Giveaway: Dads Deserve to be Healthy with @AdultEssentials

The men in our lives deserve to be as healthy as they can be and Adult Essentials can help them do that! What man doesn't love a good tasting gummy every once in a while? After all, many men are just kids at heart, right? Adult Essentials taste so delicious that they are hard to resist. In fact, it is difficult to forget to take them because they taste THAT good!

I have been taking Adult Essentials vitamins for over a year, and I believe they have made a big difference in my health. I decided to share Adult Essentials with the two most important men in my life - my husband and my dad. Neither of them has ever taken vitamins consistently in their life, although they have tried. They both love the taste of these vitamins so much that they never need reminders to take them. In fact, my husband even makes a point of packing some whenever he has to go away on business trips!

Adult Essentials are pectin based gummy vitamins that are:

• gluten free, nut free, dairy free
• approved by Health Canada
• made with natural flavours and colours
• delicious

To celebrate the dads in our lives, Adult Essentials, along with Multi-Testing Mommy and a group of other Canadian bloggers, are co-hosting a Dads Deserve to be Healthy Giveaway.

Would you like to enter to win a handsome monogrammed black gym bag FULL of Adult Essentials for that important Dad in your life? Enter the Rafflecopter Form below.

Giveaway is open to Canadian Residents only and ends on June 17th 12:01AM. Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Adult Essentials are available online at Well.ca , as well as most Sobeys, Rexall Pharma Plus, Metro,  Shoppers Drug Mart, London Drugs and Loblaws/Real Canadian Super Stores.

Disclosure: I was provided with free Adult Essential vitamins to share with the men in my life for this giveaway. All opinions expressed are my own.

It's a Wonderful Weekend

It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining and it's supposed to be 26 degrees today.

There are so many things that I am appreciative of this weekend. Here are just a few:

The Girls Night for Autism fundraiser at Deer Creek Country Club last night was a huge success. It was a sold-out event, with over 250 women in attendance, raising funds for Autism Ontario - Durham Region. It was a great night, with lots to see and do, including psychic readings, free massages, a wide variety of entertainers, from a Bollywood dancer to Elvis, an amazing silent auction and Pickering fire fighters selling 50/50 tickets. I'm not sure of the final amount raised, but I know it exceeded initial expectations, thanks to the hard work of a dedicated group of volunteers and the generosity of sponsors and attendees. It was great to see people I hadn't seen for quite some time - it's always nice to reconnect with old friends and people from the autism community.

I woke up to discover that one of the articles I've written for HubPages was selected as the Hub-of-the-Day today. 10 Tips for Getting Started with Freezer Cooking  This is quite an honour!

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, which usually means I get to sleep in a bit and maybe even get breakfast in bed.

It's also my parent's 45th wedding anniversary tomorrow. This is an amazing accomplishment that serves as testimony to the love and affection they have for one another. I am proud and grateful to have such positive role models in my life who have always been so supportive of me.

Happy weekend everyone!

McDonald's McHappy Day - May 2nd

McDonald's McHappy Day is coming up on May 2nd!

McHappy Day is a day when McDonalds restaurants across Canada raise money to support children in need and their families through children's charities. Last year's McHappy Day raised over $3.4 million dollars for various children's charities, including Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC^®) Canada.

Since the first Ronald McDonald House opened in Toronto in 1981, over 227,000 families have been supported through RMHC^®    There are now 12 Ronald McDonald houses across Canada, with two more under construction. For parents that find themselves in a strange city with a child in the hospital, Ronald McDonald Houses provide a safe and supportive home away from home that makes a scary and overwhelming situation a little more manageable.

As the mom of twins that were born prematurely and needed to be in the hospital's special care nursery for the first two weeks after they were born, I understand how important it is to be close to your children when they are in the hospital. I was fortunate that the hospital they were in was close to home. If it hadn't been, I can only imagine how relieved I would be to have a place to stay like Ronald McDonald House.

McHappy Day also supports local children's charities. My son has been served by several of the charities that have been supported by McHappy Days in the past, including Precious Minds and Grandview Children's Centre. I am so grateful that this type of program exists to help these amazing charities, and others like them, to continue to serve children in need and their families.

For these reasons, I am happy to support McDonald's McHappy Day on May 2nd, and I hope you will do the same.

For every Big Mac, Happy Meal or McCafe drink sold on May 2nd, McDonalds restaurants will donate $1 to children's charities. It's a great way to help make a difference to children and families in need.

You can also text MCHAPPY to 30333 to make a $5 donation to RMCH Canada.

