This year, #BellLetsTalk is personal

Every year on Bell Let's Talk Day I use the hashtag. This year, it's a little more personal for me.

If being a parent is hard, being a single parent can be harder.

One morning in early November 2017 I woke up and gave up. I didn't feel like I was being a good mom. I didn't feel like I was being a good employee. I didn't feel like I was being a good daughter, sister or friend. There weren't enough hours in the day to please everyone who depended on me - so what was the point of even trying?

The only "alone" time I have to recharge my batteries is every other weekend when my daughter is with her dad. Before, I used it to clean and pack in as much social time with my friends as would allow. I would go back into work Monday, not feeling refreshed at all from the weekend, but feeling exhausted with a long list of household chores still to do.

Self-care 101 teaches us you can't pour from an empty cup. It took two years of being a single mom, but I was officially living proof.

A tale of two calendars

When I was in grade 8, I really REALLY wanted braces. I was jealous when other kids came to school, their teeth full of colour. My eye sight got extremely poor and I had to wear glasses instead. I still remember riding the TTC home after acquiring my first pair, my brother asking me to read all the fine print on the ads posted above fellow passengers' heads. (Thinking back, I'm sure THEY all enjoyed hearing the ads instead of just reading themselves.)

Hannah is an avid reader. Every week when her class goes to the school library she makes a big production after we arrive home of bringing the newly borrowed book out of her backpack, a la Vanna White. By far, the books I, er, she, enjoys most are from the Elephant & Piggie series by Mo Willems. I'm sad I don't get to read them to her anymore, but ecstatic she will read them to me. (Sometimes I get to read the Gerald parts, and she'll read the Piggie parts - and if you don't know Gerald is the elephant you are not living your best life.)

Now that she can read, she reads everything. My brother would be so pleased to follow her around and listen to her read.

A new year, a new type of blog

I haven't blogged in a long, long time.

One reason is lack of time.

Another reason is that Hannah can read now. She's become her own little person, with thoughts, feelings and reactions she can actually express to me in words. I would never want her to stumble across something I wrote and be embarrassed or angry with how I portrayed her.

Now when we take selfies, I let her look at it and I ask, "Do you mind if I share this with my friends?"

Don't worry, this selfie was Hannah approved

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir: It's Ladybug!

The world needs more female super heroes.

In our car these days, Splash N Boots is on repeat. There's one song about how Hannah is a Super Hero, and she loves wearing her Chuck E Cheese cape around the house, saving me and her stuffed animals from "danger".

Therefore the new Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir: It's Ladybug! DVD is right up her alley.

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree on DVD November 1st! #Review #Giveaway

"Mommy, do you think Santa knows My Little Pony?" Hannah asked me the other day.

"I'm sure he does, he has to keep up with all the toys that girls and boys like," I responded.

"Good, because I really want to ask him for Princess Cadence's castle with Baby Flurry Heart."

Clearly My Little Pony is a big hit in my house right now. This week Hannah has been home with croup, so it was especially good time for us to review My Little Pony Equestria Girls - Legend of Everfree. And as part of this review, three YYZ Bambina readers can win a copy of their own!

Silk’n Blue – Your Skin Care Clinic at Home

In the past year, the clerks at the liquor store have finally stopped asking for my ID – even though I usually keep it out just in case when I cash out. I look much younger than I am, and sometimes I believe it’s due to my acne.

Adult acne is something I will battle and need to keep under control for the rest of my life.  I’ve tried many of the drugstore acne products. Some work better than others, but I’m always left in the morning patting on powder, hoping it will last the day and that people don’t mistake me for a student (I work at a university).

So when I heard about Silk’n Blue I was excited to give it a shot.

Silk’n Blue is a hand-held treatment device that uses the power of blue light and heat to penetrate your skin, which neutralizes bacteria. Being allergic to sulfa I’m also pleased it’s a natural, drug free solution. Using it was like going to a skin clinic without having to make an appointment, and it was super easy to use.

My 1st Single Mother's Day

Today I celebrated my fifth Mother's Day. Today also marks my first Single Mother's Day. This is the first Mother's Day I woke up without my daughter under the same roof. And this is the first Mother's Day Hannah truly understood.

Ratings and Reviews (and more!) on P&G Everyday Canada #PGmom

Disclosure: I am a P&Gmom/mamanP&G. As part of my affiliation with this group I receive products and special access to P&G events and opportunities. The opinions on this blog are my own.

