still digesting: disney social media moms
By annemarie on May 13, 2012 | Filed Under biz tips, faces & places
I was honoured to be invited to the third Disney Social Media Moms event this April at Disney World in Orlando for many reasons and I was excited to hear their line up of speakers who covered a broad, powerful, interesting social media spectrum.
As I started to go through my notes from the presentations it took me back and I got distracted from writing about the event as I tried to figure out how I’d work all the info into a diary entry. Then I realized that would be impossible and unreadable. But what I could do was share my key takeaway from each speaker. The thing that resonated with me the most. The thing that made me go “Aha” and left my brain buzzing. So here it goes:
Amy Jo Martin from Digital Royalty kicked the morning off with a lot of inspiration. In a good, concrete way. What stuck with me the most was her point that if you don’t know why you do what you do how can you expect anyone to follow you? And that people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Of course that had me reflecting on why we do what we do. And it goes back to the reason I started yoyomama in the first place. It’s to make mums’ (and dads’) lives easier by giving them info about what’s great where they live. If I’m ever tempted to go off track I need to come back to this single thought and it’ll help me focus.
Next came the incredibly high octane Ramon De Leon of Domino’s Pizza fame who was like a shot of adrenaline or caffeine. Or possibly two shots. By the time he’d finished talking all I could think about was trying Domino’s Pizza. And I’m a artisan pizza made with local ingredients kind of gal so that surprised me. He was big on customer service and has inspired me to dip deeper into video. What resonated with me the most among what he said was trust your instincts. I did exactly that when I didn’t try and transcribe all my notes into one incredibly long dense blog post.
Then Peter Shankman whose message “nothing interesting ever happens in your comfort zone” paired with something Amy Jo said about being someone who never chose the easy route led to a late night, slightly tipsy roller coaster ride later that same evening and I’m someone who thinks It’s a Small World is an exciting ride thank you very much. So riding Expedition Everest, in the dark no less, was way, way beyond my comfort zone. Peter Shankman also suggested you keep a photo of yourself doing something that scared you and pull it out before you head into a meeting or something that makes you nervous. Sadly I have no photo of the ride to pull out, but I do have the memory. And thanks to Jill and Kimberley for holding my hand and not laughing at my abject terror.
The afternoon started with Lisa Druxman, the founder of Stroller Strides. Not only did she have one of the Social Media Moms doing the plank (in front of everyone) for longer than she thought she could, but she talked about the power of our thoughts to create our future. Something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I loved when she advised us to get rid of gremlins, those nasty little voices on your shoulder that whisper negative thoughts in your ear. As she said, “Knock that bitch off and get a goddess on your shoulder instead.” So if you see me making swiping motions at my shoulder you’ll know why!
The day ended with Chris Brogan who has never spoken West of Toronto before though he will be in Victoria for Social Media Camp next month. The biggest thing I took away from his talk was that page views don’t pay your bills, selling pays your bills. Exactly. And as someone whose business is moving in a mobile direction his focus on mobile (or “mobile, mobile, mobile and more mobile” as he said) was very reassuring. He also recommended falling in love with “no” and saying “yes” to the most important things only. Something I need to work on. So if I say “no” to you in the near future blame Chris not me. Or applaud me for falling in love…
Two weeks on my brain is still digesting all the amazing info, takeaways and more from the conference. I suspect it’s going to take awhile and key will be putting all this great learning into action. And I’m sure some of them will sneak into future diary entries!
Disclosure: I was invited to take part in the 2012 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration conference. Various tickets/passes, accommodations and other associated perks were supplied to me for the duration of my stay. I was not specifically asked to share anything with my readers about the conference or anything related to Disney. All opinions, musings and the like are 100% mine.
food allergies and disney dining
By annemarie on May 8, 2012 | Filed Under faces & places, foodie friday
Well, that’s an exciting title for an entry in our diary. However I wanted to write about this separately from my other entries about the Disney Social Media Moms conference as I know families with severe food allergies and how hard it can be for them to travel and eat out. Well not at Disney World!
