Callista's Ramblings

GIVEAWAY: $50 bundle of Halloween downloads

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:18:00 +0000

One lucky winner will win a $50 bundle of Halloween downloads. The bundle includes the following e-books:

Fancy Filled Tutu with Bonus 40 Tutu "Recipes"
Pumpkin Polly Patterns
Paper Piecing Project: Pumpkin Patch Pillow
Frayed Applique: Too Cute to Spook!
Little Miss Spider Applique Patterns
How to Applique the Easy Way
Hocus Pocus Patterns
Just a Little Something for a Happy Halloween Table Runner

I was able to check out the Fancy Filled Tutu one for free and it looks pretty good. I didn't try it out because I'm not crafty, there is not way I could make it. I love the "recipes" though which tells you what colours to use and what kind of items to add to the tutu to make certain themes such as summer, winter, Christmas, Easter, Ladybug, Bunny and more. I think these e-books would be great for those who are looking to create their own Halloween costumes this year and the next few years!

You can click the links above to find out more about each e-book but make sure to come back to enter.

This giveaway is open WORLDWIDE but only till October 22 so the winner has some time to throw together a costume. So enter now! Comment on this post for your first entry, then if you choose, you can do some of the following to gain more entries.

Extra Entries:

1 - Tweet about this giveaway and comment again with a link to your tweet. If you want to follow or reference me, I'm @callista83

2 - Email 3 friends about this giveaway and BCC me at callista83 AT cogeco DOT ca

Good Luck!

Review: My Little Pony Twinkle Wish Adventure

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Release Date: October 13, 2009
Rating: Not Rated
Total Running Time: 81 minutes
From Shout Factory and Hasbro

Story Summary: All the ponies can't wait for the Winter Wishes Festival where the Wishing Star grants each pony one special wish. But when the Wishing Star disappears, they go on a journey to find it. But will they make it back in time for the festival? Join Pinkie Pie and all her pony friends on their journey as they discover that friendship can make wishes come true!

Although this is the first My Little Pony DVD my daughters have ever seen I used to watch My Little Pony on TV when I was a child in the late 80s, early 90s. I must say the graphics are much better now but the show is just as fun. My daughters are almost four and two and a half and they absolutely loved it, especially my elder daughter. In fact, she watched it two times in a row and has watched it every day since then at least once a day, sometimes two or three times.

We also checked out the special features which include a new animated short called Elefun and Friends which both children liked and a Waiting for the Winter Wishes Festival prequel which they now always watch before the show. There is also six sing-along songs and downloadable activities such as a Pony Note to Santa and Cut-Out Pony Ornaments.

I asked my eldest what her favourite part of the movie was and she said all of it. So I showed her a picture of all the ponies and asked her which one was her favourite and she pointed to each and every one and said "This one and this one and this one..." So needless to say, I'll be buying more My Little Pony products and videos for my children.

You can see a very short clip from the video from Shout Factory or watch the almost five minute prequel on the Hasbro site. Keep in mind that the actual video is in much better quality than these videos.

Buy Twinkle Wish Adventure Now

Pillsbury Baking Challenge

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:20:00 +0000

I just heard about an online contest called the Pillsbury Baking Challenge. It offers a great way for the creative Canadian baker to win for their art! The Grand Prize winner will walk away with a dream suite of kitchen appliances courtesy of Whirlpool®, cleaning services for a full year courtesy of Molly Maid®, and a year's worth of groceries, all valued at over $11,500 - and here is how to participate.

To enter, all you have to do is visit the official contest site at www.bakingchallenge.ca from September 28 - November 15 , select the Pillsbury product that you would use in your recipe, add your additional ingredients/preparation instructions and you're done!

You can upload as many recipes as you want until November 15. At that time, we will open up the site to public voting until December 31. This is your chance to get your friends and family to vote for and rate your favourite submission. Read the full contest details.

