The mission of the Heart and Stroke Foundation (HSF) is to reduce deaths due to heart disease and stroke by 25% by 2020. That’s 25,000 lives – the size of a typical town – that could be saved every year.

A recent HSF survey reveals that Canadians aren’t making time for healthy choices, which is contributing to the fact that heart disease and stroke is the #1 killer of women, and the cause of 1 in 3 deaths in this country.  In fact, 82 per cent of Ontarians say they would be more active and 63 per cent say they would eat healthier if they could, but cite time as a barrier preventing them from doing so.

The HSF wants Canadians to help them reach their goal of making one million actions to Make Death Wait by the end of February 2012.

How can you Make Death Wait? Check out the Make Death Wait website and make a healthy action.

• Take the Heart & Stroke Risk Assessment
• Download the Facebook App
• Donate
• Volunteer
• Perform a Healthy Action

Join me in the Make Death Wait movement and help the Heart & Stroke Foundation meet their goal!

To encourage participation in their campaign, The Heart and Stroke Foundation is generously giving away a Make Death Wait Prize Pack. Valued at over $150, the prize pack includes:

-          A live or virtual nutrition counseling session with a HSF registered dietitian,

-          heart healthy cookbook,

-          pedometer,

-          water bottle,

-          measuring spoons, and

-          reusable HSF bag.

How to enter? Easy! Leave a comment telling how you take action against heart disease and stroke.  That’s it!

Want extra entries?

1- ‘Like’ The Heart and Stroke Foundation on Facebook. Leave a comment telling me that you have!

2- Follow @TheHSF on Twitter. Leave a comment telling me you are following them.

3 – Become a Practicalmum fan on Facebook. Leave a comment below telling me you’ve signed up.

4 – Follow @practicalmum on Twitter and tweet this giveaway (once a day!). (Leave me the link to your tweets below)

Win an amazing heart healthy prize pack from @TheHSF and @practicalmum Make Death Wait #giveaway {Cdn only} 29/02 http://ht.ly/8SkPv

5 – Create an account at practicalmum.com. Leave me a comment with your username once you’ve signed up.

6- Post or share about this giveaway on your blog, or any of your social media outlets.  Leave me a comment for each post you shared.

Contest is open to Canadian readers only through February 29th, 2011. Winner will be chosen using the “… and the winner is” plug in and contacted via email. The winner will have 24 hours to respond.

We Canadians suffer the winter skin blahs with symptoms such as dry, flaky and chapped skin caused by dry air and wind. Dry conditions are also caused by indoor heating, which, when combined with the cold air outside, leaves skin’s moisture barrier compromised. My husband’s hands, the kids arms and legs, my… everywhere! are red and dry.

Enter George’s Cream.  My mother in law was talking about a new cream on the market that was supposed to be fantastic -George’s Cream.  She had just bought some to try.  After she told me about it, I kept seeing it everywhere.  No word of a lie, the next day, I was contacted to try the cream.  Um, Yes Please!

Using his wife’s cake mixer and working on formula after formula in his kitchen – the ultimate result was a cult success for George’s Special Dry Skin Cream.  The growth, loyalty and demand for the brand has been unbelievable – so much so that Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaws now carry this brand across Canada. George’s Special Dry Skin Cream was created for lasting dry skin relief, it provides relief from several different types of skin conditions and… it works!  That is why it is recommended by dermatologists, pharmacists and physicians.

So all 5 of us now use George’s Cream.  The Girl’s eczema has almost disappeared, the rough dry patches on The Boy’s arms are gone, The Baby has soft skin again and my skin has never been better.  The only reason my husband’s hands are still cracked and red and bleeding is because he doesn’t use it regularly… or at all.

There is also a Light version. George’s Light Special Moisturizing Lotion is a lighter version of George’s Special Dry Skin Cream, and has been carefully researched and formulated to soothe and protect problem skin. It is gentle enough for use every day and can be used by those with sensitive skin. The integrity of the cream is maintained with a minimum of ingredients and has no additives that could cause allergies. In my house, that is a necessity!

George is very generously giving away a prize pack of his very special creams. How to enter? Easy!

Leave a comment sharing what you love about winter.  That’s it!

Want extra entries?