I've been a P&Gmom since November 2012. One of the best parts of participating in this program is getting to try new products and sharing my thoughts with you, here on my blog and via my social media accounts. (Full disclosure, there's still plenty of P&G products I buy to try on my own - especially the beauty ones!)

Have you ever wanted to share your thoughts on P&G products? Are you obsessed with the scent of Gain? Thankful that Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser is magic on child's artwork on the wall? If so, you need to visit https://www.pgeveryday.ca - where Canadians can share their thoughts about P&G products!

Treat your feet with Footlogix Medical! #diabeticfeet #diabetesfeet

The first thing my kid does when she gets home from preschool is kick of her winter boots and take her socks off, exposing her cute, precious feet.

I follow shortly thereafter. I do not take proper care of my feet, thus they are neither cute nor precious. During the year, if the temperature is warm enough, I wear my dress shoes sans socks. I’ve never had a pedicure (I don’t like people touching my feet). I’ve never done the “Vaseline in the sock” trick – mostly because it sounds so messy, not because I don’t need help. Every winter I end up with dry, cracked heels. Gross to look at and itchy as well.

So when I heard about when I heard about Footlogix Medical Intensive Moisturizing Mousse, I knew I needed to give it a try. Footlogix Medical® is a mousse, so it's easy to apply – it's not greasy and absorbs very quickly. You don't have to sit around waiting; you can just apply and go (or in my case, apply and go to sleep). I actually feel it soothing my feet, especially after a long day of walking and wearing thick winter socks.

LEGO Friends fun with Netlfix Canada! #StreamTeam

As Hannah gets older, more and more some things are deemed for "babies" and newer items for "big kids" become, what she considers, age appropriate.

Enter LEGO. While she was happy as a clam to play with Duplo until recently, when she discovered the Disney LEGO and LEGO friends it was game over - for me. Her first foray was an Ariel set she found while pacing the toy aisles at Walmart. The second set was courtesy of Netflix Canada, celebrating March Break and the launch of LEGO Friends: The Power of Friendship on March 4th.

Create and explore in the #digiPlaySpace

My first TIFF encounter included Adam Sandler and one of my best friends in 2002. I was in university at the time, and he had a movie screening near Yonge and Bloor. I’ll never forget the look of excitement and happiness on my friend’s face after she got his autograph.

Recently, Hannah and I got to check out the digiPlaySpace – and let me tell you, her excitement and happiness matched or perhaps even exceeded my friend’s when she was able to explore and create.

#FullerHouse on @Netflix_CA IS all that and a bag of potato chips! #StreamTeam

In the late 80s and early 90s on any given Friday night, you'd find me with my Mom, Godmother and brother. We would go out for dinner and make sure we'd be home by 8 pm for the start of TGIF - one of the greatest line-ups in all of television, anchored by Full House. The same age as Stephanie Tanner, I immediately identified with the show. I loved to dance. In grade four, I totally had a crush on my teacher. I didn't get invited to any make-out parties though.

A couple of years ago I found Candace Cameron-Bure on Instagram and it was like finding an old friend. So when Fuller House was announced as a new original show on Netflix, I completely lost it. And this week, as a member of the Netflix #StreamTeam, I was able to access the first six episodes of the rebooted series. On February 26th, the entire world will be introduced to the Fuller family and given the opportunity to binge all the episodes at once, Have Mercy!

I'm not going to go into specifics (I'm not allowed to), but they somehow created a show with the same characters we loved back then, living their lives completely in the now. There are nods for old fans, but new fans (like my kid) will also really enjoy watching.

Thoughts my 4 year old had the first time she watched Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Signature Collection

One of my favourite things about Hannah's current age is her new adoration for animated films.

Walt Disney Studios was kind enough to send us Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Signature Collection edition Blu-Ray + DVD + Digital HD recently, which is now available now for purchase.

Other than her new found love for Disney movies, the questions she asks and the commentary she makes while watching is priceless. Therefore I present:

Thoughts my 4 year old had while watching 

Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs 

for the first time

#NewYearNewView with Netflix Canada! #StreamTeam

So we are in the last week of January. How are your New Years resolutions going? I made four. I've broken three.

To be positive, the one I've kept is taking my lunch four days a week, and treating myself only one day a week. As opposed to taking my lunch once a week which I was doing in 2015.

The three I've failed at:

Don't keep pop in the house. (I failed so miserably that I made an order with Pizza Pizza that was pretty much Coke being delivered to my house last week when Hannah was sick).

Post to my blog once a week. This is my first post of 2016. And we are in the fourth week of it.

