Eddie Bauer Travel System {$249}, US Only, 10/27

Journeys of The Zoo has grown up with Eddie Bauer and Eddie Bauer has grown with The Zoo.

As a teen and young adult, I spent my summers at camp, in the outdoors. I needed good quality clothing that would withstand the elements so my friends and I outfitted ourselves in their canvas shorts and quick dry pants. Teva's were a staple.

As an adult, I found myself returning once again to dress significant others from head to toe in pants, button downs, sweaters, belts and even socks. They had everything.

Now that I'm a Mother, Eddie Bauer is there for me and my family once again with their Eddie Bauer Baby line for "...parents who want and expect the best for their little ones".

I am excited to offer you the chance to win their Eddie Bauer Trail Hiker 3-Wheel Travel System valued at $249.99!!

In case you're not familiar with the travel system, it includes the stroller and an infant car seat. Two in One! Eddie Bauer's website describes the product as follows:

Choose your own path with the Eddie Bauer Trail Hiker 3-Wheel Travel System. The 3-wheel design provides superior maneuverability around tight corners that will get you and your little adventurer around easily.

This travel system also features our Top Rated infant car seat with Side Impact Protection and an extended use range of 4-35 pounds for a safer and more comfortable ride, whether in your car or attached to the stroller for a walk in the great outdoors.

Some of the Stroller features include:

• 3-wheel design for superior maneuverability
• Multi-position seat recline
• 5-point harness
• One hand fold and stand
• Accommodates child up to 50 pounds

I really like the large storage basket because with kids, you always have tons of stuff and many baskets are small or difficult to get into. From the pictures, you can clearly see that this is not the case with the Eddie Bauer model.



Some of the features of the Infant Car Seat are: rear-facing from 4-35 pounds and up to 32" with side impact protection and meets or exceeds USA Federal Safety Standards.

I really like that the weight limit goes as low as 4 pounds because Max and Artemis were both under 5 pounds when they came home so we had to pad their seats with blankets. Not ideal. You never want to think about bringing home a small baby but it's better to be prepared.

Enter below for your change to Win!

Sorry Canadians, this is for our US Friends Only.
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Prize: Eddie Bauer Trail Hiker 3-Wheel Travel System (ARV $249.99). Winner gets their choice of colour: Grey, Red or Blue.
Eligibility: USA ONLY.
Duration: The contest will run from Sunday, September 30 until Saturday, October 27, 2012, inclusive.
Shipping: Included in the prize.
Entry Method: Rafflecopter Form.
Disclosure: Journeys of The Zoo did not receive any product in exchange for posting this giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to A Hen's Nest for organizing and allowing Journeys of The Zoo to be a part of this fun giveaway.

This giveaway was posted to Blog Giveaways and Contest Canada.

Besos, The Zoo

Christmas in September with Thomas the Train!

If you've been following the blog at all, you know that for the past five years, Ed and I have spent Friday nights socializing at Finnerty's Auction.

Make that five years less one because Ed and I have only been there together, alone, once over the past year.

So sad.

Tonight, Ed was in town getting a new brake caliper for the van so he stopped by Finnerty's to see what they had.


Well, if they didn't have the one thing that we've been looking for since our return from Mexico in March.

Don't worry, I won't ruin the surprise, I'll let Max do that for you.

Let me set the stage.

Imagine that you're Two.

That you love Trains.

So much so that you sleep with one every.single.night and it's the first word you say in the morning.

And you wake up to this...

Then this would probably be your reaction too.

Christmas in September at The Zoo!

Tweet Christmas in September!

Note that due to the "I Don't Want to Get Sued Like a Lot of Other People" Debacle of 2012, I have been creating all my own graphics or taking my own photographs. Hard to believe huh!?

Besos, The Zoo

I Tore my Knee Cartilage Playing Chess Highjumping.

Way back when, I told you that I was going to post about my life as a Championship Downhill Skier.

Before you go and get all mad at me for misleading you, I want to state right from the get go that tearing my knee cartilage for the first time actually had nothing to do with Skiing.

Have no fear, I'll be all over the Slalom and Bevelled Edges in a bit but first I want to bore enlighten you with "The Time I Tore My Knee Cartilage Highjumping".

Highjumping is Dangerous.
Just like Chess.

Yes, you read that correctly. Chess is dangerous. Not that I'd know from experience as I don't actually play (not from lack of trying).

I imagine that if you pushed the timer button enough times, you could develop a blister on your finger.

Or, a flying rook could poke you in the eye (while it's not technically listed under chess etiquette, I imagine it's not cool to throw pieces at one another).

D.a.n.g.e.r.o.u.s.

