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If you are dreading the thought of lugging Baby around this Winter, you will be thrilled to learn about P'tit Coulou®!

 

 

Buy Canadian First Member, P'tit Coulou®, is a 100% Canadian company, based in Quebec, offering parents an alternative method to protect Baby all-year-round.  It creates and markets innovative and practical comforters that fit any infant car seat or jogging strollers and are approved by Health Canada! You can find dealers who carry this product on and offline!

 

Savvy Grandmompreneur and Designer of P’tit Coulou®, Muriel Charbonneau, tells us how it all got started: "In December 1998, my oldest daughter gave birth to my second grandson. Each time she got the baby ready to go out, there was a serious crying match. The baby would resist being stuffed in a snow suit and the size of the suit made it difficult to strap baby into the car seat. Add to that the baby blanket and things were even more difficults. Each new outing was a serious challenge.

Why would baby wear such a non-friendly Winter suit? That is when the idea of a P’tit Coulou® was born. P’tit Coulou® is the friendly name I give my 4 grandkids. I wished to provide my two girls with a fast and easy way to travel and a comfortable but secure concept for my grandkids. Since then, hundreds of mothers use this revolutionary product built for the Canadian Winters. I am convinced that P’tit Coulou® will make your life easier and your Winter outings more enjoyable."


There is a very thorough review at Anaya, with specifications that include the CLO Value, which measures, among other things,  the thermal value of the garment (P’tit Coulou® has a CLO Value of 3.5 on a scale of 0 to 4 and a comfort zone of up to -25C.

The P’tit Coulou® Winter Collection is out now and can be viewed on their adorable  website.  Who could resist the Ladybug or Panda?

Watch P'tit Coulou on City TV!

Would having something like this change how you feel about taking Baby out in the Winter?

:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First member P'tit Coulou®.

It's getting pretty cold over here in Manitoba. In fact, just the other day we were granted 100km/h gusts of wind with a steady drops of nearly freezing rain, not fun. Ice covered all the puddles this morning, winter is near. With Halloween just around the corner I know lots of Manitobans are whispering this mantra; "please don't let the snow fall before Halloween". All together now: "Please Do Not Let The Snow Fall Before Halloween!" It looks like our collective thoughts are already working. Environment Canada is giving us clear sunny days and crisp cool evenings until early next week. But, then again, this is Manitoba! The old adage around these parts is "Wait five minutes and the weather will certainly change"!

 

We have had great Halloween nights the last couple of years! I wore flip flops in 2008 and it was fabulous, until the sun went down, but once I couldn't feel my toes anymore it didn't matter much. Last year the air was much colder but we made it without the white stuff. My little monkey and my baby bear trick or treated to their hearts' content, while my zombie dragged his corpse around town with his buddies.

 

Even though battling the elements and squeezing our costumes over big bulky sweaters or snowsuits may mean misshapen costumes, everyone will still look as cute as a pile of puppies. Unlike city trick or treating, trick or treating in a small town is a lot more relaxed. Nearly every house you go to belongs to someone you know and receiving baked goods or a massive bag of popcorn from your neighbours is no longer fodder for your weary imagination. You know that Mrs. Marion is not trying to poison your children! Truly the scariest thing about Halloween is not being visible. Last year, chasing my two little girls, zigzagging from one side of the street to another, you can't help but see how easily a child, or anyone, could be stuck by a motorist. So, when you are out there, please add safety first tape reflector strips to your costume or carry a flashlight and make sure your can't trip over your costume.  Health Canada has a fabulous list of precautions to take to keep Halloween fun and safe.

  

While you are waiting for a fabulous Halloween night, you should spend some time and create your In-Case-of-Zombies-Press-Play-Create-the-Soundtrack-for-Defeating-an-Army-of-the-Undead at CBCradio3. You could win a $50.00 iTunes card, like I did!! This is the contest (I am commenter #17)  and here is my winning play list. Today is the last day of the zombie soundtrack but CBC 3 continues with the Eh List contests! This coming week is Unplugged: acoustic goodness for the soul, so good luck!

