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Category Archives: giveaway

BC Summer Family Fun

6 / 5 / 246 / 5 / 24

BC Summer Family Fun in the RAV4 Hybrid | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

If you follow along over on Instagram or Facebook, you know I’ve been lucky enough to work with Toyota Pacific for the last several years and they’ve generously sponsored this post. We have a fantastic giveaway happening right now, so be sure to read all the way to the end for all of the details and how to enter.  

Summertime is quickly approaching and I’m not sure we’ve ever looked forward to a summer more than this one.  We’ve even gone as far as eagerly naming it “The Summer of ALLLL the Fun”.  (Okay, so maybe that’s just me, but I’m beyond ready for fewer commitments, lighter loads, some serious fun with my kids, and more than anything, for Grae to be done with online school.  Because it’s been a yeeeeeaaar.)

This summer will be our FIFTH summer with my RAV4, and I’m so, so thankful we own a hybrid that allows us to road trip all summer long without giving much, if any, thought to the cost – even when fuel prices are as high as they have been recently.  

BC Summer Family Fun | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

BC Summer Family Fun Powered by the RAV4 Hybrid | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

If you’re new new to the RAV4 Hybrid, I really can’t say enough good things… It’s an all wheel drive compact crossover SUV that has two electric motors and a regenerative breaking system in addition to a 2.5L four-cylinder engine.  (Which basically means you get the perks of electric engines, without ever having to plug it in.) It’s reliable, comfortable, safe, and super peppy and fun to drive, all of which has contributed to it being one of Canada’s best selling vehicles, I’m sure. To boot?  It’s super family-friendly, if fits the four of us and all of our stuff easily, and the fuel economy??  EXCELLENT.  Since buying our RAV4 Hybrid, my fuel costs have gone down by more than 65%.  (Seriously.)

BC Summer Family Fun Powered by the RAV4 Hybrid | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

This summer’s plan involves packing up the vehicle and road tripping to all kinds of fun right here in BC… And we’re going BIG! We have nothing set in stone just yet, but we’ve been brainstorming and I think the kids really want to hit up some local attractions that we wouldn’t usually do, which is a-okay with me this time around.  Here’s some of the summer fun currently on our list and I’m happily taking suggestions, so if there’s something your family loves to do in BC during the summer, I’m all ears!

  

Splash BC Water Wibit in Penticton – Have you seen these before?! Wibits are essentially giant playgrounds on the water that include climbing walls, monkey bars, slides, trampolines, and obstacle courses.  I’m pretty sure everyone 5 years old and up is welcome to enjoy them so long as they’re wearing a life jacket and they look like a ridiculous amount of fun.  The one is Penticton is at the top of our list because it’s right off of the lakefront boardwalk lined with shops, including the cutest ever ice cream stop, Cherry On Top Shake Shop.  Loco Landing is also right nearby, which I’ve also heard is great fun!

 

Cultus Lake Water Park & Adventure Park – A theme park filled with rides, an arcade, and mini golf plus BC’s largest waterpark right across the road from one another?  Sounds like the things my kids’ dreams are made of! We have friends who go every single year and honestly the way they talk about it makes it sound like a local version of Disneyland – they love it that much.  Apparently there are really great vacation rentals nearby and I hear that the camping options are excellent too.

 

Wild Play in Victoria – An outdoor adventure in the trees for the whole family?  Yes please!  Imagine platforms well above your head, ziplines through the trees, giant swings, suspended ladders, bridges, nets, tightropes, and obstacle courses all with the safety tethers and harnesses.  The Victoria location is at the top of our list because we LOVE the island and haven’t visited Victoria in years, plus one of our very favourite family-friendly hotels, Hotel Zed, it just 10 minutes away.  If you’ve never been, Hotel Zed is the absolute best – all of their locations include fun extras like free bike and roller skate rentals and the retro vibes are beyond cool.  The Kelowna location has a huge games room and karaoke room and the Tofino location has epic outdoor games and a SECRET arcade room!!! 