The nine most popular recipes will move on to the final judging round where the judge roster (including Erica Ehm, Kim Vallée, Jennifer Hamilton, Carol Huynh and a Pillsbury Kitchenista) will choose three grand prize winners, five honourable mention winners and one Pillsbury choice winner.

The winner will be announced January 22, 2010.

Did you go to college? Maybe you should try one of these courses....

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:23:00 +0000

Pornography Appreciation? South Park and Political Correctness, Oprah Winfrey: The Tycoon (a history class)?

Check out this list.

REVIEW: 'The Middle' premieres on ABC this fall

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0000

(l-r) Eden Sher as Sue, Neil Fynn as Mike, Atticus Shaffer as Brick, Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Charlie McDermott as Axl (Photo: Warner Bros. Television Entertainment/Richard Foreman)

Warner Bros. Television's new fall series "The Middle" premieres on ABC Wednesday, September 30th at 8:30 p.m.

However I got a sneak preview of the pilot episode and I wanted to share my thoughts with you here. First a little bit about the series:

"Forget about athletes, movie stars and politicians. Parents are the real heroes—but we think Frankie Heck (Patricia Heaton), must be some kind of superhero. A loving wife and mother of three, she's middle class in the middle of the country and is rapidly approaching middle age.

Frankie and her husband, Mike (Neil Flynn), have lived in Orson, Indiana, their whole lives. A man of few words (every one a zinger), Mike is a manager at the town quarry and Frankie is the third-best used car salesman (out of the three) at the local dealership. She may not be a high-powered career woman, but when it comes to her family, she'll go to just about any length. And with kids like these, she had better. There's Axl (Charlie McDermott), her semi-nudist teenage son conceived while under the influence of Guns N' Roses; Sue (Eden Sher), the awkward teenage daughter who fails at everything… but with the utmost of gusto; and their seven-year-old son Brick (Atticus Shaffer), whose best friend is his backpack.

Sometimes it seems like everyone is trying to get to the top, or struggling not to hit bottom, but we think Frankie and her family will find a lot of love, and a lot of laughs, somewhere in The Middle."

With Patricia Heaton (wife from Everybody Loves Raymond) and Neil Fynn (janitor from Scrubs) as the parents, you know the shows going to be funny. The parent dynamic is different from other sitcoms but I didn't realize what it was till I read this Interview with Patricia Heaton on StarPulse. I read the interview AFTER seeing the show and it spelled out for me what is different about it. Most family sitcoms have a lazy father who tries to get out of doing everything while the wife does everything around the house. It was funny originally but has since gotten old, not to mention degrading to the good fathers. The Middle is different, both parents do what they can to keep the family moving, and Oh what a family it is.

The kids were all funny in their own way but the youngest boy Brick played by Atticus Shaffer is hilarious! This show actually was made into a pilot before with Ricki Lake as the mom and some other actors as the rest of the family but Atticus was playing Brick then too. They made a wise choice in keeping him as Brick for this second pilot. He's so quirky it's hilarious!

There were times I was laughing out loud (Mike (father) seems to be able to come up with the laughs just as easily as when he was on Scrubs.) but I don't know that I identified as much as I could have. However, that's probably because while I am middle class, I don't live in middle class USA, nor am I near Middle age and I'm not in the middle of nowwhere. My children are only two and three so I haven't gone through most of what the Hecks have gone through.

I think the show's pretty funny but if the kids are always this dysfunctional, it might get a little old.

L'Shanah Tovah

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:41:00 +0000

Happy Rosh Hashanah to everyone. Happy New Year. It's 5770 by the Jewish Calendar!

I'm going out to a dinner tonight to celebrate with my family and I thought I'd just share some links, especially for kids and families.

TorahTots Rosh Hashana - great explanation for kids of the holiday plus colouring pages and online games.