 

This weekend, to the tunes of our playlist, we will carve our pumpkins and get our costumes ready, along with our mittens and scarves, just in case. My littlest one will be out trick or treating, for the first time, bag in hand, screaming her guts out at an acquaintance's door, begging for candy! The 'Willowcat' sisters will be gathering twice as many candies...and I am hoping for a bagful of rockets! Readers, spill all your Halloween details here!

What's on your Hallowe'en playlist?

  

:: all photos by willowcat!

 

L’automne est définitivement parmi nous.  Plusieurs d’entre vous êtes plus ou moins heureux de voir cette saison se montrer le bout du nez, et certains d’entre vous êtes plutôt comme moi et êtes presque jouissifs de vivre pleinement cette superbe saison et de profiter de ce que ces courtes semaines ont à nous offrir!

Le mois d’octobre est un mois rempli d’événements et d’activités à faire pour accueillir l’automne en beauté.  Un des plus importants événements selon moi est le fait qu’octobre soit le mois de la sensibilisation au cancer du sein.  Cette cause me tient fort à coeur car ma mère ainsi que ma grand-mère ont été atteintes.  Ma grand-mère a malheureusement dû se faire enlever un sein à cause de cette fâcheuse maladie, par contre ma mère heureusement s’en est bien sortie avec une chirurgie mineure et de la radiation. 

Aujourd’hui, 10 ans plus tard, je suis heureuse de savoir que ma mère a survécu et est maintenant complètement libre de cancer.  On peut tous aider à soutenir cette cause, et chaque geste, aussi petit soit-il, compte pour beaucoup.  Plusieurs marchands offrent des items que l’on peut acheter pour bénéficier la Fondation Canadienne du cancer du sein, comme par exemple Cashmere® qui fait la promotion du papier hygiénique rose. En plus, ce produit est fabriqué au Canada, donc une raison de plus de s’en procurer, car non seulement nous soutenons une bonne cause mais aussi l’économie Canadienne!

 

25¢ provenant de la vente d’articles de l’édition limitée de papier hygiénique Cashmere® rose seront remis à la Fondation canadienne du cancer du sein.

Cashmere® a également lancé un concours nommé Top création, Top cause Votez, qui est un concours où les internautes doivent voter pour leur design favori de la collection Blanc Cashmere 2010, qui est une collection de vêtements fabriqué entièrement à partir de papier hygiénique.  Non seulement Cashmere® contribuera $1.00 en votre nom à la Fondation Canadienne du cancer du sein, mais de plus, Cashmere contribuera 5 000$ à la Fondation au nom du designer qui aura reçu le plus grand nombre de vote.

Plusieurs autres marchands offrent des produits ‘roses’ faits au Canada tel que Bureau en Gros, et Foxy Originals.  Cette dernière est une compagnie qui fabrique des bijoux 100% canadiens, en plus d’offrir une collection de colliers fabriqués spécialement pour amasser des fonds pour aider à la sensibilisation au Cancer du sein.  Pour chaque collier de leur collection Pink Eco & Eden vendu, Foxy Originals fera un don de 5$ pour la sensibilisation à la cause. On peut dire que les canadiens sont non seulement fiers d’être canadien, mais aussi soucieux  de la société et des bonnes causes.

  
 
 
Donc, comme vous pouvez le constater, il est vraiment facile de contribuer à cette cause et de sensibiliser les gens.  Et ça ne s’arrête pas là, il n’y a pas que des marchands qui contribuent, mais nous pouvons tous le faire par plusieurs différents moyens.  Un de ces moyens est d’utiliser les médias sociaux, tel que Facebook. CIBC à pleinement exploiter ce dernier en lançant la page Facebook ‘Engagement communautaire CIBC’.  Cette page à pour but de sensibiliser les gens ainsi que de les encourager à soutenir différentes causes, dont celle de la Course à la vie CIBC au profit de la Fondation Canadienne du cancer du sein.  De plus, pour démontrer notre appui à la course à la vie, la page Facebook offre l’occasion de produire un cadre photo et y inscrire le nom de la personne pour qui vous courrez, télécharger sa photo puis la publier comme photo de profil.  Ce petit geste ne coûte rien, mais peut faire toute une différence dans la vie des personnes atteintes directement ou indirectement par le cancer du sein.

