for dinner and entertainment. The dinner was incredible and the Pram Trio Jazz Band was even better as we enjoyed grown up drinks next to the amazing red piano that acts as the centerpiece of the lounge.

Brookstreet Options Jazz Piano

Seriously, with the number of amazing packages that the Brookstreet Hotel offers, from couples and golfers to families and rejuvenation, there is literally something for everybody. Refreshed and relaxed, my wife and I picked up the kids for day two of our adventure and the rest, as they say, is history!

When we arrived back at the hotel the kids were greeted with loot bags that were filled with colouring books, crayons, games room token and a new water bottle that could be refilled for free at the Options Jazz Lounge with water, milk, juices or soft drinks throughout our entire stay. Needless to say, this alone would have been enough for our kids but the fun was just beginning! When we read through this list of weekend activities for the kids to do, we knew they were in for an amazing time.

Kids Activities Brookstreet

We started with the Brookstreet’s “B Crafty” session, where we coloured and then made butterflies and Despicable Me minions out of toilet paper rolls. There were staff running the activities and helping all the kids with their crafts, which was perfect. The kids had a blast and are still playing with their toilet paper toys a week later! After about an hour of fun with the activities, we decided to check out both the indoor and outdoor pools. Both pools have a dedicated kids section, which is a nice touch for everyone who wants to enjoy the facilities. I try not to take too many pictures in public pools because, you know, “weird guy with a camera”, but believe me when I say that I had to drag the kids out of those pools…

Brookstreet Kids Crafts Activity

After swimming we attended the “Kids Kulinary Mini Pizzas” session, where the kids got to design, decorate and then eat their own mini pizzas. Lucky for me, my daughter wasn’t hungry so I got to eat her pizza. Win! Right after the pizza fun was finished, we were joined by the Brookstreet’s new mascot, Buzz (pictured above), who brought freezies for the kids and then posed for some pictures. This was followed by an hour or so in the massive games room, where I showed my wife what it looks like when you win at mini basketball 😉 The kids loved the games room, which had a little movie theater, video games and other games for all ages.

By now, you can probably see where this story is going. There seemed to be a never ending supply of things for the family to do together and we weren’t even close to being done yet. We had a wonderful dinner on the patio at Perspectives Restaurant, which has a full kids menu, and then made our way to the fire pit, where the hotel had set up a s’mores station for the kids. We roasted marshmallows, smashed them together with chocolate inside a graham cracker and stuffed our faces! Again, in the lucky department, my son only wanted to roast marshmallows, so I got to enjoy his delicious s’mores.

Brookstreet Pizza Smores

Then something happened that has never happened before. My kids were so tired from all the fun they’d had that day, that they asked to go to bed. Seriously, they’ve never done this before. Miracle! Unfortunately (no, really, very fortunately) the Brookstreet had one more surprise for the kids when they got back to the room…

MILK & COOKIES!!!!!

Brookstreet Milk Cookies

I can’t think of a better way to cap off a great weekend than with milk & cookies for all kids that stay at the hotel! Oh wait, we actually capped it off with the giant brunch in the Perspectives Restaurant before we left on Sunday. I went into our stay thinking that the kids would be bored, and came out of it with our new “Go-To” local destination. The staff were all amazing to the kids as well and made them feel like part of the family. I highly encourage you to check out the Brookstreet’s Family Package, along with all the other great and affordable packages they have to offer. This was definitely a weekend to remember and we will be back for sure!

Disclosure: We stayed as guests of the Brookstreet Hotel in order to see how much they have changed to accommodate children and we were thoroughly impressed at every turn. None of the staff knew who we were and we were treated with nothing but respect and gratitude by every employee we encountered. Also, I ate some of the kids’ cookies when they weren’t looking. So what?

Canadian Dad Bissell Vacuum

Canadian Dad & Agent Bissell in The Attack of the Evil Dirt Twins

I was asked by the fine folks at Bissell Canada to review their Multi-Surface Expert™ canister vacuum cleaner. So, instead of the usual sponsored post you are used to, my family and I decided to mix it up by creating a trailer for a new movie, “Canadian Dad & Agent Bissell in The Attack of the Evil Dirt Twins”!

For the record, the vacuum was incredible, and especially for a family that has been searching for something that works for years. I’m a huge fan of the canister system and it actually picks up dirt off my floor! It was also perfect for hardwood, tile and carpet, which is a huge bonus for me. For more information on the Bissell Multi-Surface Expert™, you can visit the information page on the Bissell Canada Website.

So, without further ado, here is my family’s big screen debut!

Disclosure: Bissell Canada provided us with the vacuum cleaner to facilitate this “review”. I really do love it and love even more that my kids got to have fun with it.

JC Little Last Snowman

Kids Reviewing Stuff: The Last Snowman by JC Little

Is an overdue book review still a book review? I think it is, so let’s get to it! My kids wanted to make a video and I needed to review a great new book from my friend and The Animated Woman writer, JC Little, so we combined them and the end result is below! In short, we loved The Last Snowman and highly recommend it!