Rosh Hashanah at Chabad.org Kids - arts, crafts, recipes, stories and more

Intro to Rosh Hashanah at About.com

Sorry everyone... still around

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 22:36:00 +0000

Sorry for seemingly disappearing on everyone. I'm still around, I've just been dealing with some personal stuff and I've got a wedding to attend this Labour Day weekend so I've been buying everything needed for that and the like.

I've got some posts coming up this September which is only 9 days away so come back then!

GIVEAWAY: Stiletto Woman Magazine

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:00:00 +0000

This contest is open worldwide.

Did you see my review of Stiletto Woman Magazine?

Read Carefully:
I have an e-version of the magazine to giveaway. You must understand that it is for personal use only, and not to be shared, exchanged, posted, or otherwise distributed. By commenting on this post to win, you agree to abide by those conditions.

Here are the ways you can win:

1. Comment here that you'd like to win. Make sure you leave an email address or that it's in your blogger profile or EASY to find on your blog/site. [one entry]

2. Visit http://www.stilettowoman.com and tell me the name of one person featured on the cover of the current edition of the magazine. [one entry]

3. Follow me on twitter and comment that you did (or are) and your twitter id [one entry]

4. Tweet about my contest and include @callista83 in the tweet [one entry] or both @callista83 and @stilettowoman for [two entries]

5. Follow my blog publicly (or already be following my blog) and comment with your name/id that you follow as (so I can confirm) [one entry]

If you do ALL of these you will have up to 6 entries. Good luck!

Contest is open until Monday, August 10 11:59 PM EST

[Guest Post] Amtrak California

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 10:00:00 +0000

*This post is by Sarah at Puss Reboots - check out her great book reviews!*

If you live in California and want a low cost adventure for your family, try taking the train. Different routes run special promotions that can significantly cut the cost of travel.

For example, the Capitol Corridor that runs from San Jose to Sacramento has a summer time deal where children ride free when accompanied by an adult. Better yet, it's two children per every one adult ticket.

In California, free transfers to other forms of public transportation are also available. BART tickets can be purchased at a discount. For more information: http://www.dot.ca.gov/rail/go/dor/index.cfm

Other Amtrak lines run similar promotions at different times of the year. Regardless of that, children still ride at a discounted fare. Infants (2 and under) are free and ages 2-15 are 50%. For older children and students there are discount plans that require special tickets.

Tickets can be bought online at: http://www.amtrak.com, or at a station, an automated ticket machine (requires a credit card) or from a conductor on the train (photo ID required).

REVIEW: MeeWee Kid's Hip Hop

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:00:00 +0000

I'll just quote from the MeeWee Website:

"MeeWee is fun, exciting, and uplifting Hip-Hop music for elementary school age children. Through the years, nearly all Hip-Hop music and culture has been designed for adolescents and adults. These fans now have children who love the lively and energetic songs that they hear; unfortunately, most of the lyrical content isn't quite appropriate. Well, MeeWee solves that! With songs like "I Need A Hug", "Us Bus", and "I Can Be Anything", Hip-Hop fans who are six, seven, and eight years old have cause to celebrate. So do their parents, as they get their children ready to rap and dance to the beats and rhymes of MeeWee."

I was able to listen to the MeeWee songs and I must say, they are really cool. Some of them almost sounds like Eminem and you have to listen carefully before you realize it's most certainly NOT Eminem. The lyrics are perfectly safe for even the youngest ears. My children are two and three but they seemed to like it. My three-year-old does seems to like all kinds of music though.

I love the Hippopotamus one. You can hear a bit of the chorus on the main page. It plays the whole of the first song and then if you double click on the title you can hear a sample of the other songs.

Are you a teacher? You'll find MeeWee music can be used in the classroom. MeeWee has a whole teacher's resources section.

You can buy the music on Amazon or iTunes and some other places too. Also check out the MeeWee CafePress store for t-shirts, notebooks and stickers and more.