One of the breakout sessions for the conference was on Disney Dining. Admittedly I originally I signed up for this session because it promised food samples. Yum! But what I came away with was an understanding of how hard it can be to travel when you have kids with food allergies (or you have them) and how Disney is 
working to accommodate this. And yes, I got some delicious food samples too. Look at the passion fruit panna cotta with raspberry foam to the left. SO good.
But back to allergies. When you reserve at any of the Disney restaurants you can inform them of your food allergies (even the buffets) and they’ll accommodate you. But they’re working towards having more gluten-free options available at all their restaurants – formal or not – so you don’t necessarily have to plan your dining destinations in advance. And you can show unannounced and let them know you’re vegan and they’ll work with that, but a little advance notice means your meal will be that much more interesting. Every restaurant also has to have a vegetarian option and a healthy option, including dessert.
My favourite quote, said by the chef to a mother of children with food dye allergies who carries packets of ketchup etc along with her where ever she goes was “It’s your vacation, you shouldn’t have to carry food in your pocket!” This same mum was very impressed by the white (ie. undyed) cotton candy that had been handed out to the kids at a party the night before.
So if you’ve been thinking about a trip to Disney but are hampered by allergies take heart. I also need to do a bit of research and see if this allergy awareness extends to Disneyland. I’ll report back and let you know!
Disney is also going to slowly start offering nutritional breakdowns for their menus but as they have so many different restaurants serving so many different types of food – everything from Polynesian to pancakes – that it’s not like a national chain with one menu so providing those breakdowns is no small undertaking.
Speaking of dining and attention to detail we had lunch in France (part of Epcot, I also browsed English chocolate in London and enjoyed some Celtic rock in Canada) one day and guess who turned up at our table? That’s right Remy from Ratatouille. A très française server called, fittingly, Amélie, was visiting each table with a delicious dish hidden under a silver serving dish. Upon lifting the lid what was revealed but an animatronic Remy upon a cheese tray. Amélie would interpret his squeaks for you and everyone, from kids to grandparent aged people dining sans enfants, was enchantée.
Though a devoted iPhone-a-phile I have seen so many great pictures from the conference documenting other people’s experiences that I’ve decided much as I love the camera on my phone I need something a little more zippy with handy things like a flash. These pix just aren’t cutting it!
Disclosure: I was invited to take part in the 2012 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration conference. Various tickets/passes, accommodations and other associated perks were supplied to me for the duration of my stay. I was not specifically asked to share anything with my readers about the conference or anything related to Disney. All opinions, musings and the like are 100% mine.
a whole new world
By annemarie on May 7, 2012 | Filed Under faces & places
Recently I was invited to attend the Disney Social Media Moms Conference at Disney World in Orlando (more on the amazing conference later this week) and it was the first time I’d been to Orlando and Disney World and compared to Disneyland it really was a whole new world. To quote Aladdin.
Being born and bred on the West Coast, Disneyland has always been the destination of choice if one’s “doing Disney” so I was excited to experience Disney World and compare and contrast the two. Let me start by saying that, much as the nervous flyer next to me on the plane said, “Disney World is like Disneyland on steroids.” I prefer to think of it as Disneyland 2.0. It’s as if Walt used Disneyland as his beta version and then went on to Disney World and corrected all the things that weren’t up to his exacting standards.
Does this mean I think Disneyland is second best? Hardly. I think they both have their pros and cons.
Here’s what I love about Disneyland. First off, it’s child-sized. In the sense that everything’s contained in one park. Plus if you stay at a Disney hotel you can make it back to your lodgings for nap times or a break if your little one’s feeling the overwhelm and hit up Downtown Disney for a bit of shopping with ease. And it may be because it was my first Disney experience but it’s still truly magical.
In Disney World there’s more to love.With four parks – Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom; classic Disney rides (and more); water parks galore (and lots of water features in the park to help keep kids cool) and lots more dining options you can explore for weeks on end (I suspect) without ever repeating yourself. Unlike my first trip to Disneyland with my girls when we rode It’s A Small World six (or more, I stopped counting) times. With buses and boats and monorails to take you from place to place getting around isn’t a hassle. And getting to your destination by boat at Disney World will thrill your little one.
