A Star Struck Teen Story: Supernatural Style!

When I was a teenager I was one of those with my favourite celebrity posters taped to my walls. I bought (and cut apart) teen magazines as often as they would come out in search of the newest (and hottest) pictures to add to my collection. Friends and I would compare what we each had.

Sometimes at the back of those teen magazines were stars fan mail addresses with which you could mail in and hope to receive a special letter or autographed photo. I mailed out several throughout those tween and teen years only to get a handful back. Even though I didn't get many, it was always exciting to get mail just for me (it still is unless it a bill, nobody likes bills). I wish I still had the autographed pictures today although a few years ago I did the same for my better half and we got some cool autographed postcards of some famous actors (of our own generation! Ha!). Maybe my love of Hollywood and all things movies makes me find it cool to have things like collectable memorabilia. Anyway, this story isn’t all about me!

My teenager lives and breathes the show Supernatural and anything to do with it. Several months ago (after some serious googling) we emailed a few of her favourite Supernatural cast members and totally forgot all about it, until today.

In an envelope addressed to her was a glossy, autographed photo from one of the stars of the show that we had emailed! I was surprised because I thought the email addresses were long gone into cyberland and totally bogus. At the same time, I was happy because hello "Mom of the Year"!

Sure it’s not personalized other than the address on the envelope and we know it’s most likely a generic fan mail photo but none of that matters to her. Just having possession of that autographed picture itself is enough. I can totally relate to her excitement! She spent her afternoon instagramming and telling all her friends (and fellow fans) all about it. Wouldn't you? :) 

Awesome is when you emailed @JensenAckles fan mail about an autograph for your teen daughter but forget about it until months later an envelope shows up in the mail box with her name on it! #MomofTheYear #Teens #Supernatural pic.twitter.com/eb2ah1clZF

— Alyssa #AMEblog (@AMotherhoodBlog) July 19, 2018

Have you ever written to the stars and had them respond (online or snail mail)? Share your experiences in the comments below! We love to chat!

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Tips For A Successful Day Trip!

Having the kids home all summer may mean you have to think ahead and plan some fun for them. Now that we are almost into August, summer is slowing down but our day trips are not! They are fun (more or less), get us out of the house (or even out of town) and as always, memories are just waiting to be made. Here are some tips that may or may not help your next day trip with the kids! 

Plan ahead.
Budget food/gas/emergency money, where you’ll go, how you’ll get there etc all need to be planned out ahead of time depending on a day trip. It’s easy to make a spontaneous trip to the park for a picknick but if you’re heading somewhere else like a water park or themed amusement park you might want to get things like entry tickets in advance. Lots of places have peak days when it can be more expensive. It’s never nice to have to spend more than you bargained for one simple fun day out with the family.

Secret Stash.
Make sure to save a little cash and some change in an emergency change wallet. Keep it in the glove compartment of your vehicle or in the first aid kit, so you are never without.

First Aid Kit.
A must-have even if it's "just a day trip" you never know when a minor injury can happen especially if your kids are clumsy like mine. Your first aid kit should contain items like band-aids, bandages, alcohol swabs, spray-on peroxide, rubber gloves, heat or cold packs (the ones you bend to activate), flashlight etc. You can usually find kits with everything you'd need at your local stores. 

Bring Extras.
The weather calls for sunny but halfway through your water park visit the clouds roll in and it starts to rain. Packing items like extra towels or sweaters in these situations ensures everyone stays warm! Extra entertainment is also good to have on hand. Maybe not lug out the iPads for a day trip but books can be fun if you're stuck in a camper or car. 

Sleep well.
Getting a good nights sleep is crucial to surviving a day trip with the kids. Make sure both the kids and adults are in bed, it’ll be an early rise to get going! Oh and don’t forget to pre-make some yummy hearty breakfasts for the big morning!

Whatever you do and wherever you go, one major thing to remember is to HAVE FUN! Even if things don't go as perfect as you planned them, it's the memories that count. Trust me, we've had our share of imperfect, perfect day trips and everything turned out OK!

Do you have any trip tips? Share with fellow AME readers in the comments below! Let's chat!