 

Granville Island & Olympic Village in Vancouver – This is one of our many favourite Vancouver adventures and we do it so often that I feel like we’ve got it down, so I’ll share exactly what we do.  Park in Olympic Village, wander through Hinge Park and Habitat Island, along the water to Science World and the incredible playground in Creekside Park.  If you have a membership, pop into Science World, let the kids explore for a little bit, then take an Aquabus over to Granville Island. Here, wander the public market, pick up some fresh fruit, bagels with cream cheese, and an iced coffee (always coffee) then walk along the boardwalk, in front of the Sea Village and all the way around to the playground and water park.  If you have time and energy for anything more, pop into the Kids Market before hopping onto an Aquabus and heading back to Olympic Village.  Depending on the day, finish the adventure off with ice cream from the nearby Earnest Ice Cream location (you won’t be disappointed).

 

Whistler Village – Okay, so this one is a bit of a different pace, but we haven’t been up to Whistler as a family since Sam was a newborn and I’ve been just itching to go.  There’s no one main attraction we’d like to hit up per se, but I’d love to do all of the usual things… Ride the Peak 2 Peak Gondola, hike the Lost Lake Nature Trail while listening to the accompanying audio tour, do the village scavenger hunt put on by Whistler Tourism, find the infamous train wreck, and visit all of the restaurants and shops in the village.  If you’ve not been to Whistler in the summertime, it’s a must.

Of course we’re hoping for some time at the cabin too, but it doesn’t count because Point Roberts is technically part of the USA. :) 

BC Summer Family Fun | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

We’ll see how much of our list we actually end up doing, but it’s starting to sound like a pretty great summer, isn’t it?  (I’m also REALLY hoping for a short Scandinave Spa trip with my girlfriends too, so fingers crossed for that!)

And while all of these things cost money to visit, the good news is that getting there won’t cost us much.  Our usual trip from the North Okanagan down to Vancouver costs less than $45 in fuel, which you really can’t complain about.  

 

If you’re in the market for a new family-friendly, affordable-to-drive vehicle, I can’t recommend the RAV4 Hybrid enough AND if you’re going to be in BC this summer, you’re in luck because we’re giving away seasons passes to WildPlay Element Parks for you and the family  courtesy of Toyota Pacific and WildPlay Element Parks.  The grand prize includes 2 adult and 2 kids seasons passes for B.C. locations.

Click this link to enter. This contest is open to those 19+ in BC and the Yukon and closes on Contest at 5 p.m. PDT on June 24, 2024 . Good luck, friends!! ❤️

 

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10 Things to Gift a NICU Parent {& a giveaway}

9 / 11 / 179 / 15 / 17

10 Things to Gift a NICU Parent | Mama Papa Bubba

One of the things I get asked about a lot is what to gift parents with littles in the NICU.  I absolutely love being asked and I always hope my answers are helpful, but it’s important to keep in mind is that every baby’s {and therefore parents’} NICU journey is different and I can really own speak to my own.  Our Sam was born very early (during the 27th week of my pregnancy), but not because of one of the usual pre-term labour suspects – because my appendix burst and my body knew it was no longer a safe place to grow a baby.  He was quite big at birth for his gestational age (2 pounds 12 ounces) and compared to some of his NICU buds, Sam had it relatively easy…  He was intubated for his first night only, none of his head ultrasounds detected a brain bleed, the little open valve in his heart was able to be solved medically and not require surgery, he passed all of his initial hearing and ROP tests, and his only big necessary medical intervention was surgery for a double inguinal hernias a short while after we left the NICU.  We had it good.

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Bobs & LoLo Wooden Spoon Puppets and Dirty Feet {their new album!}

8 / 10 / 158 / 30 / 15

Bobs  Lolo Wooden Spoon Puppets | Mama Papa Bubba

It’s no secret that we’re big music lovers in our house…  If we’re at home, it can pretty much be guaranteed that there’s some sort of music on.  Sometimes it’s the radio, sometimes it’s ‘adult’ music, and sometimes it’s kids’ music – so long as it’s not the ‘drive mama crazy’ variety.  ☺

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Backyard Summer Camp: An eBook {& GIVEAWAY!}

5 / 5 / 145 / 11 / 14

IMG 8212

Want to know something fun??