Pour ceux qui préfèrent contribuer directement à la cause, il est toujours possible de le faire en faisant un don à la Fondation Canadienne du cancer du sein.  Je vous encourage tous à donner à cette cause et d’offrir votre soutient car chaque don et chaque geste nous rapproche peu à peu à créer un avenir sans cancer du sein.

Et vous, que ferez-vous pour la cause?

Auteure: Annie Curran, Montreal

 

Something like the ALTO trailer above would certainly fit the bill.  I know that the hardcore campers would laugh at me for suggesting it, but hey;  warm, happy kids make for happy, stress free camping trips!  For the hardcore among you though, feel free to bring the tent out for one last spin. 

Staying on the topic of warmth, I have a tendency to pack for every cool weather possibility during the fall.  Northern Ontario weather is nothing if not unpredictable. 

 

Sure, I'll start with light pants and shirts , but after that, I layer on the warm stuff.  I'll even throw the winter coats into the trunk of the car, just in case. 

 

After spending one camping trip with blue lips and frozen fingers, I decided that I'd rather look silly for bringing too many warm clothes, than not enough.  I haven't had to break out the winter wear yet...but I think we're getting close.

So, what are we going to do when we venture forth into the Canadian Fall wilderness?  Besides the obvious campfire, marshmallows and hotdogs I mean? 

 

Well, that's the beautyl of camping in the Fall; with the cooler weather comes the opportunity to do all kinds of activities that would be less than pleasant under the hot Summer sun, especially with the kiddos in tow!  The weather is perfect for a nice long hike, or a bike trip along a beautiful trail through the forest.  It's even a nice time to take the canoe out for a final tour around the lake, but make sure you bring extra shoes and socks, in case of a soaker!

 

All in all, Fall is truly our most beautiful season, throughout Canada.  The entire countryside seems to put it out there just a little bit more, in preparation for its long winter slumber.  Do you plan to sneak out for a quick Fall camping trip, before you have to hang up the backpack for another year?


:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members

 

We have another chance for you to win a great Heiko Prize Giveaway this week, just by commenting on our FaceBook page! 

According to Statistics Canada, Canadian women gave birth to 367,864 babies in Canada in 2007, up 13,247 or 3.7% from 2006 and the fastest annual increase since 1989. Oh Canada, that's a lot of new babies! In the US, some of the highest number of births occur during the months of August and September. While I couldn't find the statistics for Canada I can't help but wonder if it's the same here in Canada;  those winter nights sure are long and cold. Winter is fast approaching and with it howling winds and buckets of rain, sleet and snow, and all us Canucks, especially the new ones, need to be prepared.

Unless the roads are closed we have to get up and go with babies in tow. Car seats and snowsuits can be a sticky wicket. In order for a car seat to be effective the straps need to lay close to a child's body. If a snowsuit is too thick and an accident occurs, the suit could compress, allowing enough slack in the straps that the child could be ejected. During the winter months, infants in rear facing seats should be dressed in warm clothing and their car seat should have a seat cover with a little peek-a-boo hole. The baby car seat comforters by our Buy Canadian First member P'tit Coulou, have to be some of the cutest I have ever seen, especially the lamb cover, too cute! For more car seat safety tips visit the message boards at Canadian Parents.com.

 

Of course it is in our blood to play in the snow. Who can resist our wonderland that is Canada filled with mountains, valleys and plateaus covered in snow? There are even  31 words about snow, from the Inuit, Aivilik and Igloolik languages. Proper gear for the little ones is a must for happy snow adventuring and our Buy Canadian First member Canada Goose has a fantastic duck down, one piece snowsuit designed for a full day of winter fun.

 

The biting winds and freezing temperatures can truly become a safety risk with little fingers and ears usually the first spots frost hits. You do not lose any more heat from your head than you do any other part of your body but any exposed area of skin will lose heat, which is why hats are so important. Gramma's Hat from member Apples and Oranges is one of many adorable hats.