Back to highjumping. One day in 1985, I threw caution to the wind (I've been known to try and show-off tilt at windmills), and decided to hurtle and not highjump the highjump.

I'm not sure whether I went over or under the bar but I do remember that I sailed full over the large mattress and right by the adult standing there to prevent such an occasion. I landed on the ground. On my knee. With nothing to slow me down.

It should come as no surprise that I hurt myself.

I ended up dislocating my knee.

I can't really remember whether it was the act of falling or the act of undislocating (or is that relocating) my knee that tore my cartilage but it wasn't good. Back to the hospital we went. A regular occurrence for the parents of a Championship Downhill Skiier. In the end, I had to have my first (of two) arthroscopic knee surgeries.

The worst part, I ended up having to miss the end-of-year school trip to Canada's Wonderland. The second worst part, this event happened the second last day of school. You'd have thought with any luck, this would have happened at the beginning of school.

What does any of this have to do with my being a Championship Skiier?

Nothing.

Originally, I think that I was going to segway into how I tore the nerves, muscles and veins in my face when I did a faceplant on 10 pieces of jagged wood and how I have a 2" scar on my face to prove it. But, that would make a lot of people squeamish so I won't even mention it.

Perhaps I was going to tell you about the second time I tore my knee cartilage (this time I actually was skiing) and had to take the red-eye home from Calgary and head straight to the hospital for a second knee surgery.

Or maybe the time that I.

I think I know what I wanted to write about... Skiing is Dangerous.

Ever Injured Yourself?

Tweet Share this with Your Friends.

Get Caught Up in the Series...
8. I Tore my Knee Cartilage Highjumping,
7. I Got a Migraine to Avoid Ballet,
6. I Cut off all my Hair and gave it to Barbie
5. I Got Kicked out of Brownies,
4. I Pooped My Pants
3. I Almost Sold my Brother for 25 Cents
2. I Was Adopted,
1. I Was Born.

Besos, The Zoo

Paying too much for Insurance? Check out Insurance Hunter.

This post brought to you by InsuranceHunter. All opinions are 100% mine.

Journeys of The Zoo spends close to six months a year on the road. That makes for a lot of driving. Almost all of the responsibility lies with Ed which means,

Over 10,000 Kilometres a Year!

I was concerned when I read a recent survey by Insurance Hunter that polled 1,003 Ontario parents and found that "One-Third of Men Polled Have Nodded Off Behind Wheel". I could hardly believe that the rates for Men were so high (30%) and especially in comparison to Women (only 14%)!

The survey also reveals that "young parents are more likely to drive tired than older counterparts". Statistically, Ed has a lower chance of nodding off (because while he's young at heart, he isn't young in age). However, that doesn't mean that it couldn't happen to Ed or another driver on the road.

I highly suggest that you to take a look at Insurance Hunter’s safety survey and see if you or your family are at risk and what to do to avoid any unnecessary accidents. I know that I learned a lot. 

I find that being organized, especially for our 5-day trip to Mexico helps minimize Ed's fatigue.  Yes, the entire Zoo (including two dogs and a cat) drive to Mexico. The survey also mentions some strategies that we implement such as; setting off at smart travel times (between 6 a.m. and noon) and ensure that the driver is well rested with plenty of planned breaks.

Until I found this survey, I hadn't actually heard of Insurance Hunter. In case you haven't either, their website states;

"Insurance Hunter is an online insurance brokerage that provides Ontario residents with hassle-free, online auto, home and travel insurance quotes from Ontario's leading insurance companies."

Their website also says that you can get three quotes in three minutes so I thought that I'd try it out. The application process took about three minutes, was predictable (I've received quotes before, not from Insurance Hunter) and all the information they asked for I had on hand. As advertised, my three auto insurance quotes were presented to me immediately on the screen and I found them to be competitive.

There's always something going on at The Zoo so when I'm presented with an easy and no-fuss way to ensure that we are properly insured at the best price possible, I'm interested in finding out more. I encourage you to visit their website (www.InsuranceHunter.ca) because you just might find that,

Insurance Hunter is for You.

Besos, The Zoo

Wordless Wednesday: Artemis The Fairy Princess

Besos, The Zoo

Don't Miss out on all these New Opportunities at The Zoo!

Fall is in the air and Journeys of The Zoo has a TON of exciting things going on that we'd like to share with you. Grab an apple cidar and piece of pumpkin pie and find out how you can get involved in all that is going on!

Be sure to stop by often or better yet, Subscribe via Email/RSS Feed so that you always know what's going on at The Zoo!