What My Readers Are Saying About Edge® Sensitive Pro Relief Shave Gel

You may remember a few weeks back when I tried out the Edge® Sensitive Pro Relief Shave Gel and then tried to teach you, How To Look Good and Impress People. After my review, I sent out bottles of the Sensitive Pro Relief gel to a bunch of my readers and now I wanted to share their thoughts with you. Here are a few of the reviews I received.

 

Incredible ! I thought when I tried this shave gel it would be just like the rest of them, but it exceeded my expectations. I loved it. It smells great. It stays where you put it until you shave it off, not runny like other brands I have tried in the past. It feels as if it made my facial hair softer making it easier to shave with less “pull”. And afterwards it left my skin soft and moisturized. I’m a believer ! I will make this my regular brand from now on. ~ Mark

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My husband and I  tried the new edge sensitive pro relief shave gel this weekend.  We put it through various tests. He tried it when his facial hair had a week’s grown and after a day’s growth. I tried it after a long winter and was feeling like a bear coming out of hibernation. We normally use a shaving foam for sensitive skin so using a gel was something a bit different. When we tried the edge shaving gel we really liked that it had no perfume smell to it and no colour. The gel felt great and it didn’t foam up too much. It was gentle as we shaved. Normally with our usual foam we get a scratching and scraping feeling, along with an avalanche of foam . The gel gave us a smooth shave that felt like it was moisturizing our skin with no burning sensation afterwards.  We both agreed the Edge sensitive pro relief shave gel gave us an overall better shaving experience than our regular shaving foam did. Our skin feels great! My husband’s face is kissably smooth and I am ready for Spring! ~ Julie & Colin

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Feels soft to apply and pleasant scent. Is great for reducing cuts and nicks, and is non-irritating. Goes on smoothly and comes off just the same. Gives a great shave making you look awesome. ~ Kelly

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Both my husband and myself tried the Edge Sensitive Pro Relief Shave Gel.  He used it on his face after about 5 days of not shaving.  He loved the way it lathered & that it didn’t have a strong scent.  It left him clean shaven & with no razor burn. I noticed his skin seemed much softer than normal.  I used it on my legs & loved that it didn’t smell manly. It had a nice light scent & a thick lather.  Loved how soft my legs were after using it. No nicks or cuts. We would both use it again! ~ Melissa

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Both myself and my husband has tried it,and give it a big thumbs up! I have shaved my legs with it a few times and it made them super soft and left me with no scrapes or knicks! It lathers up nicely as well. My husband as always used Edge shaving cream for his shaving,so was no surprise that he loved this new Sensitive Pro-Relief one as well.. He said it was nice on his face,and it left him with no razor burn or rash. His face was nice and soft afterwards 🙂 I would definitely buy this for my husband,,and as well for me ..hehe! ~ Karla

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I don’t usually shave with a shave gel as I switched to using a liquid soap a few years ago. I found I got a closer shave with less irritation & bumps with the liquid soap. So when I signed up to review the Edge shave gel, I was a bit hesitant to try it but decided to give it a go & see if it stood up to the “sensitive” claim it was making. The first thing I noticed about Edge Sensitive Pro Relief shave gel was the smell. It wasn’t the usual in-your-face stinky fragrance that most shave gel’s seem to give off. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised that I actually enjoyed the subtle almond scent of this product. At least, almond is what it smells like to me! The second thing I noticed was how thick & creamy the gel lathered up to be. Now, don’t forget I haven’t used a shave gel for a few years but this lather was pretty impressive! I quite enjoyed it! The shave itself was uneventful – no nicks, cuts or swear words (I even treated myself to a new blade for this test!) so that was pretty amazing. Afterward, my legs were soft & smooth! The most impressive point for me was that my legs did NOT have any tell-tale signs of using a new razor OR a shave gel! No red, angry bumps afterward! I moisturized with some coconut oil, which I do after every shave, and my legs did not burn. Overall, I am very impressed with the Edge Sensitive Pro Relief product & will very likely buy it again. Thank you for the chance to try this product, I am quite happy with it! ~ Lori

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This is an awesome shaving gel, the gel foamed up really well!! I seem to get a closer shave with Edge gel products than with shaving creams and also seem less likely to cut myself or have skin irritation afterwards. I highly recommend Edge.~ Tammy

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Thank you for giving my husband the chance to try out this product  —  It was very easy and smooth to spread all over his face.  It felt very soft to the touch and very nice to shave with it!!  He loved the smell that was very pleasant and would use it again.~ Diane

As you can see, the results were glowing from both the men and women who had the chance to test out the Edge® Sensitive Pro Relief Shave Gel. All of these reviews were sent to me via email and were not altered by me in any way and none of the review participants were paid for their opinions, other than the fact that they received a bottle of the Sensitive Pro Relief Gel.

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