1- ‘Like’ George’s Cream on Facebook. Leave a comment telling me that you have!

2- Follow @georges_cream on Twitter. Leave a comment telling me you are following them.

3 – Become a Practicalmum fan on Facebook. Leave a comment below telling me you’ve signed up.

4 – Follow @practicalmum on Twitter and tweet this giveaway (once a day!). (Leave me the link to your tweets below)

Win an amazing @georges_cream prize pack to combat dry winter skin! #giveaway from @practicalmum {Cdn only} 24/02 http://ht.ly/8RIep

5 – Create an account at practicalmum.com. Leave me a comment with your username once you’ve signed up.

6- Post or share about this giveaway on your blog, or any of your social media outlets.  Leave me a comment for each post you shared.

Contest is open to Canadian readers only through February 24th, 2011. Winner will be chosen using the “… and the winner is” plug in and contacted via email. The winner will have 24 hours to respond.

Not bad for an amateur huh?

So how did I make the Cars 2 Cake? Easy!

1. Make a slab cake using any easy recipe. I am a huge fan of the Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cake mixes.  For this particular cake, my mom saved the day and baked a phenomenal chocolate cake from scratch because our oven was broken. Long story for another time.

2. Make your favorite buttercream icing. I often buy the Betty Crocker buttercream frosting, this time I made it from scratch.  I bow to your applause.

3. Divide the icing into two – leave part plain, and add green food coloring to the other part. Ice the cake with the plain icing to create the perfect “surface” on which to create.

4. Ice the top of the cake green – this is your track surface.

5. Throw some chocolate wafers through the food processor, or crush them by hand.  This is your track.  Lay your track in whatever configuration works for you. I chose the figure 8, but would do the oval track next time to make it less busy.

6. I experimented with the leftover icing (I don’t believe you can ever have enough icing – it is possibly my favorite food on the planet). I tried a few different tips to create flowers and bushes – I find it gave the cake nice texture (love when experiments work out!).

7. I made a gravel viewing area using Rice Krispies.

8. I printed a finish line and checkered flags from the computer and attached them to toothpicks.

9. I included a few of the cars characters on top.  Of course, Lightning McQueen is a must and Mater – they are The Boy’s favorites.  I also added on Francesco Bernoulli because it was one of his birthday prezzies and he loves saying “Francesco Bernoulli” in an Italian accent. I laugh every time he says it.

10. Candle on top, light candle, sing the song then… eat!

The most common resolutions are to eat healthier and exercise more. Sound familiar?

One thing I have been pushing in our house is to increase fiber in our diet.  A scoop of ground flaxmeal has been quietly added to many meals- nobody is the wiser! Hint: There are many high fibre recipes at the lifemadedelicious.ca site.

If exercise is your resolution, how about setting a specific goal? Get your booty out there for 20 mins and put your hard work to the test… how about using the Fibre 1 Challenge as the first tangible goal for 2012?

Presented by The Running Room, the Fibre 1 Chill Challenge is an opportunity to get active by walking or running for 20 minutes, on Wednesday February 29th.  PLUS as bonus, the first 10,000 people to register will get a free toque!  Abandon the hibernation and get outside – click here for more information.

If you’re concerned that your child may be more distractible, inattentive or hyperactive than the average child his or her age, then you’ll want to listen to this episode. You will learn more about why this happens, what to do and not to do about it and what resources and supports are available to you and your child.

Hear Sara Dimerman in convesation with Carol Barber and Kate Davidson, members of the College of Psychologists of Ontario.

Listen to the Podcast here.

Subscribe to Sara on iTunes here.

When you think of “balance”, what generally comes to mind?  If you’re like most people, balance conjures thoughts of giving equal attention to every aspect of our lives, like the pieces of a pie.  This way of thinking leads people (especially busy moms!) to feel quite pressured, as they struggle to give everything a “little bit” of their time.  It can be difficult to feel successful when we’re being pulled in so many different directions at once.

As a Health Coach, I teach my clients to view the concept of balance differently.  I ask my clients to think about their level of satisfaction in various areas of their lives.  When they think about this, they quickly realize that their idea of balance is different than another person’s, and that this is completely okay.  What satisfies us as busy moms will look different than what satisfies another person, and we must look inside ourselves to discover a personal balance.