1. Tuesday Facebook Giveaway Wall Post
Way back in July, we started a weekly Facebook Giveaway Post and it's Taken Off!.

The concept. People like you, post and/or enter to win tons of Canadian and Family Friendly giveaways. All.in.one.place!

Last week we had almost 60 giveaways posted. That's a lot of chances to win! Most are still running so head on over and enter to win.

Seeing as it's Tuesday again, here is the post for Tuesday, September 25. Don't forget to come back throughout the week as people are posting new ones every day!

Please remember to like and/or share the post so that other people find out about it and enter their giveaways!



2. "I Am Canadian" Feature and Linky.
On September 10, I told you about the "I Am Canadian" Initiative. On September 12, I posted the first feature and linky on Current Works of Glass.

Please take a moment to: stop by and read the feature post, add your name to the linky and support the growing list of Canadians that deserve recognition for all their hard work.

Want to be featured yourself? Send an email to journeysofthezoo at hotmail dot com and get noticed!



3. Pinterest is all the Rage.
I've created a "Thursday Theme" board on Pinterest and this week's theme is all things books. I love to read but haven't had time since the kids arrived (almost three years ago). I hoped that this would be my inspiration.

If you find something that you want posted, send me your PIN URL and repin it. Remember to follow me on Pinterest and check back every Thursday for the latest theme.



4. Journeys of The Zoo is hosting the following FIVE (5) giveaways. Have you entered all of them?

1. $120US Cash,
2. HandstampedPendants,
3. Canadian Handiwork,
4. Kids Musical DVD/CD Set,
5. Current Works of Glass $25 Jewelry Gift Certificate.

Keep checking back because we're currently working on reviews and giveaways for Second Peek Maternity and Copy-Kids!



5. Are you Going to ShesConnected 2012!
Journeys of The Zoo is going to ShesConnected 2012 in Toronto on October 19-20 and we're looking for Sponsors.

Contact Journeys of The Zoo to find out how we can help you meet your marketing goals.


6. We're Affiliated!
We are proud to announce that we are now affiliated with Sweet Pea Deals!

Sweet Pea Deals is a Canadian company that offers weekly deals at a discount for people and Mom's on the Go. Some of their offers focus on Toronto, but just last week they posted a cute pair of kids shoes (that could be shipped from coast to coast).

This weeks offer is a tasty one from St. Lawrence market home delivery. Everyone has to eat! This deal will allow you to save time and money before Thanksgiving by getting your turkey and veggies brought right to your door. Also, don't forget to check out the selection from Victoria's Kitchen (on the website from Fooddel) for prepared meals great for families.

If this week's offer isn't your thing, be sure to check back weekly for tons of don't miss deals! I've posted a button and link to their site in my left sidebar <------ for your convenience.

Besos, The Zoo

The Time I Spoke to a Human Being #thanksalexa!

I was messing around with things I shouldn’t be trying to get updated metrics on Alexa and I accidently deleted my account.

Most of you are probably thinking "Alexa, never heard of Her" and "How is this blogworthy". While the rest of you are thinking,

"Oh no, say it isn't so!"

Sadly, it's true.

Once I could see through the tears got things together, I decided to try and contact them for support. If you've ever had a problem with something internet related, chances are, you know what I'm talking about.

You spend 30 minutes trying to find an active forum with people that will actually answer your questions as opposed to talking about themselves and then you wait....

and wait...

and wait.

All the while kicking yourself for even trying to change the font size in the first place and thinking that your blogging career is all over. The best part is that sometimes, you can't even post to the forum if you've been locked out of your account (hello somebody that rhymes with "pacebook").

Much to my surprize, I was able to find a contact email address.

Ha, they weren't fooling me.

I know how it goes, the email either gets eaten by the "internet gremlins" or receives the standard response of,

Thank you very much for contacting us, your problem is important to us, a support representative has been assigned to your case and will get back to you shortly. Note that we are currently experiencing a back long of issues because our product SUCKS so please do not expect a response in the next 20 years.

You can imagine my surprize when a few hours later, I received an email response.

From a real live person.

Who had a name.

And knew what she was talking about.

She got me all sorted out, answered all my 4,531 questions, many of which were totally unrelated to my initial problem and even gave me information that I otherwise wouldn't have known to ask. It's hard to ask a question when you don't know what to ask. Make sense?

Was this a Dream?

I did the only thing possible.

I forwarded our entire email thread on to her Management telling them what a Superstar she was and how much I appreciated a real, live person with a name on the other end of my email.

Well, that and I went out and bought a lottery ticket.

Note that my readers may not experience the same challanges that I face with similar or same companies.

For the sake of integrity, when all was said and done, it turned out that I didn't actually delete my account. In fact, I ended up updating it for the better.

