Queen of Katwe Advance Screening #Toronto Flash Giveaway

Queen of Katwe is the colourful true story of a young girl selling corn on the streets of rural Uganda whose world rapidly changes when she is introduced to the game of chess, and, as a result of the support she receives from her family and community, is instilled with the confidence and determination she needs to pursue her dream of becoming an international chess champion. Directed by Mira Nair from a screenplay by William Wheeler based on the book by Tim Crothers.


For 10-year-old Phiona Mutesi and her family, life in the impoverished slum of Katwe in Kampala, Uganda, is a constant struggle. Her mother, Harriet, is fiercely determined to take care of her family and works tirelessly selling vegetables in the market to make sure her children are fed and have a roof over their heads. When Phiona meets Robert Katende, a soccer player turned missionary who teaches local children chess, she is captivated. Chess requires a good deal of concentration, strategic thinking and risk taking, all skills which are applicable in everyday life, and Katende hopes to empower youth with the game.

Phiona is impressed by the intelligence and wit the game requires and immediately shows potential. Recognizing Phiona’s natural aptitude for chess and the fighting spirit she’s inherited from her mother, Katende begins to mentor her, but Harriet is reluctant to provide any encouragement, not wanting to see her daughter disappointed. As Phiona begins to succeed in local chess competitions, Katende teaches her to read and write in order to pursue schooling. She quickly advances through the ranks in tournaments, but breaks away from her family to focus on her own life. Her mother eventually realizes that Phiona has a chance to excel and teams up with Katende to help her fulfill her extraordinary potential, escape a life of poverty and save her family.

Disney’s "Queen of Katwe" will open in theatres on September 23, 2016 (limited), and on September 30, 2016 (wide).

We have very short time giveaway. Enter to win one family pass to see inspiring Queen of Katwe in Toronto on September 21.

Details:
Toronto
Wednesday September 21, 2016
 7:00pm
 Cineplex Cinemas Yonge-Dundas

The giveaway is open to Canadian residents who can attend the select screening and ends on Monday, September 19, 2016.

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Easy Way To Save Money With Groupon

*This is a sponsored post brought to you by Groupon. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience. 


Big family needs require lots of planning and preparations. To make sure our spending does not go out of control, we have to find ways to save money on almost everything. Grocery, seasonal shopping, clothes and shoes, new items for kids as their pants and jackets already short and tight; new gear for hockey games, dance outfit for the recital, music scores, new support stick for grandfather, glasses, hearing aid and more. The list can be endless adding constantly growing prices for almost everything we shop for.


There are different ways to save money from chasing the deals to loyalty programs. Couponing is one of the most popular to get discounts on items you buy. I like that Groupon offers coupons save at multiple retailers. From clothes, make up and skincare to web hosting and prints, there is something for everyone to check. You can use coupons on-line or take them to the store. Besides discounts we can get free shipping codes to our favorite stores on-line. With planning and using coupons we can get quality items at the discounted price using Groupon Coupon, take a look and check the site often, as coupons expire after a period of time. Certain items like holiday decor, gifts, clothes, gear and other products we can buy in advance when coupons shows up on Groupon.

We regularly buy from The Body Shop Canada, Foot Locker and WalMart Canada so I like when you can save more on items I buy using Groupon Coupons.

The time of festive parties, nice presents and lovely decorations is fast approaching, do not let it end up in overspending. Use coupons and save, it is easy as it sounds!

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Back to School & Adjusting to Seasonal Changes with CeraVe Canada & Cold-FX

Moving into the fall season is probably one of the busiest time of the year with the beginning of new school year, upcoming holidays and weather changes. Cooler temps and shorter days affect our mood and body. Adjusting the diet according to the season, thanks fall offers an abundance of choices, and more sleep help to dive into the fall season. Seasonal changes also make significant impact on our skin when colder temperature and humidity levels affect skin’s natural balance. The skin is easily irritated and needs more protection and care.


To help us make transition more smoothly from the summer season and give our skin clean and healthy look, CeraVe® offers a line of skin care products to repair and strengthen the skin barrier. Developed with dermatologists, CeraVe® makes quality skincare products for face and body. Besides being designed for any type of the skin, CeraVe® products are suitable for people with skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, acne, rosacea and atopic dermatitis. During fall these conditions tend to get worse, so CeraVe skincare intended to repair, replenish and protect the skin barrier. Technically speaking, CeraVe products gives the skin materials to build strong, healthy and protective skin barrier.