Of course, it’s important to look closely at different aspects of our entire lives and be honest about which of these areas need (and deserve) more of our attention.  It’s not necessary to give equal attention to everything in order to feel balanced.  Sometimes, different areas of our lives intertwine (ex-quality time with our children, recreation and creativity), so then it becomes easier to address more than one area at the same time.

So, what’s the first step in identifying which areas you need to focus more on as a mom?  I would suggest asking yourself  some great questions, such as:

-What do I often struggle with?

-How would I like to feel?

-What might an ideal day in my life look like?

Taking the time to reflect on these questions would be a great place to begin assessing your satisfaction with your life, and begin to identify some areas that immediately stand out as needing more attention.

Our lives as moms aren’t supposed to be perfect, but we do deserve to feel a sense of purpose, meaning and energy in our lives, so giving ourselves the gift of time to reflect on our personal level of satisfaction and balance will reap great results.

If you would like to go a little deeper with this topic and take yourself through a more detailed process to help you experience a more joyful, balanced life as a mom, I would love for you to request my FREE ebook:  Feeding the Busy Mom:  Nourishing Yourself from the Inside Out.  Visit my website at:

www.healthystartcoaching.com and request your FREE copy of my new ebook!

Milissa Harding is a Certified Holistic Health Coach.  She works with busy moms who require support to prioritize their self-care through improving nutrition, reducing stress, increasing energy and managing sugar cravings.  Milissa coaches women individually to help them achieve their health goals.  Contact Milissa to schedule your FREE Nutrition Breakthrough Session.  Visit www.healthystartcoaching.ca or email milissaharding@gmail.com for more information.

I want to be clear that I don’t think there’s anything wrong with “doing” for them. If my daughter is studying in her room, there’s nothing wrong with surprising her with a cup of hot chocolate and cookies, even though she can boil the kettle and make a snack herself. Nothing wrong with offering to drive her to a friend because it’s cold out and she’d otherwise have to take the bus. These are examples of ways I can show how much I care. They differ, however, from feeling that I have to take responsibility because I think that it’s my obligation to do so or taking responsibility because I fear being blamed if I somehow don’t perform in a way that has become expected. It’s about doing because I want to, not because I feel I have to.

My first step back means that I have to make sure that both of the girls’ alarm clocks are in good working order and that they knew how to set them. Who am I kidding? They are more adept at making electronic things operational than I’ll ever be. My next step involves sharing my intentions with them. Not in a way that makes them feel as if they are being punished, but in a loving, caring way. So, I told them – “I love you guys and I certainly don’t want to see you being late for school, but I’m also tired of and stressed about having to nag you to get out of bed in the morning. So, I’m giving you advance warning that as of the first day of school I won’t be waking you up anymore. It will be your responsibility to set your alarm and get yourselves up with sufficient time to get out of the house on time. I figure that you are more than capable of doing that.”

The response wasn’t too favourable. Turns out they like being woken up by me, even when I’m frustrated. My older daughter asked if I could at least come in once and promised that I wouldn’t have to come back in. My younger daughter said how much she enjoyed snuggling with me in the morning. I almost stepped back into the ring, but I held back and stood my ground. As I write this, less than a week before school begins again, I am still feeling strong. I know that it will take nerves of steel to remain this way, especially as I see the clock ticking closer to the morning bell at school. I know that if I give in – even once – that the exception will become the rule and I will have blown my opportunity for a fresh start.

I figure that once I have remained resolute and steadfast in my attempt to encourage them towards greater independence, that I can then move onto other areas. The possibilities are endless. Imagine – I may even get them to make their own school lunches or order in pizza for the family.

When children are given more personal responsibility, they learn about accountability – such as when they sleep in, arrive late to school and have to explain why or when they don’t complete their homework on time and have to stay in during recess to complete it. Their self confidence and self worth is also enhanced as they become more self reliant. They feel proud of being able to take care of themselves, proud to be “cleaning up” after themselves and proud about becoming increasingly self reliant. My bet is that another positive side effect to pulling back is that, along the way, your children will show more appreciation when you do offer your help. When your time is more of a privilege than an expectation, they appreciate you doing for them rather than being disappointed or angry when you don’t.