I'm off to Girl Guide Camp

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 10:00:00 +0000

I'm a leader and I'll be leaving today and gone till Saturday the 25th. I have a few posts set to post automatically throughout the week so be sure to check back!

Have a great week!

Stiletto Women Magazine

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Stiletto Woman Magazine, published by Stiletto Woman, Inc. (www.StilettoWoman.com), is a publication that celebrates the accomplishments of women who have a presence on the web, and are doing amazing things in business, online, and in communities around the world!

They are launching their premiere issue this summer with their Amazing Women edition, where they rank the Top 50 Women on the Web!

"We set out to find women who were innovative, showed great leadership, and had a desire to help others both locally and nationwide! We want to inspire women in your online community by spreading our mission and highlighting the winning top 50!"

I had a chance to ask the women in charge a few questions:

What inspired the creation of Stiletto Women Magazine?
We love to answer this question! The idea came from a few places.

Often times, when you hear about the accomplishments of women, particularly in business, you’ll read stories of those who worked in renowned companies…you know, the Microsoft’s of the world, and how they used their astounding experience, know-how, and stellar contacts to launch a business. This is great because we can all learn from these trailblazing ladies, but what about women who have the passion, the gut instincts, and the capacity to learn fast, but lack information, support, and capital? You don’t hear about them in many major market magazines.

It can be discouraging trying to accomplish something so challenging, when you don’t see others doing what you aspire to do. Many want to see others who have been in their shoes take the same risks, and make it! When developing Stiletto Woman, we would frequently read about women accomplishing so much. However, it wasn’t relatable.

Of course, one can be successful with investors, an extensive bank loan, or business strategist at your fingertips. We want to say to other females and to the world (in business and in life) “Hey, there really are regular women, doing brilliant things every day, and they’re doing it their way.”

We also want to give the common woman a voice by addressing every side of us. It’s important to read of our successes and failures, because life is full of them! We intend to inspire in a real way. Yes, we approach things in a stylish manner, but our focal point is not a pair of $800 high heels! Particularly in the magazine, we will talk about fashion and other hip topics in a well-rounded, comprehensive kind of way—not carelessly. To us, there was a lack of that. So you’ll find an open and receptive way of discussing what really happens in our lives.

What topics are covered in the magazine?
Our editorial vision is to empower today’s modern woman. Our intent is to tell real stories, provide real inspiration, and impact real life! Therefore, each edition we publish has a defined purpose with targeted content.

We aim to publish work that has substance—that is relevant to most. Next year, Stiletto Woman Magazine will be published tri-annually, where two issues will be dedicated to real life circumstances of every day women.

For our premiere 2009 Amazing Women issue, you will find the ranking of the Top 50 Most Amazing Women on the Web. In addition, you can read articles about time management, living sensibly in this economy, how to be a better leader in the workplace, and more.

Our next release will be the Winter Edition, Women’s Health issue, where we learn more about how to live healthier lives from experts. You’ll find stories of women who have had health challenges—some of them have overcome, while others battle daily to conquer their medical conditions.

Subsequent to that, the Fall Edition, College Mom’s issue, will address concerns specifically related to adult education. You’ll find stories of challenge and triumph. We’ll look at issues from various perspectives, again with expert opinions to help guide and enlighten the discussion.

How did you choose the top 50 women?
We started with over 100 women. Each was diverse and inspiring in her own way. We couldn’t believe the range of talent and level of commitment the women had. We knew it would be a tough task to narrow it down. Therefore, we didn’t review the candidates based on a single idea or site alone. We evaluated them on the following criteria:

1) Idea Innovation. We looked at originality, how imaginative they were, how creative they were in executing their ideas, and communicating the brand.

2) Professional Leadership. We assessed their background, their ability to lead, the ethics they upheld, and sense of character.

3) Supportive Community. We wanted to see their desire to help others. We looked at their social impact, and sense of community.

4) Site Design. Being that we’re looking at women who have a presence online, the web site or blog site had to exhibit professionalism. It needed to be effective in delivery, with good layout and design.