And last, but certainly not least, is to take back my Netflix. There's going to be more shows watched in the "Sarah" profile than there is in the "Hannah" one.

Holiday Watching with Netflix Canada #Giveaway #NowOnNetflixCA #StreamTeam

The holidays are a time to spend with friends and family. They often provide some much needed down time. My idea of some good down time is streaming, cuddling and laughing together.

Netflix has a bunch of holiday movies and holiday episodes of your favourite shows.

Habitat for Humanity Gingerbread Build with Bounty #PGmom

Disclosure: I am a P&Gmom/mamanP&G. As part of my affiliation with this group I receive products and special access to P&G events and opportunities. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Last weekend Hannah and I had the opportunity to participate in the 13th Annual Habitat for Humanity GTA Gingerbread Build at the Ontario Science Centre. She might not be old enough to build actual houses, but Hannah was amazing at decorating a gingerbread house for a great cause.

As the Presenting Sponsor of Gingerbread Build 2015, Bounty once again makes Habitat GTA a part of its holiday celebration. 100% percent of the funds raised through Habitat's Gingerbread Build go directly to building more Habitat homes for families in need of affordable housing in the GTA.

You can still participate in the Gingerbread Build - you can purchase a kit to put together at home, or purchase a kit for a family in a shelter to put together. For more details, visit http://gingerbreadbuild.weebly.com/build.html.

Right now every donation to Habitat for Humanity will be matched dollar-for-dollar by P&G until December 31st, 2015. For more details, and to donate, visit here.

© 2015 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.

Cleaning for surprise guests this holiday with P&G #PGmomGiveaway

Disclosure: I am a P&Gmom/mamanP&G. As part of my affiliation with this group I receive products and special access to P&G events and opportunities. The opinions on this blog are my own.

This season guest may drop by last minute. I try to keep the condo as clean as possible, but having a three-year old means sometimes it's not as tidy as I would like. So when we get short notice that someone is stopping by, I immediately rely to Swiffer and Febreze.

We don't own a dog, so crumbs can be a daily issue...especially because sometimes my daughter plays while she snacks. Thankfully we have the Swiffer Sweep and Trap - I LOVE the fact I can collect particles AND clean at the same time!

Ways to Give Back this Season including Rice Krispies #TreatsforToys #Kelloggers #Giveaway

Yesterday, my Mom, Hannah and I were at our local Walmart when we saw an interesting sight. There was a TTC bus parked right at the entrance - this is unusual because the entrance is far from the street where a normal bus would stop. My Mom bought some toys that Hannah donated to Stuff the Bus and we tried to explain to her that not everyone is as lucky as we are during the holidays.

Make. Share. Give.

The Kellogg’s Rice Krispies #TreatsforToys program helps bring a smile to children in need by encouraging Canadians to make a toy-shaped Rice Krispies treat and share a picture of it on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook using the #TreatsforToys hashtag. For every image uploaded from now until December 21, 2015, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies will donate $20 to The Salvation Army to buy a toy for a child in need during the festive season. 

Hallmark Canada for the Holidays! #giveaway #LoveHallmarkCA

This is Hannah's third Christmas. She's always liked specific ornaments on Grandma's tree, but this year she's really noticing all the decorations and has even asked to help us with our holiday decorations. So a couple of weeks ago when she was home sick, it was a great surprise for us to receive a great box full of holiday goodies from Hallmark Canada.

She loves the Keepsake Kids My First Tree, the Keepsake Ornament - Disney The Sorcerer Apprentice and the Time for Cookies Snowman Interactive Stuffed Animals.

Find great P&G gifts for everyone at Walmart Canada! #MomsShopWalmart #PGmomgiveaway

Disclosure: I am a P&Gmom/mamanP&G. As part of my affiliation with this group I receive products and special access to P&G events and opportunities. The opinions on this blog are my own.

As I got older, my favourite part of Christmas day was opening my stocking. Of course, I liked whatever "biggie" present my Mom had purchased for me, but the stocking contained fun things that I needed - things like candy, shampoo and holiday lip gloss - essentials for any teenage girl.

Regardless who is on your shopping list this season, P&G and Walmart Canada have you covered! Now that Christmas is less than a month away, check out the great gift sets below:

Star Wars holiday gift pack retails at $16.98 and contains 1 battery powered Oral B Toothbrush, 1 tube Crest Fluoride anti-cavity toothpaste and 1 bottle Crest Anti-cavity rinse.