Make sure to follow @AMotherhoodBlog on Instagram and Twitter for the latest fun! 

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Summer Skechers for Parents on the go! {Giveaway}

Summer holidays are in full force at our house! We’ve been trying to avoid dull days and take advantage of the really hot weather while we have it by taking the kids on little trips. Whether it be the local pool, splash pads or getting out of the city for a day, the days have been busy and we find ourselves more on the go!

Skechers has some great summer shoes we wanted to show you if you’re looking for something of quality and comfort!

These Relaxed fit: Skech Flex 2.0 are comfy enough for long-wearing, lightweight and breathable. Made with trubuck leather and mesh fabric upper in a lace up athletic sneaker with stitching accents. Of course, we can’t forget the Air Cooled Memory Foam insole. He always looks for something that’s not chunky as he drives a lot and lighter shoes make things easier. These shoes are perfect for summer rides. Great for this guy on the go.

These women’s Skechers Ultra Flex keep active feet like mine (hello, 3 kids!) comfortable with mesh slip-on design and air-cooled memory foam soles. I’m still amazed by the comfy soles, it’s so hard to find nice shoes that look good and don’t hurt my feet! Although these shoes do come in other colours I find black is easier to maintain and it goes with everything.

Besides our flip flops and sandals, we are truly running shoe type people and Skechers has been one of our go-to shoe brands for a while now. I can’t say we have been disappointed by a pair yet! Great shoes for parents (and kids) on the go!

Find more styles at Skechers.ca

Win it!

Do you or someone in your family need a new pair of summer shoes? I am happy to announce Skechers is giving one lucky AME Blog reader the chance to win a pair of their choice!

Enter using the ballot below!

Open to Canadians 18+ Excluding Quebec. One winner will be drawn to win 1 pair of Skechers shoes of their choice provided by the sponsor. Mandatory entry must be done for extras to count. Please see our disclosure page for more. Giveaway ends July 25th, 2018 9:00 PM EST.

By entering this giveaway you agree to our privacy policy.

Entry-Form

Posted on behalf of Skechers Canada. Complimentary product received for review purposes. Opinions and comments are those of the author.

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Weekend Heatwave and Canada Day Celebrations

We finished the school year with a bang; K heading into grade 9, D into grade 5 and Little Miss M into the big grade 1. Throughout the ups and downs of the school year, I think we have earned this summer break!

The city (and I think most of the province of Ontario) has been really warm the past week and a half with a severe heat wave including Canada Day weekend. The hot weather just gave us an excuse to find anything water related to cool off with and have fun!

We would have loved to bring the kids downtown but it’s just too much finding parking then finding space plus my social anxiety doesn’t make me and big crowds of strangers get along very well. We were thinking of take the kids across the street for the annual Canada day celebrations and topping off the day taking them to a special location to check out the Canada day fireworks but that didn’t happen.


The pool opened late in the morning with no Canada Day party this year and by the time the pool did open we had already been invited to take the kids out of the city for the day.


A long, hot, two-hour drive brought us to a campground near the St.Lawrence River where we spent our Canada day with some friends and swimming fun. The water was actually really cold so I was the one sitting under the shade of a tree enjoying the scenery and watching the kids from my spot. Other than the mass amount of little tiny grasshoppers that kept jumping at my face and the black flies that wouldn’t leave us alone, we had a really nice day. I even got some sun on my pale legs although I think it’s more from the car ride than the campsite.


By the time we came home, it was getting dark and we had the kids passed out in the backseat. We got them inside with showers, bed and called it a night for everyone. We didn’t go out for fireworks (although we did see some from the window with people setting some off in the neighborhood) , we were all pretty exhausted from our long, hot Canada Day!


We hope you all had a fun Canada Day weekend! Stay tuned for a summer of fun with #AMEblog plus #AMESocial @AMotherhoodblog (Twitter/IG)

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The Wiggles are coming to Ottawa this fall! {Giveaway}

Dance and sing your way to fun this fall with the Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle Tour coming to Ottawa this October!