Our panel of eight professional women then used a scoring system to select the top 50! It was important for the magazine to exhibit diversity—not solely in the range of women featured, but also in the types of businesses, web sites, and blog sites showcased. You won’t find many large corporations or illustrious personalities mentioned. We deliberately profiled authentic women you might not hear about every day.

How often is the magazine published and can it be subscribed to?

We launched with our Amazing Woman issue this year. However, next year the magazine will be published in the Winter, Spr/Summer, and Fall. Each year two issues will be dedicated to a particular topic, and each summer we’ll release our Amazing Women of the year.

We will begin accepting subscriptions for our 2010 editions later this year. So stay tuned to stilettowoman.com to find out when you can get the magazine automatically delivered to your mailbox!

How can one apply to be considered as an Amazing Woman for 2010?
We are already gearing up for next year! Our application process is simple. You go to our website at stilettowoman.com, and click on the magazine link. You will see information about submitting your entry. We will begin accepting submissions later in the year. However, due to demand, we may accept them sooner.

Submissions will be sent through on our site, and can come in from a variety of ways:

· They can come from the candidates themselves· They can come from suggestions of other people
· They can come from our research, and those we seek out

The assessment process takes a good amount of time. Therefore if you or someone you know is interested, we recommend getting your site in tip-top shape, ensure your message positively impact others, and don’t forget to show your creativity. We have several months left to the open submission period, so take that time to decipher how you’re going to give us your best pitch! When you’re ready, log on to our website, and submit!

Playgroups

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:43:00 +0000

My July article is up at Root & Sprout and it's all about playgroups!

Check out The Benefits of Playgroups!

<--- One of my daughters at playgroup

A Little Piece of Happy

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:35:00 +0000

Trident gum’s A Little Piece of Happy campaign encourages people to keep a pack of Trident with them so that they can enjoy a little piece of happy wherever they are. Even through these tough times, it will remind you that their little piece of happiness is always waiting, whenever they need it. Trident will always be their little piece of Happy.

Have you seen the commercials? Here's one:

Remember to chew your piece of Trident for "A Little Piece of Happy"

For More: http://www.tridentgum.com/alittlepieceofhappy

Girl Guides of Canada launches 2010 website

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:27:00 +0000

*News from Girl Guides of Canada*

In 2010, Girl Guides of Canada-Guides du Canada (GGC) is celebrating our 100th anniversary of giving girls the tools and resources they need to achieve greatness. To help you connect with all of our exciting 2010 activities, initiatives and events, we’ve launched a dynamic new website – http://2010.girlguides.ca.

This website is your online destination for all GGC 100th anniversary information. The site includes details on:

· 2010 events for all levels including the National Celebration Launch Party and National Rally Day

· National Service Project – Eradicate Hunger and Poverty

· National Program Challenge – 100 in 100

· Fact pages on Guiding’s rich history in Canada, including the role of Girl Guide cookies

· And much more!

In the coming months we will also be posting resources, tool kits and a calendar of events to help you plan your 2010 activities. Celebration initiatives and events will take place at all levels of the organization across the country throughout the year, so be sure to check the website regularly for updates.

GIVEAWAY: Always Infinity

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:10:00 +0000

*This giveaway is open to Canadians ONLY*

Sorry I know I'm a few days late, things were hectic.

I did a post and review on Always Infinity which is NOW available in Canada (previously available in US) and I mentioned I'd have a giveaway for you!

I have one box of Always Infinity pads, Heavy absorbency. There are 16 pads in a box.

Entering is easy. There are two main ways to enter.

1. Leave a comment here. You can talk about pads and periods if you want but it's not necessary. "Enter Me Please" is fine. Leave your email or blog/profile url if I can get your email out of that.

OR

2. If you are uncomfortable commenting that you'd like a box of pads, send ONE email to callista83 AT cogeco DOT ca with at least the word 'Always' in the subject line to be entered.