Over the last month and a half or so, this little lady and I have been trying out all sorts of activities, games, and recipes and purposely keeping them a secret!

Want a peek?

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Bundled at the Beach {& a Giveaway!}

1 / 24 / 142 / 3 / 14

IMG 5592

It’s only January and we’re already starting to feel the summer heat sneaking in…  Ack.  I’m not ready.  Jackets are becoming less needed, boots are starting to seem silly, and sandals are pretty much already acceptable {in fact I think there are several people who never gave up wearing them all winter long}. Buuut, if you sneak down to the oceanside early enough, the wind blows strong and the air is crisp.

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A Local Favourite: Over the Loom Vintage-Inspired Children’s Clothing

8 / 16 / 138 / 23 / 13

When I recently learned about Over the Loom (thank you, Little Miss Mama!), it was love at first sight.  The online boutique is stocked full of gorgeous {and affordable!} children’s clothes that have the perfect amount of vintage charm, and to be honest, that was enough for me.  What I didn’t know at the time though, is that Over the Loom is a Vancouver-based shop run by a local mama of two little girls.  Her dream has always been to open a children’s clothing shop, and with a lot of hard work and an eye for hand-selecting gorgeous pieces, she’s making her dream a reality.  Learning that made me fall in love with the shop all over again…  I love supporting local businesses, and when they’re run by hardworking goal-oriented mamas?  Well that’s even more amazing!

Knowing there was absolutely no way I couldn’t support Over the Loom, I settled in on the couch, cup of tea in hand, and began to narrow down my favourites pieces.  Hah – narrowing them down was a near impossibility!  After reviewing and whittling my selections several times, I think I was left with 9 or 10 very favourite pieces.  Oy.  After a couple days’ thought and the help of both Brad and Grae, I managed to narrow it down to just my very favourite top 5 pieces.  Here they are…

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A Mini Shopping Spree for Miss G {With the Help of Coupons.com}

6 / 18 / 136 / 18 / 13

Like I mentioned in our first ever Small Style post, we almost never buy clothes for Miss G at regular price.  I wouldn’t have necessarily considered myself a bargain hunter before becoming a mama, but when it comes to kids’ clothes, there are so many great deals to be had that you almost feel silly purchasing items at full price.  Gracen will be 3 years old in just a couple of months, and so far, stocking up for the following year during end of season sales has worked wonderfully for us.  

The other thing I’ve taken advantage of on more than one occasion is shopping online when a great promo code has landed in my email inbox.  The thing is, when online shopping, there’s almost always a great promo code floating around somewhere… you just have to find it.

Enter coupons.com.  Coupons.com is basically a giant digital coupon book that has all of the promo codes you could ever need or want neatly organized in one little corner of the internet.  It houses both printable coupons to use in stores and digital promo codes to use when shopping online for all kinds of brands and companies.  Just enter what you’re looking for in the search bar, and most likely, multiple money saving coupons will pop up! (Tip for Canadian residents: Just add ‘Canada’ to the end of the store’s name when searching, and codes valid in Canadian stores should pop right up.)

When we were recently given the opportunity to stretch our purchasing power at The Children’s Place using coupons.com codes, Gracen and I were more than up for the challenge.  Here’s what we got for our $50…

IMG 9173active solid racer back tank | denim utility skort

IMG 9177active ruffle tee | denim utility pants

IMG 9183aviator sunglasses | denim jacket | floral ruffle romper 

Cute, right?  Okay, so truth be told, we actually spent closer to $58 when all was said and done, but I’d say that’s pretty good for 7 mix-and-match pieces, one of which (the denim jacket) originally cost over half of the entire budget.

GIVEAWAY 50 Dollars to spend at The Children s Place from COUPONS COM | Mama Papa BubbaWhat’s even better than learning about a new way to save money?  Coupons.com is giving one lucky Mama.Papa.Bubba. reader the chance to stretch their purchasing power with a $50 e-gift card to The Children’s Place!  Want to see how many cute items you can purchase for your little one with just $50?  Here’s your chance!