 

When the day is done and we've all skipped from forced air heat to natural dry icy winds and baby's skin is just a little worse for wear, treat her to a soothing Oatmeal Milk Bath from member Fruits and Passion. Free of paraben, chemical dyes, sulphates, soaps (for cleansing products), alcohol (for eau de toilette) and petroleum derivates (mineral oil, silicones) it cleans baby's skin naturally and restores its protective hydrolipidic film.

 

It's a good thing Canadians keep making more babies. These child and baby products are just the icing on the cake of what Canadian manufacturers are creating to make life with baby a walk in the winter wonderland. What are your favourite Canadian made baby products and your winter care tips? Enjoy the fall, the snow is just around the bend!

 ::images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members.

 Don't forget to comment on today's post to be eligible to win this week's Prize Giveaway!

Many of you showed interest in the Kobo ereader that Beth reviewed last week. I recognize geeks like myself when I see them, so I'm happy to review the iPad for you, and introduce you to, yes, a Canadian alternative!

 

The whole 'Pad' phenomena is a bit confusing ... just when we were all excited about the big capabilities of the small iPhone, the iPad came out, in Canada, in May of this year. But what is it? Is it just a big old iPod? Technically, it is a tablet computer, and comes somewhere between a laptop and a smartphone. Does that help?

People who have tried the iPad, love it for reading books on, playing games and watching movies. It is also supposedly wonderful for displaying your photos on, reading email, listening to music, word processing, spreadsheets and presentations. Cool!

Some say that the book reading capabilities alone are worth the price, despite some drawbacks. Your book displays just like a, well, a book! The pages look like paper and make a papery turning sound when you flip them with a finger! Being able to read in landscape mode rather than portrait is a huge benefit as well and since the battery lasts for about 10 hours, depending on how fast you read, you could really make headway on War and Peace!

 

 

Here in Canada, our very own Research in Motion is getting ready to launch their Blackberry PlayBook, complete with a 7-inch screen, Flash-capable video and a front and rear high-definition camera.  This means that you can video conference right on it! It is 9.7 millimeters, and weighs a tiny  .9 pounds. In contrast, the  iPad is 9.56 inches (242.8 mm) x 7.47 inches (189.7 mm) and weighs 1.5 pounds (.68 kg) for the Wi-Fi model and 1.6 pounds (.73 kg) for the Wi-Fi + 3G model. Relatively hefty compared to the PlayBook. You can do all the same cool stuff on the PlayBook that you can on the iPad, just not yet.

  

RIM is planning to release the PlayBook  in 2011 which, at that time,  will only be able to connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi.  Of course, RIM is planning on offering up 3G and 4G versions down the road. While the iPad starts at $499, no price has been quoted yet, for a new PlayBook.

So do you need one, especially if you already have a laptop and/or a smart phone? It seems that the key features of this type of computer are the portability and convenience. The touch screen eliminates the mouse and keyboard. They are light and manageable with one hand. You can carry them around easily. I don't know if I need one, but I sure would like one! What about you? Does it seem worth it or just something else people want for the cool factor?

 :: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members.

* Don't forget to comment on all three blog posts this week to win our Prize Giveaway!

The jack-o-lantern's roots are Irish, a tradition that has been carried down over the centuries and which started when a miserable old drunk named Jack met the Devil on an old dirt road, near an apple tree. Jack was a prankster to all who knew him, and on that dirt road Jack tricked the devil into climbing to the top of the tree to get Jack the reddest apple. Once the Devil was at the top of the tree Jack quickly placed a cross on the trunk. Realizing he was trapped, the Devil agreed to not claim Jack's soul upon his death, in exchange for the Devil's freedom.

Ironically, many years later upon Jack's death, he was refused entrance at the gates of Heaven. Saint Peter said that Jack was too mean and too cruel, and had led a miserable and worthless life on earth. At the entrance of Hell, the Devil happily kept his promise and Jack was banished from Hell, but before leaving, the Devil handed Jack a bright ember from the depths of Hell to light his way to NoWhere. Jack kept his ember in a hollowed out turnip, or "Jack's lantern". Sometime in the 1800s, the gourds, turnips, rutabaga and potatoes were replaced by pumpkins. Despite the colourful legends, the term "jack-o'-lantern" originally meant a night watchman, or man with a lantern, with the earliest known use being in the mid-17th century. It was not connected to Hallowe'en until the late 1800s.