Now, just don’t tell your children I told you so!

The Mom Biz Retreat
January 27, 28, 29, 2012
The Amalfi Hotel in Chicago!

If you are an established mom business owner, or a work at home mom, or thinking about starting your own business, ponder this:

• Working harder at your own business than you did when you worked for someone else?

  

• What if your business is viable?

• What if you had someone to guide you on the next steps?

• What if you had support to get to where you’re going?

• What if the number of hours you spent went down and your profit went up?
  

• What if your family saw more of you?
  

• What if you knew how to find more ideal clients? The ones you love to work with?
  

• What if you worked hard AND got paid for it?

• Connect with other like-minded mompreneurs who understand your world?
  

• Are you ready to learn how to build a successful business, and then to make a plan to do it and start taking action IMMEDIATELY with an experienced business coach to mentor you each step of the way?

• What if you ate five excellent meals that you didn’t have to cook?

• Imagine two nights of uninterrupted sleep in a luxurious hotel surrounded by unbelievable beauty!

• What if you had on-site spa services to pamper you and make you feel loved?

Psssst – use promo code ‘Chicago100″ and receive $100 off your ticket! WOW!

When you come home on Sunday, You will have in your business toolbox:

• A killer Time Map to provide clarity around when you are actually available to work.

• A clear picture of the viabilty of your business and a better understanding of what to modify to make it more sustainable.

• A rockin’ elevator pitch that gives you the confidence to market yourself and qualify clients.
  

• An EASE Mindset designed to help you do only the work you love with clients you love to serve.

• A proven, well-designed business model that leverages your expertise and keeps your customers coming back.
  

• A tight engagement marketing strategy showing you where to find your target clients and how to build lasting, profitable relationships with them.

• Specific systems and support structures to allow you to grow and prosper.

• Your one page business plan for the year.

• A weekend away to work ON your business, not IN it.
• Incredible memories and relationships with 20-30 motivated, inspired, incredible women who have been where you are and live in your world.
  

” I went away with a stronger intention to be kinder to myself and my health. I also went away with a sense of strength knowing that I had great clarity about the direction of my business. ” Leigh Mitchell, Founder of Women In Business Network

More good news. You also get;

• An accountability network of like-minded mompreneurs who truly GET IT, and understand what’s important to you, who are willing to help you get there.

• Two breakfasts, two lunches, coffee breaks and one exquisite dinner at a landmark Italian Steakhouse (complete with wine) that you don’t have to cook (or clean up after!).

• Uninterrupted sleep, no laundry, no kids (did we mention no kids?), no husbands.

• R&R: come in your yoga (or comfy) pants, relax and refresh your body with our private yoga sessions each morning (we provide the mats).
  
• Access to all manner of in-room spa services to help you get the relaxation you crave and deserve.
  
• All sorts of shopping opportunities to reward your hard work.
  
• The chance to hang out with a group of like-minded women who will probably say “Me, too!” more times than you can count over the weekend!

Now is your time to think about:

• branding
• business planning
• time management
• work/family balance strategies
• social media marketing plans
• creating systems and structures to support you, what to delegate, how to manage your business, and where to find more clients…

Let’s do it together so you get it DONE!

“The collective wisdom of this group was incredible! I’ve always said that “Together We Are Stronger,” and the Mom Biz Retreat has proved the theory ten-fold! ” Karen Climans, Founder Tail-Wags Helmet Covers

Your 3 day agenda to sucess:

Friday

Arrival and Check-in
Why We Work and What We Want
Secrets of a Successful Mompreneur Business

Friday Night

Meet and Greet (w/appetizers and drinks) at The Ups Store!

Saturday

Wake-Up Yoga
Gourmet Buffet Breakfast
Time Mapping—How to Handle All Your Priorities in the Time You Have
Mastering the E.A.S.E. Mindset
Delicious 4 course Lunch
Branding—How to Attract your Ideal Clients and Keep Them Forever
Coffee Break
Engagement Marketing
Accountability and Action Steps
Free Time (Spa or shopping, anyone?)