Note that I did not receive any compensation in exchange for writing this post, unless being treated like a real human being counts #happycustomer.

Besos, The Zoo

Pad your Wallet with $120US Ca$h! WW, 09/30

The holidays are almost upon us (aren't they always?) and we want to make sure that you end up with that coveted pumpkin pie and Halloween goodies.

In turn, a bunch of my Canadian Blogger Peers and I have come together to give you the opportunity to pad your wallet with...

$120US Cash!

BIG cash payout opportunities like this don't come around very often so be sure to take advantage of your Twitter Daily (that's how I won my last cash giveaway, just saying...)!

Good Luck!

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Prize: $120US Cash payable via PayPal.
Eligibility: WORLDWIDE.
Duration: The contest will run from Sunday, September 23 until Sunday, September 30, 2012, inclusive.
Entry Method: Rafflecopter Form.

Thank you to our hosts Tales of a Ranting Ginger and This Lil' Piglet.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway was posted to Blog Giveaways and Contest Canada.

Besos, The Zoo

Have you Experienced Loss? Do you Talk about It?

I've experienced loss.

I lost my son Alexander when we was an infant.

I don't talk about Alexander that much. Not because I don't want to.

Give me any excuse to talk about all of my kids and I'm in. Some would just say "give me any excuse to talk" and leave it at that.

Besides, there's so much to share. All 31 weeks, 5 days of stories worth (yes, the 5 days count, smile).

Remember that time that we went to New York and brought him back a lousy t-shirt. And all the things that we're doing in his honour.

And just today, all three of the kids watched a movie together. Dora the Explorer of course. It's not Alexander and Max's favourite but Artemis usually gets her way.

And that's usually the extent of my story telling.

It's hard to explain that...

• While I'm grateful for Max and Artemis, they don't take away from the sadness that I feel over losing Alexander. I'd liken it to comparing apples to oranges,

• I say goodnight to Alexander every night and give him a kiss,

• The kids have to share with him. I even let them tease him sometimes,

• We talk about him and include him in our every day life. Even though he is not here,

• I think Max and Artemis believe that every one has a Brother that looks like a bear and sits on a shelf.

Sigh.

Just know that I don't not talk about him because it hurts too much.

Quite the contrary.

Besos, The Zoo

Handstamped Pendants $25 GC, US/CAN, 09/27

Journeys of the Zoo found out that September was Women's Friendship Month, so we knew that we wanted to do something special for all of our loyal Followers. It's not like we needed an excuse but BloggerPR came up with the idea to do a Giveaway Hop so we jumped at the chance to participate.




In turn, a bunch of bloggers have gotten together to offer you some amazing giveaways all in one place and you're starting at the right spot! Each blog will be offering a prize valued at $20 or more. Make sure that you reference the list of participating blogs in the linky below and,

Enter to Win!

Journeys of The Zoo is offering up a $25 gift certificate to Rustic Metal Creations. This company has a large variety of item such as; necklaces, keychains, bracelets, accessories, charms and rings. Your product is one-of-a-kind. Not mass produced but made just for you.

Not only do you get to select what is stamped on it but you also get to choose the metal; aluminum, copper/brass, stainless steel, sterling silver, 14K gold filled. Their web site states:

Unique & Inspiring Handstamped jewelry is a new type of unique jewelry where each letter is placed with a steel stamp over the metal one at a time and then striked with a hammer...

Whether you are looking for a meaningful necklace for a grad, your daughter, your bestie, or your super cool bridesmaids, my pieces are a treasured alternative to mass produced jewelry. Make your next gift as unique as the recipient with gifts from the heart from Rustic Metal Creations.

Don't miss your chance to own something truly special. Enter below and Good Luck!

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Prize: $25 Gift Certificate to HandStamped Pendants.
Eligibility: USA and CANADA.
Duration: This giveaway will run from Thursday, September 20 to Thursday, September 27, 2012, inclusive.
Shipping: Not included in the prize. The Winner will be provided with a Gift Certificate number and will be responsible for all shipping costs.
Entry Method: Rafflecopter Form.
Disclosure: Journeys of The Zoo received a gift certificate from Handstamped Pendants, however, there was no expectation of using it for a giveaway. No other compensation was provided.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway was posted to Blog Giveaways, Contest Canada and Linkies Contest Linkies.

Besos, The Zoo

Apple Orchards, Airplanes and Other Stories

I haven't done a post about nothing in a while so I figured it was high time that I updated you on... Nothing!