Coupons.com has generously offered to give one Mama.Papa.Bubba. reader a $50 e-gift card to spend at The Children’s Place.  This contest is open to US readers only (sorry everyone else!) and a winner will be selected at random on Tuesday, June 25th, 2013.

There are multiple ways to enter. Please leave a SEPARATE comment for each.  To enter to win a $50 e-gift card to The Children’s Place via Coupons.com:

-> Visit the The Children’s Place page on Coupons.com and tell us which coupon code you’d use to stretch your $50 the furthest

-> ‘Like’ Coupons.com on Facebook, then come back here and leave a separate comment saying you did so (or previously did)

-> ‘Like’ Mama.Papa.Bubba. on Facebook, then come back here and leave a separate comment saying you did so (or previously did)

-> Follow Mama.Papa.Bubba. on Twitter, then come back here and leave a separate comment saying you did so (or previously did)

-> Follow Mama.Papa.Bubba. on Pinterest, then come back here and leave a separate comment saying you did so (or previously did)

 

Obviously the more times you enter, the better your chances of winning. ☺  Don’t forget to leave your email address!  The winner will be announced on June 25th and contacted via email.  Good luck!!

♥

For extra fun, like us on Facebook here and find us on Instagram here. 

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Just: Be Session Favourites

5 / 19 / 135 / 21 / 13

I just can’t help but share a few (okay, more than a few) photos from the Just: Be session Gracen and I recently had with Amy Lee of The Connection We Share.  I absolutely adore them.  And the fact that they’re some of the few photos I have of my girl and I just makes them that much more special.  

0I3A37590I3A37970I3A36940I3A37190I3A37120I3A36850I3A36610I3A3751If you haven’t already entered to win a Just: Be session of your own, and you live in the Greater Vancouver area, visit this post immediately!  Contest closes tomorrow evening. ☺

♥ 

For extra fun, like us on Facebook here and find us on Instagram here.

 
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Mama & Bubba Photos by The Connection We Share {& a Giveaway!}

5 / 13 / 135 / 14 / 13

One thing I do well with as a mama is capturing moments in photos…  Loads and loads and loads of photos.  The special occasions, the everyday moments…they’re all well documented and stored for years to come.  That being said, despite the thousands and thousands of photos I take of Miss G each year, and the tons of great ones Brad is included in, I have a pitiful number of Gracen and I together.  Like, really pitiful.  Without a doubt, this is due to the fact that I enjoy being behind the camera much more than in front of it, but that’s no excuse. When Grae is older, I want her to be able and look back on all of the wonderful moments we shared together, mother and daughter. 

Vancouver children pictures gracen

It goes without saying that, when my very talented photographer friend, Amy Lee, of The Connection We Share, offered us a sneak peek of her brand new Just: Be Portrait Sessions, I jumped at the chance (literally, I couldn’t reply quickly enough).

Vancouver children photo gracenAmy’s Just: Be sessions are designed to capture the love between a parent and child while they are connecting, bonding, and ‘just being’ together… which I adore.  Before the shoot, Amy sends out a questionnaire which helps her design a personalized session, just for you.  From the colour that best represents Grae to why I’m most proud of her, the questions definitely made me think.  In a good way.  

Vancouver beautiful children photo gracenWhen we arrived to her studio, Amy had caffine-free cookie dough tea waiting for us, which immediately won over the little miss.  Grae had been up extra early that morning and it was very near nap time, but Amy was incredibly patient and creative with the ways she engaged her. The shoot itself was laid-back and short, which is any toddler mama’s dream.

Vancouver children picture gracenWhen I received our images from the session, I was blown away.  They perfectly capture the simple, raw moments of being Gracen’s mama that I never want to forget.  They’re soft, honest, and unposed, and truly allow our personalities to shine through.  Without a doubt, these images will forever be cherished.  