NOTE: This is not a second way to enter. It's #1 OR #2. If you don't want to be contacted at the email you send your message from, please leave me another one in your message.

Sorry that's it, no extra entries this time.

Giveaway is open until Saturday July 4, 11:59 PM EST

Art of Fresh Tour

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:32:00 +0000

Check out ART OF FRESH - Toronto rap duo of D.O. and Slakah The Beatchild.

D.O. set the Guinness World Record by freestyling over 8 hours & 45 minutes, and Slakah is a Juno award-winning producer.

"While the group now resides in Toronto, Ontario, they met in the small city of Sarnia, Ontario. Although they both attended the same high school it wasn’t at the same time. D.O. was in University when he heard about the young beat making prodigy. The age gap between the two is partly responsible for the groups’ unique sound. While D.O. grew up in the 80’s - a time known as the Golden Era of Hip-Hop, Slakah grew up in the 90’s listening to neo-soul influenced Hip-Hop. Putting the two together can only be described as Tribe meets Outkast, or Rakim meets Raphael Sadiq."

Check out their album here: http://download.themusebox.net/art_of_fresh/

- Art Of Fresh Tour Dates -

Date City Venue
Tues June 30 - Chatham, ON - River Rock
Wed July 1 - Sarnia, ON - Canatara Park
Tues July 7 - Toronto, ON - Revival (D.O. Release Party)
Mon Jul 13 - Vancouver, BC - Media Club
Thur July 16 - Revelstoke, BC - Regent Inn
Sat July 18 - Fernie, BC - Bulldogs North
Sun Jul 19 - Banff, AB - Wild Bills
Tues July 21 - Canmore, AB - Drake
Wed July 22 - Grand Prairie, AB - Better Than Freds
Thur July 23 - Jasper, AB - Atha B
Fri July 24 - Sun Peaks, BC - Masas
Sat July 25 - Lethbridge, AB - Henotic Bar
Sun July 26 - Calgary, AB - Soho's
Mon July 27 - Red Deer, AB - TBA

REVIEW: Always Infinity has come to Canada

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:07:00 +0000

Men may want to skip this post. Also anyone uncomfortable talking or reading about private issues.

If you're a reader from the US, you may already be familiar with Always Infinity, a relatively new feminine hygiene product. Well Always Infinity has finally come to Canada. I got to try it out before hand, while they were deciding whether to bring it to Canada. Below are my thoughts:

"I loved the Always Infinity. I love the way it's designed, with those cuts in them that allow them to contour to your body better.With the other always pads, when you first put them on it feels like you have a diaper on or a huge roll of paper towel between your legs. It makes you walk like a penguin. This one didn't, at ALL. The sample was heavy flow but was skinnier than the other heavy flows from Always. But they still held a lot. I didn't have ANY problem with odor and I loved how the bottom was wider than the top which makes more sense. I always thought pads should have a top and a bottom. It was very comfortable and I was sad when the box was empty."

The picture below shows the specific features of the Infinity.

Always Canada - Infinity

And check back Aug 1/09 for free samples or coupons

In the meantime, I will be having a giveaway, so come back tomorrow!

REVIEW: Sababa Wizardology Deluxe Board Game

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 01:14:00 +0000

I had the pleasure of playing this game at my brother's house. He's into everyting Wizardly and so this was the perfect game for him.

Summary: Players must graduate from Apprentice to Accomplished Wizard by mastering 4 Wizardological Tasks, and then free the Master Wizard Merlin from the spell that has bound him to a tree by the evil Vivenne. Players travel the board on broomsticks, magic carpets or with flying boots gathering ancient spells and dragon charms in their pursuit to adorn their apprentice with all of the tools necessary to become a true Wizard Master. Comes with 6 sculpted Wizard Play Pieces, corresponding Wizard Hats, Wands, Wizard Pets (Familiars) and magical beast locater medallions for players to wear. Inspired by the book by Templar Publishing!