In August we had a chance to learn more about CeraVe products during Back To School event. CeraVe® product line is constantly growing and gains popularity for their quality & effectiveness. The company makes special skincare products for babies CeraVe® Bébé, developed for delicate baby skin in collaboration with pediatric professional dermatologists. Another great CeraVe® line AcneFree offers special acne treatments for skin, perfect for teenagers and adults too. All CeraVe® brands follow the company philosophy in creating effective skin care with key components to protect the skin barrier. CeraVe® products are non- irritating, non-comedogenic and fragrance-free. They are also very affordable, available at major Canadian retailers.


I tried some CeraVe® products and have to tell that they are really good. Here they are:

• Foaming Facial Cleanser effectively cleans, balances and replenishes the skin in one easy step. I like that my skin does not feel dry after using it. The best thing the cleanser can be used for any skin type and men, women, seniors or teens. It is soft enough not to irritate the skin. 
•  Facial Moisturizing Lotion PM perfect for night use, makes the skin soft and healthy in the morning. CeraVe® PM offers the benefits of unique, patented MVE® delivery technology, which provides a controlled release of skin-nourishing ingredients slowly over time. Even during the day CeraVe’s night application still moisturizes the skin throughout the day. 
•  Love CeraVe® Eye Repair Cream, it makes my under eye skin soft and smooth. The cream claims to reduce the look of dark circles and puffiness. It moisturizes the delicate under eye area, during cold and windy days the cream is the absolute saver. 
• CeraVe® Moisturizing Cream provides all-day moisturization with a single application. It come in a pretty big jar and can be applied over the body. I like it does not leave any stains and residue, softens and hydrates the skin. Even babies and seniors can use this cream for dry or irritated skin areas.
• Last one is CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser Bar which I gave our family members to try only getting positive feedback after using it. It makes skin hydrated and soft.

While we got lots of great product for our skincare arsenal, we also need to remember that flue and cold season is fast approaching. While flu shots and sanitizers definitely are essential, Cold-FX insists that we should focus on strengthening our immune system few weeks before the cold season starts. At the Back To School event, the company introduced new product Cold-FX Chewable designed to boost the Immune System during cold and flu. Coming in two flavours, Orange & Grape, it is suggested that we should start taking chewable tablets in September so that when cold weather hits the country, we are ready to beat flu and cold, reduce sick time.

I wish you a smooth transition from summer to fall, there are lots of amazing days ahead, holidays and family gatherings. I hope you find some of these products essential for yourself to help you enjoy fall season, look fantastic and do not catch any cold or flu!

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Save on Men's Fashion With Groupon

*This is a sponsored post brought to you by Groupon. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience. 

Men love looking stylish even though they do not admit that. Since they are pickier with their choices, shopping for them sometimes is easy because it can be done without them and hard because they hardly change their shopping preferences. They know exactly which brands they like and provide exact numbers and names of clothes or items they would love to get. Men’s fashion offer an abundance of choices so that men look stylish not only at work or during special event but also when fishing, camping, skating, exploring outdoors, babysitting kids, exercising and cooking.

We have lots of men in our family and they do want to look stylish everywhere. Even young kids pick up from grownups and follow the example. It becomes trickier when we need a new pair of sneakers but boy’s feet do not fit in their favorite ones after summer months. I do not want to pay the full price for new outfit every season. It adds up when we need new sports gear for hockey and swimming along with dress suits for music competitions. Being a savvy shopper means getting the best prices on menswear, shoes and accessories, and using coupons and deals to save money while looking the best. That’s why I refer to the sites like Groupon to save on our purchases. We save when shopping for our young boys or seniors choosing the items as gifts or for everyday use, so that they look comfortable and stylish everywhere.


I was first introduced to Groupon by my boss when working for the bank. He had a daily routine to check Groupon for the best offers and said that it saves tons of money in comparison to buying the same for a full price. Since that time we actively check the deals and find what fits us the most. Groupon offers a wide selection of deals on services and products from clothing, gear, beauty to electronics, toys, travel and entertainment, so check it out.

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The Swan Princess: Princess Tomorrow, Pirate Today DVD Giveaway

*Sony Home Video provided me with some of the materials I used in this Blog Post/Giveaway. The opinions I share are my own.

If you live princess stories, then you should join adventures of beautiful, strong and amazing Princess Alise. She wants to leave her comfortable Royal Castle and explote the world as a pirate. The Swan Princess: Princess Tomorrow, Pirate Today is now available on DVD from Sony Home Entertainment!


In the brand new original animated film, Princess Alise is training to be the perfect royal but in her heart all she wants to do is sail the seven seas as a swashbuckling pirate! After setting sail, Princess Alise is shipwrecked and washes ashore on an island where she meets Lucas, a young boy who has been living there by herself. They have to work together to survive and get back to civilization!