 

Now for the best news!  Amy is generously offering a Just: Be Portrait Session (one parent and one child), plus an 8 x 10 print with the digital negative, a $200 value, to one lucky reader.  Simply click the icon below to be taken to the official entry page.

A winner will be randomly selected on Monday, May 20th, 2013. Please note that this portrait session takes place in Port Coquitlam, BC.

Enter to win a Just Be Portrait Session | Mama Papa Bubba

To celebrate the launch of Just: Be Portraits, The Connection We Share is also offering the first 5 readers who book a session a $100 credit towards any purchase. Click here to learn more and book a session.

♥ 

For extra fun, like us on Facebook here and find us on Instagram here.

 
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Gracen Tested: Sparked Kids Discovery Kit

3 / 15 / 133 / 21 / 13

IMG 5277Last month, Gracen and I were lucky enough to receive a discovery kit from Sparked Kids Crafts.  If you haven’t heard of them before, Sparked Kids Crafts is a Vancouver Island-based subscription service that delivers educational art activities, science explorations, and imaginative play activities aimed at 3 to 7 year olds right to your doorstep.  Pretty cool, right?

IMG 5280Gracen was thrilled to receive a bright and beautiful package full of fun goodies and I was thrilled with how quickly it arrived and how professional the package looked.

IMG 5283Sparked discovery kits come with everything you need to complete several projects right there inside the box – markers, paper, pencils and instructions included!  Our kit was pirate-themed and came with four easy activities…  A folded paper pirate hat to make, a wooden treasure chest to decorate, a treasure map to create, and a popsicle stick parrot puppet to assemble.

IMG 5291Grae was super excited to get started and chose to make the paper pirate hat first (talk about taking me back to my childhood!)

IMG 5296Though the finished product wouldn’t quite stay on her head, for us, projects like these are all about the process.  We spent time together, we worked as a team, and we had fun together, and that’s what’s important.  If we wanted to, we could attach some sort of elastic easily enough and add the hat to her dress-up station for future imaginative play.

IMG 5299Next up, Gracen chose to decorate her treasure box.  At first she began adding splashes of colour here and there and then she requested that I draw some shapes for her to colour in.  She thought decorating a wooden box was a blast and I loved that Sparked had included high-quality crafting products for us to use.

IMG 5304While we haven’t had a chance to make our treasure map yet, there are already plenty of things I love about Sparked Kids Crafts…

1.  It’s a Canadian-based business (yay for supporting local!)

2.  It’s run by two moms, one a savvy mompreneur and the other a teacher (go moms!).

3.  The kits come with clear, easy-to-follow instructions.

4. The materials included are good quality.

5. The activities included are not at all intimidating, not even for those who claim they’re not crafty (I promise!)

6. A single discovery kit contains several activities, which if spaced out a little can easily keep you and your munchkin(s) creating all month long.

7. Each themed kit comes with it’s own enhancement activities and recommended reading list on the Discover More portion of the Sparked website.

Overall, I’d say that’s a lot of pluses for a fairly new small business, wouldn’t you?  In the interest of full honesty, the only thing I’d say is that I did find the activities in this particular kit to be a little… uninspired?  That sounds too harsh.  Perhaps ‘ordinary’ is a better word?  I’m not sure. Now, I’m not saying that the activities were not enjoyable, because they certainly were.  And truth be told, for the most part, kids don’t really care how unique or innovative an activity is, they’re just stoked that someone’s taking the time to sit down and create something with them.  I guess I just felt like the activities were mostly things that I could pull together on my own without too much planning, shopping, or prep work.  But then again, I’m an elementary school teacher, an owner of a handmade goods shop, and in general, someone who enjoys getting creative, so maybe that’s not a fair assessment. 

What I do think is that a Sparked Kids Craft subscription would be an amazing help to parents who are super busy, parents who don’t have the time/energy/inspiration to pull together crafts on their own, and parents who don’t consider themselves creative or crafty.  I also think a subscription would make an awesome gift, because truly, which child doesn’t love receiving mail?!