1. Aunt Liz made these two Teddies by hand. Today, "green one" bit the dust. Do your kids have the same kind of brilliant naming conventions like mine?
2. Speaking of Aunt Liz, she's super talented especially when it comes to sewing and knitting. I'm trying to convince her to let me show you some of her stuff.
3. Toilet Training 101 = 101 Ways in which I (the Child) am Training my parents to accept that I will not use the Toilet.
4. Artemis took one of Max's strawberries to which he replied "Swiper, Stop Swipping". Milk came out my nose. I guess the kids are watching a little too much Dora.
5. Speaking of fruits, a bunch of us went to Mountain Orchards on Sunday and had an absolute blast. There were activities such as: straw jump, tractor rides, corn maze and of course apple picking. A definite must visit if you're in the Ottawa/South of Ottawa area. A good time for the whole family (including the dog)!
   
6. Bad news, Artemis is still bitting Max. She's good for at least one weekly snack. Good news, Elmo bandaids are all the rage.
7. Ed was away for a 5-day business conference so Nanna came for a visit. Activites of significant note was our hike into the back 40 and our trip to playgroup.
   
   
8. I should remember to take pictures after the kids creativity. Hello bag of dried pasta in the cat's water bowl. Guess what's for dinner tonight.
9. Last week, we went to Pierre-Elliott Trudeau Airport (in Montreal) to watch the planes take off and land. Well, not really but we did spend a lot of time doing that. The real purpose of our trip was to see Marcella off to Spain (for a second year).

   

We miss you already MID!

Besos, The Zoo

Want to Go to ShesConnected 2012 with The Zoo? You Can!

ShesConnected 2012 is being held in Toronto on October 19th and 20th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and Journeys of The Zoo is Going!

In case you haven't heard about the conference or what it's all about, here is some information from their website:

Our mission is twofold: to provide a platform for connections, be they social, business, or to build social media brand partnerships. This year, we’re celebrating our fifth year of successful online networking. We created the ShesConnected Conference to extend the online community and to enable ShesConnected members to meet face-to-face each year. The conference also provides the opportunity for brands to meet in-person with their digital influencers and understand better how to build online relationships. We are the Bloggers and Brands conference of The Year!

Journeys of The Zoo has been sharing regular updates with Family and Friends since 2010. In the spring of this year, we added Reviews and Giveaways to our blog makeup and have been having a great time.

In turn, we felt that participating in this year's conference was the next logical step in World Blog Domination educating ourselves on how we can better meet the needs of our Followers and continue to grow while having fun at the same time.

This conference is an excellent opportunity for meeting many of our Canadian peers, introducing ourselves to leading Brands and Sponsors such as Canadian Beef, Maple Leaf, CAA, Benjamin Moore, Molson Canadian 67 and many more. As well, sharing what's special about Journeys of The Zoo.

We want YOU to be a Part of it!

I apologize if I mislead you. You probably aren't technically coming with me (although tickets are still available), however, you can come along as a Sponsor.

You see, I need to Get There, Lodge There, Have Something to Wear There and Require Some Little Extras While There.

And that's where you come in. If you are interested in a partial or full Sponsorship, please contact me to view our Sponsorship Package which includes items such as a Blog Post about your Company, Regular Tweets, Facebook/Google+/Pinterest Posts and Ad Space in exchange for your contribution. Your package can be catered to what works for you.

No contribution is too small!

The little extras include a: Tablet (a tablet is little), Media Kit design, phone case, thank you notes, notepad, pens (left-handed of course), baseball cap, badges, and something special that will make Journeys of The Zoo stand out. Note that any and all monogrammed items would be greatly appreciated.

Support Journeys of The Zoo and have an opportunity to rub shoulders with over 40 Sponsors/Partners and Hundreds of Influential Canadian Bloggers! Remember, the earlier you sign up, the more promotion you get. Rest assured, I will work very hard for you and your company! Only 31 sleeps until...

Journeys of The Zoo and YOU head to ShesConnected 2012!

Besos, The Zoo

Creative Canadian Handiwork {Giveaway}, US/CAN, 10/01

Welcome to the Creative Canadian Handiwork giveaway hosted by Journeys of The Zoo.

This giveaway will showcase five Canadian Sponsors and their Handiwork including prizes totalling $100! To top it off, there will be not one but FIVE winners.

Five Times the Fun!

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1. Kari from Little Sweetie Clips.

My name is Kari and I'm a stay-at-home mom with two beautiful daughters and a wonderful husband who is my biggest fan and supporter!

My girls, Shayla and Kelsie are the inspiration behind Little Sweetie Clips. I started making hair pretties for Shayla as I found it hard to find cute hair accessories that would stay in the little amount of hair she had (neither daughter had any hair until their first birthday!). This became so much fun that I started selling them online and Little Sweetie Clips was born.