Saturday Night
Exquisite Gourmet Dinner With Our Group at 437 Rush Street

Sunday

Wake Up Yoga
Another gourmet Breakfast
Set Yourself Up For Growth
Coffee Break
Create Your Business Model
An exquisite Lunch
One Page Business Plan
Coffee Break
Challenge of Change
Finish Time is 4:30pm

“Lara and Shelagh, you are both motivating, inspirational, driven, caring, supportive and committed to the Mom Biz Retreat participants, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to other women! ” Judy Ranieri, Owner Small Biz Cafe

This is a learn and DO event. You are working ON your business in a supportive and nurturing environment.

This weekend, you walk away with awesome tools for your business toolkit–plans, guides, checklists, action items, next steps… You’ll be doing the work of business owners, the stuff it takes to build a successful business, that you often push aside when you’re busy.

So much business coaching and training is packed into this weekend, so you accomplish much in the short time you are away from your family.

“I was soooo inspired by all these women you brought together. I really enjoyed the weekend and learned a lot about so many things. I was telling everyone about it and I have more women interested to join. ” Ravi Choudhry, Founder Neuro Health, Inc.

Private coaching clients pay $300 per hour to learn these tools over weeks and months of one-on-one coaching. This information is $3,000+. It has been packed into one deluxe weekend for mom.

They say that if you take money out of your pocket and invest it in your mind, then your mind will find a way to put it back in your pocket and then some.

Early Bird (until November 15): $495 ENDED

Bring-a-Friend rate (until December 16): $450 each
(Bring-a-Friend rate only available when you and a friend sign up together and both names are listed in the registration field on the EventBrite sign-up page.)

Regular rate (until January 27): $595

Use promo code ‘CHICAGO100′ and receive $100 of your ticket! That’s a good deal!

How powerful will you feel when you are clear on your brand, your business model, your business plan and your marketing strategy? How happy will you be when you create a schedule that gets your work done without feeling guilty about stealing time away from your family?

What if you were one of the 30 incredible women in that room for 3 days?

Now is your time to draw a line in the sand and jump in with both feet.

You deserve this.

Your family deserves this.

“ Life changing. I can’t stop thinking about the Mom Biz Retreat and everyone that was there. ” Susan Schenck, Technology and Tools for Kids

Come and indulge yourself by staying Friday and Saturday nights at the Amalfi Hotel, where all the meetings, Meet and Greet reception, and Wake-Up Yoga Sessions take place.

The Amalfi Hotel Chicago

You can have a special Mom Biz Retreat participant room rate of $109/night (+ taxes) for a deluxe room with a king bed or $119/night (+ taxes) for a deluxe room with two queen beds. Click here for the MomBizRetreat Hotel Room Reservation link.

Or you can call 877-262-5341 and mention “MomBizRetreat.” Make sure you book by January 1 to guarantee our special rate!

When you book your room, also consider booking your massage, facial or pedicure to round out the Retreat!

What’s Included:

The Retreat includes two-and-a-half days of workshops on Friday afternoon, all day Saturday and all day Sunday, two breakfasts, two lunches, snacks, and one gourmet dinner with wine on Saturday night. It also includes the morning Wake Up Yoga Sessions on Saturday and Sunday, and the evening “Meet and Greet” reception in the Ravello Lounge, plus all your workbooks, checklists, plans, templates, models, how-to guides, fill-in-the-blank exercises and other resources we provide to help you get things done. We are providing tons of hands-on, do-it-now tools that are critical to your mompreneur success. It’s like six months of business coaching in two days!

You are capable of accomplishing in one weekend what some people take a year to do. Then socialize, relax, and indulge in the treats a world-class spa offers with a group of women you’ll call BFFs before the end of the weekend.

“ I just wanted to thank you all for taking me into the fold and being such an inspiring group to bounce ideas off of. What a great retreat and wonderful learning opportunity. “ Anjum Nayyar, Founder and Editor Masala Mommas

The small print:

What is not included in your MomBizRetreat registration fee is your hotel room at Amalfi and the lovely spa services you choose yourself.

You owe it to yourself, your family and your business to take care of yourself, to be the best mom and business owner you can be.

Take this time to do the visioning, planning and strategizing that will allow you to be successful on your own terms and create a business that you and your family love!

Let us remove all the risk for you.