 

WIN A SPARKED DISCOVERY KIT OF YOUR OWN

Sparked Kids Crafts has generously offered to gift a discovery kit to one lucky Canadian Mama.Papa.Bubba. winner.  The contest is open until Friday, March 29th and there are multiple ways to win (please be sure to leave a separate comment for each).

To enter to win a complimentary Sparked Kids Crafts discovery kit:

–> Visit their website and tell us one thing you like about Sparked Kids Crafts

-> ‘Like’ Sparked Kids Crafts on Facebook and come back here and leave a SEPARATE comment saying you did so (or previously did)

-> Follow Sparked Kids Crafts on Twitter and come back here and leave a SEPARATE comment saying you did so (or previously did)

-> Follow Sparked Kids Crafts on Pinterest and come back here and leave a SEPARATE comment saying you did so (or previously did)

–> ‘Like’ Mama.Papa.Bubba. on Facebook, come back here and leave a separate comment saying you did so (or previously did)

 

Obviously the more times you enter, the better your chances of winning. ☺  Don’t forget to leave your email address!  The winner will be announced on March 30th and contacted via email.  Good luck!!

♥

For extra fun, like us on Facebook here and find us on Instagram here. 

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A Local Favourite: Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company {& a Giveaway!}

3 / 8 / 133 / 9 / 13

IMG 6283After our recent Shopping Sense tour, some of my {awesome} mama blogger friends and I planned on grabbing a cup of coffee, sitting down, and catching up for a bit.  The thing was, it was already lunch time, we were all hungry, and the kiddos were tired of being restrained in shopping carts. They needed to play.  So where can you go to catch up with friends, grab a fresh delicious meal, and let your kiddos play all at once?  Luckily we were in my hood and I knew the perfect place.  Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company.  

IMG 6284I’ve written about Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company before, but if you haven’t heard their story before, it’s truly pretty amazing.  First off, their entire menu is designed to use the freshest, most nutritious ingredients possible.  The produce they use is local and organic, the meats are Canadian and free range or organic, and their seafood is all Ocean Wise approved.  Their promise is that their food includes minimal salt and sugar and absolutely no GMOs, additives, or preservatives. (Talk about a place you can feel good about eating out at!)  Of course, every single thing – from dough to sauces to breads and desserts – is made fresh on site.  And it doesn’t stop there.  Rocky Mountain Flatbread restaurants are all carbon neutral.  Amazing, right? (Read about how they do it here.)  In addition to all of this, they pride themselves on being family-friendly, which is huge when you’ve got munchkins in tow.  The Main Street location, which we visited, has an awesome little kitchen area, complete with felt food and miniature aprons, that kept our wee ones happy during a nearly two hour visit. And as always, the food was delicious.

DSC 0108What I just learned about Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company, and didn’t know before is that they do all kinds of fun special events.  Some, like their family nights, date nights, and pizza making nights happen on a weekly basis, and others, like the Green Cleaning Products workshop I’m attending next week, happen only on special dates.  
 
In addition to the cleaning products workshop, the Main Street location is hosting a Kid’s Camp this Spring Break too.  It takes place on March 21st, from 9:30 a.m. until 12 p.m. and kids aged 7 to 12 will have a blast learning how to make their own lunches out of fresh, local, organic ingredients.  Included on the menu is homemade ginger ale, healthy kale chips, individual pizzas, veggie dips, and their signature BEET brownies!  Goodness gracious, how I wish Miss G was old enough to attend.  The next best thing is being able to help a couple of other local kids go though.  Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company has very generously given us TWO spots (valued at $35 a child) to give away to Mama.Papa.Bubba. readers.  Yay!
 

Please note that this camp takes place in Vancouver, BC on March, 21st and is open to children ages 7 through 12. The winners will be chosen at random on Friday, March 15th, 2013.  