* Disclosure: I am participating in the McHappy Day Blogger Program by ShesConnected. A donation in my name was made to Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada in exchange for my participation in this campaign. All opinions expressed are my own.

Writing Challenge on HubPages

I'm participating in a writing challenge over on HubPages this week. The challenge is to write 10 Hubs about 10 Things in 10 Days.

Here's my first article:
Prince Edward Island: 10 Things to See & Do on a PEI Vacation

This was a fun one to write. Our family took a summer vacation to PEI in August of 2009, and I fell in love with the beaches and natural beauty of the island. It was great to reminisce about this trip and look through our photos for the article.

Path to the beach in PEI

Greenwich Dunes, PEI

Lighthouse in Souris, PEI

PEI beach

If you haven't been to PEI, I highly recommend it!

Nature is Good for my Soul

For the last few months, I have been writing a column for Uxbridge Town Talk magazine. I have enjoyed it immensely, and have been fortunate to have been able to write about topics of interest to me.

For the May issue, I was asked to write about Bird Watching in the Countryside Preserve, which also involved taking some photos. Walking through the preserve one morning last week, I was reminded how fortunate we are to live so close to so many great trails and how being out in nature is so very good for my soul.

A tree swallow and robin in the Countryside Preserve.

Map at the trailhead of the Countryside Preserve in Uxbridge

A bench offers a relaxing place to enjoy nature in the Countryside Preserve.

A tiny stream in the forest.

Black-capped Chickadee in tree

Robin on a beautiful spring day in the forest.

Marsh in the Countryside Preserve.

Earth Day is coming up this weekend, on April 22nd. I am going to make sure that we spend as much time outdoors as possible, appreciating all that nature has to offer.

If you need ideas for activities to do with your family this Earth Day, be sure to check out my Earth Day suggestions on HubPages or in Uxbridge Town Talk .

World Autism Awareness Day

Today is World Autism Awareness Day.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention just released a report that indicates the prevalence rate of autism in the United States is now 1 in 88 children, or 1 in 54 boys and 1 in 252 girls. When my son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in 2003, the prevalance rate was thought to be about 1 in 250. Every year since his diagnosis, the prevalence numbers have been adjusted, with more and more children being diagnosed every year.

Although these numbers are in many ways shocking, they are, sadly, not that surprising to me. Almost every month, I receive another call or email from a friend, or a friend of a friend, whose child has just been diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. I remember receiving Ryan's diagnosis, and not knowing where to start or who to turn to, and feeling so isolated and overwhelmed. Talking to other parents facing a new diagnosis of autism always brings me back to that day, and all of the emotions that it stirred up. I know what they are feeling (to some degree) and would love to tell them there's a quick and easy way to help their child. Unfortunately, I can't do that. The best I can do is listen, share my experiences and tips, and help ensure they are connected with all of the available resources - which in many cases means being on a long waiting list for services.

According to the United Nations,

"Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that manifests itself during the first three years of life. It results from a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, mostly affecting children and adults in many countries irrespective of gender, race or socio-economic status. It is characterized by impairments in social interaction, problems with verbal and non-verbal communication and restricted, repetitive behaviour, interests and activities.

The rate of autism in all regions of the world is high and it has a tremendous impact on children, their families, communities and societies.

It can bring significant economic hardships to families, given the lack of health resources often found in developing countries. The stigmatization and discrimination associated with these illnesses also remain substantial obstacles to diagnosis and treatment. The absence of autism spectrum disorders and other mental disorders among children from lists of the leading causes of death has contributed to their long-term neglect by both public policy-makers in developing countries, as well as donors."

All over the world, events will be taking place today to commemorate World Autism Awareness Day, and many buildings, homes and businesses will be participating in the "Light It Up Blue" program started by Autism Speaks several years ago to "shine a light on autism." Iconic landmarks such as the Empire State Building and the CN Tower will be lit up with blue lights tonight, to help bring awareness to this disorder.

Although awareness is a positive step in the right direction, it can not be the end. More resources have been devoted to supporting children, adolescents and adults with autism in Canada over the last few years, but there is still much more needed to help every individual lead a full and rich life and reach his full potential.

To learn more about Autism Spectrum Disorders, and resources available, visit
Autism Ontario's website and the Autism Speaks (Canada) or  Autism Speaks (US) website.

Wordless Wednesday - Flowers to Brighten Your Day

Wordless Wednesday - Flowers to Brighten Your Day

Photo Collage of Yellow Flowers from my garden last summer