 

At my house, Hallowe'en is never missed and the carving of the pumpkin is always an anticipated activity! Once the flesh is cut through, the kids (2, 4 and with a little persuasion 16) and I reach into its depths and scoop out a handful of orange goo. Giggles, "ewwws" and smiles all instantly appear, a gift from the large orange gourd. Ever year we try to grow pumpkins, and last year, we were the proud farmers of one! It was  about 12 cm in diameter and fully orange by late July. This year we have 2 pumpkins, about twice the size, so things are looking up, but there still aren't enough pumpkins in the garden for our house.

  

Luckily, finding a pumpkin in Manitoba is as easy as tricking the Devil into climbing an apple tree! We ventured to Penner Pumpkins near Steinbach, Manitoba, which turned out to be a family-geared, play mecca filled with fun. Not only can you purchase pumpkins, but also gourds and squash, dried wildflower bouquets, and other handcrafted items. They also have some fun activities like the zip line, a petting zoo and the Scarecrow Forest, to name but a few.

 

Of course, this isn't the only pumpkin patch in the province. In Manitoba, you can find more patches at this link. If you are a Manitoban looking for an organic pumpkin, you're in luck! Buy Canadian First member Blue Lagoon Organics is a "Share Farm" program, which means that, for a one time payment, you will receive organic produce weekly (and this includes pumpkins).  Not only that, but you can participate on the farm. Imagine taking the kids to work on the farm all summer long? Be sure to check out their member page and website for more information.

 

Where do you hunt your pumpkins in your province?

~ Don't forget to comment here, on the Wednesday post and on the post by Beth McKay-Smith on Monday for your chance to win a great prize giveaway from select Buy Canadian First members! We will randomly choose a name on Monday morning! Good luck and thanks for your participation! ~

::Images courtesy of Drea Willowcat and Buy Canadian First Members. 

 

October is a demanding month, chock full of seasonal activities and to-do lists! I think its Nature's way of distracting us from the coming SNOW! We have Thanksgiving and Hallowe'en to think about, both of which call for at least a bit of pre-planning. Family get-togethers, big meals, making or choosing costumes, buying candy, decorating the house for Fall ... it's a good thing that we have 31 days in this month!

 

October also means the coming of cooler  weather, garden and yard duties, leaf raking and bagging and bulb planting. Then inside, there is the pulling out of "woolies", the removal and storing of air conditioners and fans, the sealing of windows and doors against drafts. Wow, Summer holidays are really over! *sniffs*

 

 It may be getting colder, but my family isn't ready to put the canoe away and stay onshore every weekend yet! Our new blogger,  Beth McKay-Smith, from Northern Ontario, and her family, like to take it outside in the Fall, too. Beth will have some Autumn camping tales to share this month, as well as some insights into Thanksgiving with the in-laws and lining the kids' stomachs before they go out for Hallowe'en! You can win cool things by reading and commenting on Beth's posts this month!

 

 

Drea has some delightful perspectives into October and buying Canadian first in Manitoba to share with us, as always. Drea will also be giving you the opportunity, each week, to win something wonderful from some of our Buy Canadian First members! 

 

Which brings me to our contest! All month,  you can win new prizes from our wonderful Buy Canadian First members! It is so easy to enter! Just leave a comment on each of three weekly blog posts for your chance to win! Next Monday morning we will pick this week's winner and then start all over again with a new prize for that week! I think that you will love what Shoal Lake , El Peto and Martin Munchies have for you!

 

We really do love your comments and we pay attention to what you are interested in! That's why you can look forward, for example, to an upcoming review of the iPad and a wonderful, Canadian, alternative! We would also be thrilled to hear about your experiences in buying Canadian first! We know you East and West coasters have stories to share!

 

You can comment on Facebook and Twitter , too! How is your October shaping up? Did anyone Run for the Cure? October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Are you celebrating Oktoberfest or going trick or treating this year? We'd love to hear about it!

:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members