The return on your investment is guaranteed! If at the end of the weekend, you have done all the work and you don’t walk out with the tools, knowledge and strategy that you need to make money in a business you love, we’ll give you 100% of your registration fee back. Guaranteed.

Still have some questions? We would love to answer them.

Call or email Lara (lara@mombizcoach.com) or (Shelagh.Cummins@gmail.com) to talk it over.

Interested in getting a whole bunch of digitally-savvy mom entrepreneurs interested in your business, product or service? We’d love to help you with that. Various sponsorship levels are available. Just contact Lara or Shelagh for our sponsorship deck: lara@mombizcoach.com, shelagh@biztrainher.com or DM them on twitter.

*We are unable to offer refunds once tickets are purchased. You are, however, welcome to transfer to an alternate date/city or sell your ticket to another person. Your credit will remain on file for a future event. The credit is good for 18 months. Please email us for details.

Some could call it picky eating – but you didn’t hear it from me.

So when Kraft sent me some of the new  Kraft Dinner Smart to try, there was only one way to truly put it to the test. It had to be a blind taste test.

Without announcing to a soul, I quietly made the Kraft Dinner Smart, being careful to follow the instructions on the box. I was giggling as I set it out, with a side of chicken and broccoli, chortling to myself that there was hidden goodness and nobody was the wiser.

We sat down and I waited. I waited for my husband to protest at the different flavor. I waited for the kids to balk at healthy food.  I just waited because… NOTHING HAPPENED! They loved it! All of them! Nobody noticed that the KD was healthier! HA!

Guess what?  We are converts. Kraft Dinner Smart is in our house from now on.

We want you to trial some too – Kraft Dinner Smart would like to send one Practicalmum.com reader a trial pack.

How to enter? Easy! Leave me a comment with your favorite Kraft Dinner variety. That’s it!

Want extra entries?

Want extra entries?

1- Follow @KraftCanada on Twitter.  Leave a comment telling me you are following them.

2 – Become a Practicalmum fan on Facebook. Leave a comment below telling me you’ve signed up.

3 – Follow @practicalmum on Twitter and tweet this giveaway (once a day!). (Leave me the link to your tweets below)

Win a Kraft Dinner Smart trial pack #giveaway from @KraftCanada and @practicalmum {Cdn only} 17/01 http://ht.ly/8hq0M

4 – Create an account at practicalmum.com. Leave me a comment with your username once you’ve signed up.

5- Post or share about this giveaway on your blog, or any of your social media outlets.  Leave me a comment for each post you shared.

Contest is open to Canadian readers only through January 17th, 2012. Winner will be chosen using the “… and the winner is” plug in and contacted via email. The winner will have 24 hours to respond.

I love parties in January- a little pick me up after the post holiday blues, the back to work, the back to routine… the perfect time to get together and survive the dark days of winter together.

Sometimes a little home made food is just good for the soul -and in my world, the best thing for my soul? Dessert. The other best thing for my soul? Girlfriends.  Put the two together? A 5-alarm dessert night with my girlfriends! Who needs a main meal?

We feasted on a Double Chocolate Treasure Cake.  Hello, divine! So rich, so chocolate-y, so smooth, simply delicious.  The other perk? Really easy to make.  This is on my ‘to make’ list for upcoming birthdays.

We also nibbled on some chocolate shortbread cookies. Hello deliciousness. I ended up making a batch, and batch of Oreo Truffles to giveaway as hostess gifts and to neighbors.  The truffles were a hit – absolutely sensational – and made with 3 ingredients; cream cheese, oreo cookies and Bakers chocolate.

I love that Kraft Canada has a partnership with Food Banks Canada… Kraft Food for Families is designed to enable communities across Canada to have improved access to food.

Starting December 2, every week for ten weeks, each name added online at www.kraftassists.ca will equal one vote for any of the 29 participating food banks. Every week, the food bank that receives the most names of support during each weekly voting period, will receive a $1000 donation from the Kraft Food for Families program.

Inspired by the tremendous support for the program since it launched last month, Kraft launched a second phase to allow Canadians to continue adding their signature online at www.kraftassists.ca in support of their local food bank.  Each week, the totals reset at zero and the tallies start from scratch – so Canadians can add their name daily each week until the end of the program on February 10.