Follow The Swan Princess: Princess Tomorrow, Pirate Today!

Are you fit to be a Princess or a Pirate?

We are are excited to give away a copy of The Swan Princess: Princess Tomorrow, Pirate Today on DVD to one our lucky reader. For your chance simply fill the Rafflecopter form below.

The Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S./Canada and ends September 23, 2016. Good Luck!


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Each household is only eligible to win The Swan Princess: Princess Tomorrow, Pirate Today! DVD via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

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Strengthen Child's Literacy Skills With Ooka Island Reading Program #RaiseAReader

Kids learn fast, especially through the games and activities. In our digital world when everything under your fingers we can easily get any required information. The abundance of resources can discourage and disorient sometimes, that’s why it is essential to do research when it comes to children’s education. Each child takes own unique path in learning to read, it can be easy or hard but the results amaze both parents and kids.


This summer we wanted Teddy to become a confident reader and feel comfortable with reading assignments. He learned a lot during his years at Junior and Senior Kindergarten but needed to expand his reading skills to be ready for Grade 1. I heard many positive feedbacks about Ooka Island from other children and parents so we decided to give it a try. Ooka Island is a scientifically proven reading program that accelerates and personalizes your child’s learning with game-based educational activities and 85 eBooks. It is an interactive on-line application with multiple choices where child can learn by himself or with virtual friends. It is designed for children ages 3 to 7. The program teaches five essential reading skills: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and reading comprehension.


Ooka Island offers various options to personalize on-line account. Teddy spent some time creating his virtual look and outfit. Plus you can easily change the look of on-line character adding some features for Halloween and Christmas.


The program has two modes to choose Read or Play. They are both great option to switch between. I like the length of activities, they are long enough to engage Teddy into learning and keep him focused. The whole process of learning is personalized and depends on what your child likes the most. Teddy loves playing so he learns fast through games and he likes being on Ooka Island.

Every Friday parents receive detailed report about the child’s progress. First couple of weeks Teddy did pretty well except, phonics. We knew that before, he had some difficulties and reports reflected that. Kids meet Zobot and Ooka Evles who helps in child’s reading adventures. Teddy has his favorite elf to play. The child can join Word Ball, Pencil Playground, Cave of Sounds, Alphabet Mountain, Cake Factory, Bubbly Trubbly and more, everything to help your child to read through activities. Teddy always comes and shows what he is doing, often asking “Do you know what happens next?” He realized at some point that being able to read is like a magic and he can learn so much through reading.


There are still more reading skills to learn for Teddy, every day he is looking forward to visiting Ooka Island. It is like getting along with friends in a familiar environment. He started reading more books and does not find them boring.


Hopefully the day will come when we finish our Ooka Island journey and recommend the program to new generation of readers. As for now encourage our children enter the world of reading. With every level you will see how their confidence grows and we will be proud of every accomplishment they made.


As for pricing, the monthly subscription to Ooka Island is $10.99 and annual is $109.99. You can try first level for free and get a sense what is the program is about and how it works. Ooka Island is available to install on major digital devices.


For our readers we are excited to giveaway one annual subscription to Ooka Island program ($109.99 value). The giveaway is open to US/ Canada and ends September 25, 2016.


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Disney's Beauty and The Beast Original Animated Film Screening in Toronto Giveaway CAN

The beloved animated classic has truly stood the test of time and now a whole new generation of viewers are invited to be our guest and fall in love with this enchanting tale, its captivating characters and unforgettable, award-winning music score and original song, "Beauty and the Beast."


"Beauty and the Beast" is the wonderful journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young lady who is taken prisoner by a beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast’s hideous exterior and realize the kind heart and soul of the true Prince within.

Beauty and the Beast Signature Collection is now available on Digital HD and will be available on Blu-ray September 20. The Walt Disney Signature Collection edition features four versions of "Beauty and the Beast." The Blu-ray release will include the original theatrical film; an extended version with the "Human Again" song sequence and a never-before-released on home entertainment sing-along version. The original work-in-progress version will be available digitally and on Disney Movies Anywhere.

To celebrate this Signature Collection edition release, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada hosts the original animated film screening in Toronto on Sunday, September 18. We are excited to giveaway two family packs to attend the screening.

The movie screening will be held at Cineplex Yonge-Eglinton Cinemas 10:00 am on Sunday, September 18. 

The giveaway ends September 15, 2016 and open to Canadian residents who can attend the screening.

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