Derived from their #1 hit Treehouse TV program of the same name, this brand-new show will see Emma, Lachy, Simon and Anthony hit the stage with their friends Captain Feathersword, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Henry the Octopus, Wags the Dog and all the Wiggly Dancers.

Tickets went on Sale June 25th, you can get some great prices on the best seats before they’re gone. If your little kid is anything like mine, you’ll want to bring them!

The Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle! Tour will bring all the excitement of what it takes to Wiggle to Centrepointe Theatres on October 4th for two shows at 3:30 and 6:30 PM.

All tickets are $43.75 and are available via www.centrepointetheatres.com, the Centrepointe Theatres Box Office, select retail locations, and by phone at 613-580-2700 and 1-866-752-5231. Children under 12 months are free. A $3 group discount is available for parties of 8 or more.

Check www.centrepointetheatres.com for more information.

Please visit www.thewiggles.com for the most up to date information, as well as exciting show announcements.

We will be heading to the show in the fall, our youngest loves any kind of music and The Wiggles happen to be one of her longtime faves.

You better get a wiggle on and get your tickets now as seats to the Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle! Tour will sell like hot potatoes!

Win it!

Win a family pass (4 tickets) to see The Wiggles in Ottawa this October!

Open to OTTAWA, ONTARIO (and surrounding area) residents 18+. Winner will receive 4 tickets to the Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle Tour show at Centerpointe Theater at the time of their choice. This giveaway is for tickets only and does not include any travel or accommodations for those outside Ottawa who may enter and win.

By entering this giveaway you understand your information will be collected for prizing purposes and will only be shared with representatives of The Wiggles Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle Tour should your name be drawn a winner. 

Ends July 6th, 2018
For more info please read our giveaway guidelines and privacy policy. 

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Sponsored by representatives of the Wiggles tour. Opinions and comments are those of the author.

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Things To Do In Ottawa This Summer

Summer holidays (for the kids) are just days away which means we are going to be thinking of places to go and things to see this summer; you know, to keep everybody’s sanity intact and all.

Here is a list of things to do and places to see right here in Ottawa this summer that I thought you would all like! 

Museums and History.
Ottawa has several museums to check out such as the Canadian Museum of nature, the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum, Canada Agriculture and Food Museum and one of my favourites, the Museum of Science and Technology.
Parliament Hill will give you a taste of Canada with its historical buildings. There is usually a fun party on the hill for Canada Day too! 

Recreational Parks.
Jacques Cartier Park isn’t in Ottawa but a quick trip over the bridge to the Quebec side will have you loving the outdoors.

Amusement Parks.
Just outside Ottawa, you can find Calypso Waterpark (Limoges) and Parc Omega (Montebello), both of which are personal family favourites. 

In the city.
Various malls like Rideau Centre, St. Laurent Shopping Centre, Bayshore and more await your discovery.
The Byward Market also offers various activities during the summer, fresh market goods to purchase and great dining at different restaurants. If you are from out of town there are lots of great hotels downtown as well as buses to take you wherever you need to go throughout the city. 

We have been living in Ottawa for over 10 years and although it has changed over the while, we still love our city and hope you do too. What are some fun things you can do where you live? Leave a comment below, let's chat! 

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What’s in your summer bag?

If you’re a mom, you probably have one too; a summer bag. That one bag (aside from your purse) that you grab on any outing during the summer with your kids. This bag is like the sacred bag to keep your family fun from unravelling into a complete disaster. Well, maybe not so dramatic but you always make sure to have the tools you need to keep everyone safe and happy. What’s in your summer bag?

- Hand sanitizer

- Lipbalm

- Sunscreen

- Bandaids (including the liquid kind and spray peroxide)

- Polysporon

- A mass amount of clean tissues

- Wet wipes

- Light snacks (individually packaged crackers, granola bars, rice crispy treats, etc)

- Extra phone charger

- Extra sunglasses

- Change purse (preferably with a little cash in it!)

- Somebody’s (usually my youngest child’s) change of clean clothes, just in case.

What are you favourite "go-to" summer items to keep on hand? Have I missed anything important? Share in the comments below, let's chat! :) 

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