I like all things magical too so I enjoyed this game. However it took a long time to play. It took us a little over 3 hours to play with three players. It's a game for up to 6 players and is recommended for adults. There's nothing inappopriate for children but it's quite complex and even us adults had to keep attention on the game and keep checking what it was we were supposed to be doing next. It took us 10 minutes to get through the instruction booklet. Although it's complex, it is a very good game.

You work your way through the maze of a board to collect your (Wizard) hat, amulet, staff and familiar and then when you have all four, you make your way to the middle and "fight against Merlin" to win the game.

The game comes with four different die, used for different things. The number die, used for moving around the board, is very cool. It's a die within a die. The picture to the right is from flickr user Amsk and is not of the specific die from Wizardology but of three other "die within a die" die. The one from Wizardology looks a lot like the middle on in the picture.

Overall, The game was long and complex but VERY fun and I recommend it to adults or older teens who are patient and like long complex games, especially magical ones.

Would you like to buy it from amazon?

Riding the Train

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Have you ever ridden a passenger train? I'm on one RIGHT NOW as you read this. I'm visiting my brother. He's come down lots of times but this is the first time I'm going to see him. It's my first time on a train and first time travelling alone. I will admit I'm nervous. I'm one of those people who needs to know exactly how things will work and when and in what order. If it's something new, I need to know everything I can. I get anxiety too and motion sick but have the appropriate pills for those problems. So wish me luck and then peruse my archives for something that meets your fancy. Let me know if you stopped by or if you've been on a train before! I'll be back monday!

Febreze Destinations Collection

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:53:00 +0000

Where are you going this summer? Hawaii, Brazil, Morocco perhaps? No? Me neither. If, like me, you can't afford to go somewhere exotic this summer, then turn to Febreze's new Destinations/Exotic line of products to help you get the idea that you're there!

I received a lovely package in the mail a little while back in a beautiful blue sports bag. In it I received the following:

Febreze Air Effects in Moroccan Bazaar, Brazilian Carnaval, and Hawaiian Aloha

Febreze Candles in Brazilian Carnaval and Hawaiian Aloha

Febreze NOTICEables Starter Kit and Single Refills in Moroccan Bazaar and Hawaiian Aloha

As you may have guessed, the three scents you can find in the Destinations collection are Moroccan Bazaar (Ginger), Brazilian Carnaval (Green Acai Berry) and Hawaiian Aloha (Hibiscus). Moroccan and Hawaiian come in refills for the Febreze noticeables in dual scents of Ginger and Nutmeg (Moroccan) and Hibiscus and Rainforest (Hawaiian)

My favourite scent is the Moroccan Bazaar. I'm sure why, I just love the ginger I think. I could breathe it in all day.

The Air Effects are perfect for putting a quick burst of scent into the air.

The Candles are great for lasting scent (30 hours!) that isn't too strong along with a beautiful lighted candle.

The NOTICEables are great for lasting scent that you don't have to worry about leaving alone in a room, plus it has an added scent and alternates between the two.

Wait Wait! Don't leave! Have you entered the Febreze Staycation Vacation Sweepstakes yet? It's open to US and Canada but only until July 5/09!

From the site:

"The new Destinations Collection from Febreze was inspired by some of the world’s most beautiful places. So once you use these inspirational scents at home, you’ll feel energized to see these fabulous locations for yourself. Enter for your chance to win a trip for four in the Febreze From Staycation to Vacation Sweepstakes."

Prizes include:

- a trip for four to one of the Destinations Collection inspired locations

(Hawaii, Morocco or Brazil) plus $1,000 USD in spending cash
- $1,000 USD toward a décor home makeover inspired by one of the

Destinations Collection locations.

- a free Febreze product in a Destinations Collection inspired scent.