Everything I make, I make as if it were for my own daughter. We don't just make products for babies, we have a range of items for girls of all ages, including wedding and grad hair pieces as well as maternity sashes. I'm always looking to try new things and experiment with different fabric or ribbon. I love making custom designs and can create something special for you for a specific event.

Prize: Kari is giving away a set of three (3) shabby chic flower headbands valued at $24 ($8 each headband)! Winner can choose colors (based upon availability).
Freebie: *Free shabby chic flower hair clip with every purchase! Enter the 'secret code': JourneysofTheZoo at checkout with your choice of color*

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2. Shery from Shery K Designs.

My name is Shery K and I have been designing patterns for commercial use since 2002. In 2009, I moved to Canada with my Canadian husband (I'm from Egypt) and soon found my niche in scrapbooking design and paper crafting. After working with different design businesses my entrepreneurial spirit evolved and I started my own home-based business: "SHERY K DESIGNS".

Prize: Shery is giving away three printable digital paper packs from her shop valued at up to $12!
Discount: For the duration of the contest, all purchases will receive a 40% discount (yes, 40%) with the coupon code JSZOODIC40OFF.

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3. Kyra from GhostShip

GhostShip represents much more than an on-line jewelry store to me. It is my passion for life, nature and all things creative. The jewelry line is romantic and beautifully delicate, all lovingly hand crafted with care and attention to detail.

Since we all have worries, I created a Worry Locket line, which captures all of our worries and stores them into the silver filigree for safekeeping. The worry stones are semi-precious gemstones, representing each birthmonth, with specific healing properties. In ancient Greek times, worry beads were carried around to relieve stress and anxiety. The beads were often found objects and strung together to be lovingly counted in meditation. This modern day worry locket is filled with gorgeous nuggets of genuine peridot gemstones, strung on a long sterling silver chain. GhostShip also carries vintage seaglass and freshwater pearl treasures that will last forever.

Prize: Kyra is giving away a Beautiful Worry Locket with peridot gemstones valued at $29!
Note: Each week Kyra hosts a giveaway on her Facebook page. Liking her Facebook Page is a giveaway entry so be sure to do it to double your chances of winning!

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4. Julie from HandMade Treasures.

This pendant is handmade with non-tarnish silver wire, hugging three precious "eggs". Perfect for the Mom with three children. We can customize the number and color of "eggs" and wire type to suit your needs. Each piece is lovingly and uniquely made which means each piece may be slightly different than the picture but just as lovely.

Prize: Julie is giving away a Handmade Bird's Nest Pendant valued at $20!

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5. Kelly from Candy Coated.

Candy Coated is a proud Canadian company who takes pride in providing a personalized service that reflects your vision and style.

Together we will integrate a theme and colour scheme that inspires you. By combining hand crafted creations and mouthwatering confections we will design a one of a kind Sweet Table that is sure to impress your Guest of Honour, Friends and Family alike. Candy Coated will take care of the finer details and allow you to "Wow" your guests without the stress.

Whether your throwing a birthday bash or a bridal shower, Candy Coated will provide sweets, décor and a unique touch to make your event fabulous and virtually effortless.

Prize: Candy Coated is giving away a set of 12 personalized cupcake wrappers and toppers valued at $16!
Discount: For the duration of the contest, all purchases will receive a 15% discount on all A-la-carte and Sweet Table orders with the coupon code "ZOO2012"(at checkout).

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Winners: There will be five winners for this giveaway. One for each prize. Awesome, I know!
Eligibility:: Open to the USA and Canada.
Duration: The contest will run from Monday, September 17 until Monday, October 1, 2012, inclusive.
Notes: Free shipping within the USA and Canada is included in each of the prizes (where applicable).
Entry Method: Rafflecopter Form. See below.

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway was posted to Canadian Free Stuff, Blog Giveaways, Contest Canada and Linkies Contest Linkies.

  Besos, The Zoo

Kids Love Fairy Tales and Moey's Music Party [Review]

Journeys of The Zoo was first introduced to Moey's Music Party back in June when we reviewed their "The Princess Revolution" CD.

It turns out that Moey was so happy that we were so happy (that's a lot of happy) that she wanted to share with us her Multiple Award-Winning "Happily Ever Moey" CD/DVD Set.

This release has received awards from; Parent's Choice, National Parenting , Kids First, Creative Child Magazine and was named in the Top Ten Products at Toy Fair 2012 by The Toy Man.

