Celebrate warmer weather with Pantene, Olay & Crest! #PGmom #Giveaway #Review

Warmer temperatures have officially arrived, and with it our skin and hair rejoices (at least mine do - my hands HATE the combination of cold weather, dry heat and scratchy paper towels in my work restroom).

P&G Beauty products will help take your hair, skin and teeth from winter blah to summer gorgeous. Some of the amazing products include:

Upgrade your #ScentDecor with Unstopables #Review #Giveaway #PGmom

You know when you enter certain places and just need to take a deep breath? For me, it's my Mom's house at Christmas time. There's just a lovely smell in the air and I completely feel at home.

Does your home have a Scent Decor? If you are looking for one, Unstopables is a superior option.

Unstopables is a new, crave-worthy collection of home and fabric care products with sophisticated scents that deliver rich, long-lasting and enveloping sensorial experiences to elevate the everyday. Featuring a fabric refresher, air refresher, scented oil warmer, candle and in-wash scent booster beads, Unstopables lets you style and upscale your environment and wardrobe with sophisticated and fragrant Scent Décor reflective of your signature style. 

Swiffer and Loblaws give Raptors Fans a piece of #InauguralCourt #RTZ #WeTheNorth #ManClean #PGmom

I can still remember the first Toronto Raptors game I attended. It was fall of 1995. I was in grade 8. My Uncle had seasons tickets in the 500 level at SkyDome so my Mom bought some and took my brother and I to quite a few games. Having my first NBA experience in a stadium built for baseball and football was interesting, but all Torontonians were just so happy our city finally had a team.

Who knew 20 years later that Loblaws and Swiffer would team up to give fans a piece of the Inaugural Court?

Last night I was lucky enough to dine at e11even with Damon Stoudamire, NBA's Rookie of the Year for 1995-1996 in which he played with the Raptors at SkyDome. You may have seen Mighty Mouse on TV today sharing with Raptors fans how they can receive their piece of inaugural court. Here we are below with the plaque fans might receive:

Holiday Hosting with P&G #PGmom #giveaway

As we move in to our new condo and use a variety of great P&G products to clean, I'm slightly thankful I won't have to host anything this holiday. (I'm also super thankful to the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser which saved me from painting our main bathroom).

Like my cat in the past Christmas photo above, I prefer to hide from hosting duties. But I won't be moving in to a new house every holiday, and eventually it will be my turn.

If you are hosting folks over the holidays, check out these great tips from P&G to help make hosting a breeze.

Tide Pods Free & Gentle (First ever Pods for sensitive skin!) #Giveaway #PGmom

The first time I washed Hannah's clothes with a Tide Pod instead of Ivory Snow liquid detergent I think I annoyed my Mom slightly. She loves the scent of Ivory Snow and was worried how Hannah's 18-month old skin would react to "normal" Tide. Full disclosure: I just wanted to do less laundry by throwing some of our items in together - and did not want to smell like a baby in the process (even if that scent is amazing).

If only Tide Pods Free & Gentle existed back then - a detergent free of dyes and perfumes perfect for sensitive skin. No sacrificing cleaning performance for gentleness! (And we all know how important cleaning performance is when it comes to kids.)

Rev up your oral care routine with Crest & Oral-B! #Giveaway #PGmom

It's almost funny that April is National Oral Health month - only because I have an upcoming dentist appointment. The worst time I was in the dentist's chair was when I was 35 weeks pregnant and had a wisdom tooth pulled. 70 per cent of all pregnant women suffer from inflamed gums, which is a sign of gingivitis...but not all pregnant women get teeth pulled!

To keep your teeth healthy and happy, through pregnancy or not, dentists recommend brushing twice daily for two minutes (I love my Oral-B® ProfessionalCare SmartSeries 5000 with SmartGuide™ Electric Toothbrush - it times my brushing for me), flossing once daily and using a rinse. Most Canadians do admit to not following this routine.

Clothes, clothes, clothes! #SavingMadeSimple #PGmom

Once upon a time (aka 7 years ago) I still lived with my Mom while I was paying off college and saving for a place. One night I came home with Lululemon pants. $90 Lululemon yoga pants. If my Mom knew how much these pants cost, she would have flipped - even if I was a 20-something working woman. But guess what? I wore those pants last weekend. $12 a year doesn't seem so bad for a pair of amazing pants that look brand new when they come out of the dryer - and they are still in fashion!