 

There are FOUR ways to enter.  Please leave a SEPARATE comment for each:

–> Leave a comment telling us why your child would enjoy this camp

-> ‘Like’ Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company on Facebook, come back here and leave a comment saying you did so (or already did)

–> ‘Like’ Mama.Papa.Bubba. on Facebook, come back here and leave a separate comment saying you did so (or already did)

–> Follow us on Twitter come back here and leave a separate comment saying you did so (or already did)

–> Tweet about the giveaway and leave a separate comment saying you did so  

(Win a FREE @flatbreadCo Kid’s Camp spot on Mama.Papa.Bubba.com! https://mamapapabubba.com/2013/03/08/a-local-favourite-rocky-mountain-flatbread-company/ #YVR #giveaway #springbreak)

 

Obviously the more times you enter, the better your chances of winning. ☺  Don’t forget to leave your email address!  The winner will be announced on March 15th and contacted via email.  Good luck!!

♥

For extra fun, like us on Facebook here and find us on Instagram here. 

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Shopping Sense {& FREE GROCERIES!!!}

3 / 8 / 133 / 8 / 13

IMG 6269Earlier this week, Miss G and I were invited to one of our neighbourhood grocery stores to find out more about a  new online resource recently launched by Healthy Families BC.  The site, called Shopping Sense, was developed in order to equip shoppers with the knowledge and skills to make healthier, budget-wise options for their families.  

Shopping Sense is really easy to use… So easy, in fact, that I could see it being used with elementary-aged children as a multi-media learning tool.  It includes fun virtual tours of grocery store departments led by Global TV’s Melodie Yong, and is chock full of great shopping tips.  

IMG 6280During our tour, Melodie shared many of these useful tips with us, and though they weren’t completely new, they were great reminders.  Here are some of my favourites: 

Shop in season. Not only will the produce taste better, but it’ll be less expensive too.

Buy local. You’ll be supporting local farmers (and artisans), and because the food doesn’t have to travel far to get to you, it’ll be fresher.

Frozen can be just as nutritious. When it comes to out of season fruit, frozen is often the way to go – just be sure it doesn’t contain and added sugar (this is especially helpful given the amount of smoothies we consume in this house).

Shop the perimeter of the store.  This was my favourite tip and we do this naturally in our day-to-day shopping, but I hadn’t thought about it this way before.  Shopping the perimeter means getting the majority of your grocery items from the produce, dairy, bakery, meat departments, and getting fewer of the processed and packaged items from the centre of the store.

IMG 6275Melodie also introduced us to one of my favourite parts of Shopping Sense – a simple printable meal planner and shopping list.  I’ve talked about my meal planning / grocery shopping routine before, and this printable works perfectly into my little system.  It allows you to plan your meals for the upcoming week, make a coordinating shopping list, and have everything neatly organized in one place, all while avoiding over shopping (or coming home with a ton of stuff that really equals no decent meals).  

IMG 6277While I found the whole event very interesting, I must admit this little monkey was slightly less enthused… I managed to keep her happy for most of the trip with a mini colouring pad, healthy snacks (avocado! clementines! tofu cubes! homemade crackers!), and 2 sheets of scented stickers, but by the end of our tour she was done and she certainly let me know it.  She’s lucky she’s so cute.  ☺

 

Now for the really fun part… We’ve graciously been given a $100 Safeway gift card to give away to one of our readers. (Yay!  Who doesn’t love free groceries, right?!)  This contest is open to BC residents and the winner will be chosen at random on Monday, March 18th, 2013.  

 

There are FOUR ways to enter.  Please leave a separate comment for each:

–> Visit the Shopping Sense resource and tell us one thing you learned or like about the site.

–> ‘Like’ Mama.Papa.Bubba. on Facebook and leave a comment saying “I like(d) you on Facebook”

–> Follow us on Twitter and leave a comment saying “I follow(ed) you on Twitter”

–> Tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment saying “I tweeted” (#BC Residents: Win $100 FREE groceries on MamaPapaBubba.com! https://mamapapabubba.com/2013/03/08/shopping-sense-free-groceries/ #giveaway)

 

Obviously the more times you enter, the better your chances of winning. ☺  Don’t forget to leave your email address!  The winner will be announced on March 18th and contacted via email.  Good luck!!

♥

For extra fun, like us on Facebook here and find us on Instagram here. 