Happily Ever Moey is a change from The Princess Revolution in that it's all about Fairy Tales. What thankfully didn't change, was Moey putting her own modern spin on some of my childhood favourites such as; #11 Take That You Wolf a.k.a. Little Red Riding Hood, #5 Twenty Mattresses a.k.a. Princess and The Pea and #6 You're Different a.k.a. The Ugly Duckling. The last two were also featured on her "The Princess Revolution" CD.

The kids sat enthralled for the first 35 minutes of the DVD until the bonus material started and up they got, dancing along for the next 20 minutes to even more songs and live party performances.

I think my favourite of the bunch to watch is "#13 Happily Ever Moey" because the DVD presents a medley of shots from the previous songs and ends things on such a happy note.

Maximilian as Little Red Riding Hood!


The DVD creatively filled my senses with mediums such as costumes, hand puppers, actions and involvement from 65 different kids. Once again, there were morals behind each of the tales; sharing, acceptance and respect for others and celebrating who you are. They even threw in a little "country" to shake things up from their usual rock and roll style.

I'm a Fairy Princess!

The Zoo does not have cable so we rely heavily on DVD's and VHS Tapes (yes, we have one) and I am so happy to add this to our "Must Watch with Regularity" list.

The two-disk CD and DVD package retails for $19.95 and is Distributed in the USA by CDbaby.com. Not in the USA? No worries, Moey ships to Canada!

Contact Moey via Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/moeysmusicparty) or Twitter (https://twitter.com/MoeysMusicParty) for details.

Everyday is a Moey's Music Party!

Journeys of The Zoo received a copy of this product that enabled me to complete my review. No other compensation was provided.

Besos, The Zoo

Summer Vacation at The Farm on Blue Mountain {Travel}

The Zoo's summer vacation started in early August at "The Farm" located at the top of Blue Mountain (just outside Collingwood, ON).

My parents bought the 1880's Farm in 1968. Not because they necessarily wanted a 100 acre functioning farm but because the piece of land that they got with their Devils Glen Ski Membership ($500 for a membership and plot of land at the hill) was full of quick sand.

Years later, my Uncle (Dad's Brother) bought the farm next door (not "bought the farm") and then married the daughter of the man that owned the property to the back of us. When you include the farm that my Uncle has since bought across the road, that makes 450 acres of fun for the whole Zoo!

My uncle is a full-time farmer with a bunch of beef cattle (at least 40 cows?) so there's never a shortage of chores, especially during the summer and The Zoo loves helping out.

Riding the wagon collecting square bales and then loading them into the barn, bottle feeding one of three sets of twin calves born (The Cow would only care for one), helping deliver calves, drive around turning off electric fences during storms, and the list goes on. Note that we may or may not have done any of these chores.

What we definitely did was: Ate Poppa's birthday cake, ate cheese curds till the cows came home, hung out in the tent with Aunt Sally.

Played in the huge sandbox that Poppa built, swung on the swing-set, playing on the jungle gym, rode on our tricycles and that was only the first day.

Oh to be two years old again.

But, they (and Uncle Kevin) spent most of their time on their newest toy... a Trampoline.

We knew that it would be a success because, the week before, we'd been in New York State visiting friends and they had the exact same one and the kids loved it!

After the fairly quick and easy installation, we made sure to implement some safety rules and let the fun begin. I never thought to read the 3,890 page pamphlet on all the things that you weren't supposed to do. Unknowingly, we may or may not have broken all some of the safety recommendations.

Thankfully, our story ends there but the day I got home, I spoke with my girlfriend and she told me how her child had been injured just that week while on a trampoline and we read other newspaper articles like this one from CBC News. Gulp.

After a two week visit, we came back to Ottawa to rest up and prepare for the second leg of our summer vacation...

Taylor Statten Camps on Canoe Lake, Algonquin Park, ON

  Besos, The Zoo

Current Works of Glass $25 GC, US/CAN, 09/27

Journeys of The Zoo has been busy this week...

On Monday, we told you about our plans for the "I Am Canadian" Feature and Linky.

On Wednesday we presented our first Feature, Current Works of Glass.

And Today, Current Works of Glass is giving away a $25 Gift Certificate from their Etsy Shop!

Current Works of Glass

"Current Works of Glass is the art and jewelry of Jennifer Anne, a glass artist living on a riverbank near Ottawa, Canada. Jennifer has studied at the Ottawa School of Art, The Studio at Corning in New York, and enjoyed the expertise of renowned teachers and mentors."

Jennifer has so many items to choose from such as; necklaces, bracelets, earrings and sets as well as rings, bracelets and Something for Him, cufflinks. But that's not all so stop by her shop and pick your favourite.