Mom Central's Father's Day Gift Guide

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 13:41:00 +0000

Father's Day is coming up fast (June 21), have you thought about what to get your father? No father in the picture? A friend of mine said, think of it as FUGE (pron. fudge) day. (Fathers, Uncles, Grandfathers, Everyone Else). I'm sure their is some father-like figure you can recognize this year!

Mom Central has a great gift guide complete with giveaways that you shouldn't miss! From DVDs and custom steak brands to a seven-person domed tent, there is something here for every Dad. Plus, we have organized our gift ideas by price, so there's no reason to break the bank (unless you want to!).

Did I say giveaways? Yes I did! Everyday Mom Central will post giveaways for Dads. Upcoming giveaways include barbeque accessories, a Jeep tent built for 7 people, CDs, DVDs, books, razors, and so much more. You have to check back everyday though as the giveaways will only be open till midnight on that day! There are a couple of giveaways posted now and more will come Monday!

What are you getting your father for father's day?

Norglen's Cross Canada Tour is almost up!

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:36:00 +0000

Have you heard of Norglen yet?
You can listen to them here: http://download.themusebox.net/norglen/

Norglen, whose name references the street the founding three members of the now Toronto-based group grew up on in Northern Alberta, have already found radio success in Western Canada with their single “Summer Nights” and are looking forward to building on the momentum they’ve created in the four years since their inception with the digital release of what is arguably their hottest single yet, “Miss You Yet” which came out on May 24.

You can watch a video of Miss You Yet here: http://www.trendsettermarketing.net/norglen/norglen_web.mov

“Miss You Yet” is the first single from Norglen’s forthcoming album A Long Way From the Truth. The album was produced by Chris Fudurich (Jimmy Eat World, AFI and Nada Surf), mixed by Mark Trombino (Blink 182, Motion City Soundtrack and The Starting Line) and is due out in August on Read the Footnotes.

Norglen was touring cross-Canada but unfortunately, I was alerted just recently and there are only three dates left on the tour, one tomorrow and the other not actually in Canada.

June 11, 2009 – Kitchener, ON @ Circus Room

June 12, 2009 – Windsor, ON @ The Blind Dog

July 9, 2009 – New York, NY @ Arlene's Grocery

Official website: http://www.norglen.com/

Myspace: www.myspace.com/norglen

Affiliate Love Project

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:11:00 +0000

I just found out about this today. Here is a quote from the Affiliate Love Project's About Us page:

"I came up with this idea after watching multiple affiliate contests out there where people were getting paid to refer others to different affiliate networks. One day it hit me. What if the money made off of referrals went to help people in need? Affiliates would still be making the same commissions as before, but the difference is now they are helping people throughout the world."

...and from the FAQ page:

"How Does It Work?
Once a month we choose a new charity or cause to support and set a goal of how much we want to raise. We then raise money in two ways. One is through straight donations, and the other is through doing what affiliates do best, and that is to earn commission. It works by affiliates signing up for affiliate networks through our site. Then when you earn commission, we take all referral money the networks send us and donate it to charities.
For example, lets say you click through and signup for an affiliate network on our site. That network gives us a 5% referral bonus on all commission you earn for life. So if the first month you are with that network you earn $1000 in commissions, you will receive your usual check from the network of $1000, and they will send us a check for $50 (5% of $1000)."

This sounds like a really great idea doesn't it? You can follow the Affiliate Love Project on twitter @affiliatelp

Also, make sure you enter to win a $250 Amazon Gift Card!

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

baileyisbad@cogeco.ca (Callista) — Sun, 17 May 2009 23:43:00 +0000

I just found out that today is a day dedicated to eliminating the phobia surrounding those in the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Questiong, Transgendered and Transexual community.

Getting rid of discriminations against the GLBQT community is important to me. I'm heterosexual but I have no problem with people of other orientations.

For more information on see Dr. Kathleen Young's post on the day.

Check out my reviews from my book review site that fall under the GLBQT category.