 
117 Comments

Family Day at the BC Home & Garden Show {& a FLASH Giveaway!}

2 / 21 / 132 / 22 / 13

IMG 5766Today Gracen and I were lucky enough to be invited to check out Family Day at the BC Home & Garden Show at BC Place.  Admittedly, we didn’t spend a whole lot of time browsing what most people come to the show to see (the home and garden exhibits obviously), but we definitely would have spent a whole lot more time down there if a) we owned a home and b) if we didn’t have plans to move overseas come August.  From spa pools to lane way homes to landscaping and cleaning products, every topic pertaining to home owning/renovation/care was covered.  

IMG 5762Where we spent most of our time was in the Kid Zone, set up especially for Family Day.  Gracen had a wonderful time roaming around visiting all of the booths and was thrilled to see her favourite ever photographer, Bethany, from Images by Bethany at the Vancouvermom.ca booth.  Bethany took some photos of her in front of a rainy day backdrop which are bound to be gorgeous, so I’ll be sure to share them when we get them back.  Along the way, we picked up some Monkey Toast, learned about Kibooco, and did a little project at Beesafe.  

IMG 5765One of the highlights was definitely having Miss G’s face painted by Kristal of Faceaballoonza.  Grae selected a turtle and Kristal decorated her face with this gorgeously elaborate turtle painting in two minutes flat.  

The BC Home & Garden Show continues tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday (22nd – 24th) and they’ve generously given us two tickets adult tickets (a $30 value) to giveaway!  Kids 12 and under get in for free, so this means the whole family can attend.  

 

This is a FLASH giveaway, so get your entries in now!  A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow evening (Friday, the 22nd) at 5:00 p.m. PST.  There are multiple ways to enter, so please be sure to leave a separate comment for each.

 

To enter to win TWO complimentary tickets to the BC Home & Garden Show (taking place in Vancouver, BC this weekend):

Leave a comment below telling me one thing you’d love to update or change in your home.

 

For additional chances to win:

–> ‘Like’ Mama.Papa.Bubba. on Facebook, then come back and leave a second separate comment saying you did so (or that you had previously).

–> Follow @jkossowan on Twitter, then come back and leave a separate comment saying you did so.

–> Tweet about the giveaway and leave an additional separate comment saying you did so.

 

Don’t forget to leave your email address!  The winner will be announced on Friday the 22nd on the Mama.Papa.Bubba Facebook page and will be contacted via email.  Good luck!!

♥ 

For extra fun, like us on Facebook here and find us on Instagram here. 

13 Comments

Kiwi Crate Giveaway Winner

11 / 27 / 1211 / 27 / 12

I’m so excited to announce the winner of our Kiwi Crate giveaway… I know that the lucky winner will enjoy the kit just as much as we enjoyed ours and it’ll make the perfect surprise or Christmas present.  

So without further ado….

Kiwi Crate Giveaway Winner

Congratulations, Koryn!  I’ll be sending you an email shortly with all of the details.  To everyone else, thank you so much for entering!  Keep your eyes peeled for a few other fun giveaways we have in the coming months. 

♥

Like Mama.Papa.Bubba. on Facebook here and find us on Instagram here.

1 Comment

Images by Bethany Family Portrait Winner

11 / 19 / 1211 / 19 / 12

I am beyond excited to announce the winner of our Images by Bethany giveaway!  We had a wonderful experience with Bethany and couldn’t be happier with the way our photos turned out, and I know that the winner will feel the same way.  So without further ado….

 

Drum roll please….

 

Photo Shoot WinnerCongratulations, Caro!  I’ll be sending you an email shortly with all of the details.  To everyone else, thank you so much for entering!  I truly wish I could give each of you the gift of a photo shoot with Bethany because I sincerely think she is that good.  But because I can’t, please stay tuned to my Facebook page as I know a few other lovely Vancouver bloggers who will be offering you a chance to win this exact same prize in the coming weeks.  

If you haven’t yet liked Mama.Papa.Bubba.’s Facebook page, you should!

And you can do so here. ☺

♥

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