Besides my necklace (pictured above), you could put your gift certificate towards these Pink and Iridescent Clear Glass Hook Earrings or Fused Glass Earrings and Pendant on Silver Plate.

Enter to Win!

-------------------------------------o------------------------------------------

Prize: $25 Gift Certificate from Current Works of Glass.
Eligibility: USA and CANADA.
Duration: The contest will run from Thursday, September 13 until Thursday, September 29, 2012, inclusive.
Shipping: Included in the prize for items valued at 425 or less.
Entry Method: Rafflecopter Form.
Disclosure: Journeys of The Zoo received product that enabled us to complete our review. No other compensation was provided. Important Note: Mandatory entries must be completed to be eligible. Entries will be checked.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway was posted to Blog Giveaways, Contest Canada and Linkies Contest Linkies.

Besos, The Zoo

Current Works of Glass: Feature & Linky {Canadian}

Journeys of The Zoo is pleased to introduce you to the first "I Am Canadian" Linky and Feature Recipient...

 

Current Works of Glass!

Jennifer, the Owner of Current Works of Glass and I first "met" when we worked together on "The Great Canadian Blog Bash 2012" giveaway back in June. Her creativity and talent speaks for itself but it's her kindness that makes her stand out. From the very beginning she has been a huge support in my blogging endeavours and even created a pendant just for me (pictured below). It turns out that we only live one hour from each other. Small World.

Seeing as Jennifer is the professionally trained artist, I will allow her to describe what makes her tick in her own words...

I love creating jewelry as it is like little art sculptures that make people smile. I get the same satisfaction from a unique necklace as from one of my bigger sculptures. Going between jewelry and glass sculpture keeps my mind focused on the smallest detail and the overall mood of every piece.

The dance of light and glass is a reminder of sunlight on water. My work tends to focus on optimism with a nod to the struggles of humans and nature. This is glass work that is contemporary and original; all designs and patterns are my own creation. No two pieces are ever the same as my creativity comes from my admiration for the unique and fresh.

I am happiest singing in my studio while cutting glass and creating new designs from my imagination. Following my passion makes me smile. When people like what I create it makes me smile even more.

Recently, Current Works was placed on the prestigious "Crown and Pumpkin Studio Tour" taking place Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend in Clayton, Blakeney, and Almonte Mississippi Mills. Detailed information is available on their site (see Step 4b). Or, stay updated on this and two upcoming events (in November) by liking Current Works Facebook Page.

As mentioned, I am the fortunate owner of one of Jennifer's pieces of art. As luck would have it, the necklace arrived the morning that we were leaving for our annual summer camping trip in Algonquin Park (post to follow shortly).

When she originally asked me what colour I wanted, I told her to surprize me and she sure did, by reading my mind! My favourite colours are yellow, orange and red and my passion for the outdoors began when I was a child. So you can imagine how pleased I was to find that this was all mine.

I put it on right away but thought that I wouldn't keep it on because it would bother me or I would fear that it would get damaged. That time never came as I didn't even realize that I was wearing it until the compliments started rolling in...

The fused glass pendant comes on a silver plate bail with a ribbon and raffia necklace and each one is initialled on the back. Note that Jennifer sent me two necklaces so that I could switch things up depending on the occasion. Red for day, Black for night or the other way around?

Be sure to visit the Current Works of Glass Etsy Shop for details and

Support Canadian!

And just because it's September, one of you will be the lucky winner of a glass pendent by Jennifer.

Watch for the giveaway post tomorrow, Thursday, September 13!

Don't forget to contact me regarding YOUR Feature. Read this post or click the "I Am Canadian" logo in my left sidebar for additional information.

And Now for The "I Am Canadian" Linky...

If you are Canadian or have a Canadian Product, Cause, Blog, or other Canadian related item, then you are officially invited to add yourself to this Linky. Please leave a comment or email me (journeysofthezoo at hotmail dot com) if you have any questions.

• URL. Please enter the direct link that you would like people to go to. I put "http://www.journeysofthezoo.com"
  
• Name. Please add your Blog, Company, Cause name. You do NOT need to enter your real name. I put "Journeys of The Zoo".
  
• Email. Note that your email will not be displayed nor will it be shared with anyone.

If you notice a link that was entered in error (for example, not a Canadian or not Family Friendly), please let me know.

Note that this Linky is not intended as a Giveaway Linky. While you are free to link up once and can link to a giveaway, I would appreciate it if you added all your giveaways to my Weekly Facebook Giveaway Wall, Tuesday, September 11 to Monday, September 17. All welcome. No limit. No invite. Must be Family Friendly and Open to Canadians. Just look for the post!

Besos, The Zoo