Clothes are something we all have to wear (unless we want to be charged with indecent exposure in public). I'm not very trendy (my wardrobe is filled with dark jeans, sweaters and tees in various shades & prints and about four dresses). As I get older I know what looks good on me and what I feel comfortable in. But sometimes I'm still bitten by the sale bug. The allure of online shopping (especially boxing day sales!) sometimes has my Credit Card getting quite the workout (don't worry Gail - I pay my bill in full EACH and EVERY month).

The A to Z of Children's Health (#PGmom Reivew & Giveaway)

Dr. Google is so appealing. You type in your symptoms, hit enter and viola - millions of pages turn up. As anyone who has asked Dr. Google knows, it's very easy to find something scary...and to find many things not related to your child's illness at all.

That's why Pampers wants to arm Canadian parents with resources to promote baby’s happy, healthy development. Sure to become your go-to health and wellness guide, The A to Z of Children’s Health is an indispensable reference that will solve every parent’s health query.

New Year, New Me with COVERGIRL and Pantene (#PGmom Review & Giveaway)

Ah. A New Year. When it takes weeks to write the correct date, when you fear the mail because it will bring you your holiday credit card statement and when you have to return to work instead of drinking tea and reading good books all day. Oh and of course there's the resolutions which most people forget within a few days. I decide to do goals instead of resolutions (seems like less pressure).

This year, one of my goals is to get back some "me" time. B.H. (that's Before Hannah) I was obsessed with beauty products. The "fun" parts of my paycheque went to nail polish and eye liner...and now it goes to Toopy and Binoo books and Sesame Street soundtracks. COVERGIRL and Pantene will help me get back into the beauty arena.

Swiffer is Certified for Toronto Raptors Hardwood #SwifferClean #PGmom

There's a lot of good and a lot of bad connected with growing up and living in Canada's largest city. I like to focus on the good, especially when it comes to being a professional sports fan. We are the only Canadian city to have professional baseball and basketball teams.

One of my favourite indoor winter activities is catching a Raptors game at the Air Canada Centre. I'm not what you'd call a huge basketball fan, but I am a HUGE fan of The Raptor. As I P&G mom I'm excited to share that this season Swiffer is Certified for the Raptors Hardwood.

Recently my family attended a Family Fun Day with Swiffer and the Raptors.

Gain is #MusicToYourNose (#PGmom Giveaway)

It's no secret how much I love the scent of Gain. I also love Tide Pods. So I'm pretty excited to share that soon Gain flings will be a your local store! Gain flings are packed with the longest lasting Gain scent experience yet, plus the odor removal power of Febreze and the extra cleaning power of Oxi Boost.

Gillette Fusion ProGlide Styler a total package #PGmom

Unofficial P&Gdad Chris reviews the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Styler.

Before I begin, I have a rather embarrassing confession to make. Up until very recently – pretty much RIGHT before I wrote this – I had never used a razor blade to shave.

I am a 31-year-old man.

It took me until my late teens to consistently grow something resembling facial hair. Once that became a relatively dependable occurrence, I used an electric shaver, and kept using it. Shaving cream, aftershave, multiple blade razors – these items were as foreign to me as they would be to a caveman.

So when Sarah mentioned she was receiving a Gillette Fusion ProGlide Styler, I thought this would be an ideal time to finally shave like a grown-ass man.

Pink Tartan Washable Collection for Tide Pods (#PGmom #Giveaway)

Over the weekend tomato soup landed on my favourite sweater. Tomato sauce from pepperoni pizza landed on my skinny jeans. And somehow, noticeable green crayon ended up on the shin of my faded jeans.

I am a self-professed klutz, especially when it comes to food. My clothes shook with fear in my closet before I had a baby, and now that my daughter has grown into a curious, independent toddler all the stains above were actually her fault (and not mine...although I am still to blame on most occasions).

Kimberley Newport-Mimran of Pink Tartan recently released her Washable Collection (to relieved sighs of Moms and generally messy people everywhere). Here are a few of her style secrets:

Pampers and Walmart Prenatal Packs (#PGmom #Giveaway)

Back in August, Walmart Canada and P&G began sponsoring a series of prenatal programs in hospitals and community centres countrywide by providing soon-to-be parents with special gift bags with Pampers product. The reusable Walmart gift bags include a package of Pampers Swaddlers, the number one choice of Canadian parents for newborns, a sample of Pampers wipes and an educational pamphlet. This program will reach 55,000 new moms from coast to coast, providing helpful tips on everything from how to secure a car seat to birth plans.

When I was expecting, Chris and I went to a prenatal class at the hospital where Hannah was born. It was really great for us to be around other first-time parents since we are the first in our group of friends to have a child. It was also nice getting a sneak peak at where Hannah would spend her first days after she was born.

About two weeks before her due date, I packed my hospital bag...choosing her first pjs and outfits was difficult. We were told we were having a girl, but just in case I packed a few "gender neutral" outfits too. And of course, I had Pampers Swaddlers in my bag!

Back to Basics with Chef Michael Smith (#PGmom #Review and #Giveaway)

In our house, Chris is in charge of cooking and I am in charge of cleaning. With his Italian background, we eat a lot of pasta. So, it's no surprise that when I asked him which of Chef Michael Smith's classic recipes with a twist he wanted to try that we ended up with a pasta dish - the Speedy Tomato Pasta to be exact.

Loblaw stores host The Mommy of All Baby Events Oct. 10-24 #PGmom

Since I was very little, I disliked grocery shopping (OK there was that one year I was 3 and my Mom found at store with kids carts I got to push around, that I didn't mind). But in my 20s two things happened - I moved out and was FORCED to buy my own food and Loblaw introduced Joe Fresh in to most of their stores, so going for groceries also meant expanding my wardrobe. Now that I'm a parent, one-stop shopping has become even more important. I love that I can purchase clothes, baby items, toys, books, housewares, and oh yeah, FOOD, (notably the President's Choice brand) all in once place! (The Real Canadian Superstore we frequent also has a medical clinic, photography studio and the Beer Store too!)

Loblaw stores are making shopping even more convenient for parents. From October 10 –24, 2013, Loblaw stores will offer fabulous promotions and events from cooking classes, dietitian demos, special sales and fun contests. Check out your local Loblaw store to find out more, or go to themommyofallbabyevents.ca (launching Oct. 10th)! (Also available at Dominion stores in Newfoundland & Labrador only.)

Behind the scenes with Bounty #PGmom

Before you read the next sentence, you have to promise to continue reading this post. It never occurred to me that paper towel, toilet paper or facial tissue would be made the same way as paper (sadly, my only saving grace is the fact that facial tissue doesn't have the word paper in it.)

Thankfully, I was able to participate in a P&Gmom Bounty webinar with Gregg Weaver, P&G research and development engineer for Bounty. He taught me a lot about how they make the Quicker Picker Upper!

Like all other P&G products, Bounty does a LOT of research with consumers to find out what they want in a paper towel.

Being klutzy (and having a toddler), I clean a lot of spills. And therefore I go through a lot of Bounty (remember my post about how dishcloths carry gross germs?) The worst thing in the world is when you are trying to wipe something up, and it drips all the way to the garbage can...creating even more mess. Enter Bounty's Trap & Lock technology. Watch the video featuring Gregg below:

Pampers Mommy Blogger Videos (#PGmom Giveaway)

Back when I first posted about my Pampers Mommy Blogger YouTube Video on Facebook, I mentioned a great giveaway – and here it is! (For more about my experience, you can read Behind the Scenes: Being a Pampers Mommy Blogger.)

Behind the Scenes - Being a Pampers Mommy Blogger #PGmom

When I was first asked if Hannah and I would like to be in a Pampers YouTube video, I only had one fear – that I would cry. You see, before Hannah came in to my life I had a heart of stone. Now just thinking about her makes me teary.

The days before the shoot, in the midst of cleaning, wondering if I should attempt to trim Hannah’s bangs and sending a bunch of stuff to my Mom’s for storage, I started to feel a little better. The story board arrived in my inbox. Shots changing Hannah, shots playing at the park. Why would I cry talking about diapers, and how they keep Hannah happy and dry?

Online Shopping at Walmart.ca #ShopWMonline #shopPGonline (#PGmom Review)

If you live in downtown Toronto, you may have recently seen TTC shelters decorated as mini Walmart stores. When I lived downtown, one thing I missed was not being close to a Walmart store (I lived a streetcar and two subway rides away from the closest location at Dufferin Mall.)

You don't need to live in Toronto near transit shelter - folks everywhere can still shop online at Walmart.ca. (Not going to lie - shopping in my PJs is a big plus!)

Recently P&G sent me a gift card to purchase P&G products at Walmart.ca. I decided to buy a bunch of great P&G cleaning products for my brother, who recently moved in to his first condo. I figure, if we send him the supplies, that's half the battle when it comes to actually cleaning.