I truly can’t come down on the side of one or the other. I think it depends on what kind of family holiday you’re looking for – you can do Disneyland in a few days for example but I’d recommend at least a week at Disney World and, to a degree, where you’re coming from (the 13 hour trip from Vancouver to Florida isn’t to be undertaken lightly) and your children’s ages. But what I can come down on the side of, no matter which park you choose, is Disney’s attention to detail that’s all about making holidays fun for the whole family, you included!
As a mum I tend to do a lot of planning, and organizing and keeping everyone on track. At Disney they take care of that for you. Sure you can plan your whole trip in advance – and I’d definitely advise doing some Disney dining resos before you head out – but you don’t have to. Disney cast members are always on hand to give directions, help you sort out getting to and from the airport (I loved Disney’s Magical Express complimentary service that takes you to and from the airport in Orlando) and on and on and on. As an entrepreneur I am in awe of all that must go on on behind the scenes to keep things ticking along so smoothly on the surface, it’s truly amazing. And when you’re freed up from constantly planning ahead it means you have more time to focus on your kids and having fun, so whichever park you choose it’s a break for you as well. Which isn’t something you can always say about family vacays!
Disclosure: I was invited to take part in the 2012 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration conference. Various tickets/passes, accommodations and other associated perks were supplied to me for the duration of my stay. I was not specifically asked to share anything with my readers about the conference or anything related to Disney. All opinions, musings and the like are 100% mine.
earth, earth baby!
By annemarie on April 22, 2012 | Filed Under eco friendly
Sure, we’ve covered some green, earth-friendly ideas for greener cleaners and being green 365 days a year in honour of Earth Day 2012 but what about in years past? Green doesn’t date, though apparently the title earth, earth baby does as we’ve used it before, betraying our ’80s musical roots. Again.
Musical references aside, last year we did a whole month of earth-friendly editorial including handy green tips from some of our favourite eco-friendly Canadians in this very diary. Plus there’s everything in our Going Green category which is packed with products, ideas and places that make it easier to be green.
So our hope for Earth Day this year isn’t that there’s one day of awareness but instead that it’s a great trigger to begin an ongoing movement of green goodness. And we always remind ourselves (when we are seduced into buying a face cream that isn’t eco-friendly but promises to reduce our wrinkles) that it’s not about being perfect but about making conscious, mindful choices.
Jason & the Argonauts
By jewel on April 17, 2012 | Filed Under events
Amazing what two Glaswegian actors and a handful of children’s action figures can do to bring the ancient story of “Jason and the Argonauts” to life. We recently took in the opening night of this show, based on the story of Jason, his legendary Argonauts and the Golden Fleece. Our young critic was an 8-year old boy, but based on the raucous laughter of the row of girls who sat in front of us, this play is definitely one for both genders. The play is aimed at ages 7+, and I would definitely say that younger kids would have trouble following the story line and quick character shifts. We also read a synopsis of the Greek myth before we went, and this helped immeasurably in following the story line. The Greek myth has many versions that have been passed down over the ages, and if you’re a purest, you may be disappointed that some parts are edited out.
The play is based on the idea of two kids playing on a rainy day and acting out the myth of the Argonauts. Through clever use of action figures, minimal props and a simple, yet fantastically versatile set, the two actors take on a dizzying array of characters: Jason, his 50 Argonauts and the people and monsters that they run into on their epic voyage. Visual humour and quick-witted banter instantly engage the audience and keep attention until the end. The play has humour that is aimed at all ages, with plenty of additional guffaws for the parents.
Our 8-year old boy especially enjoyed the ample sword-fighting scenes and the duel between Jason and the dragon who was guarding the Golden Fleece. He also liked the different action figures and the references to current-day ‘heroes’ such as Spiderman and Star Wars characters. I was impressed by the incredible imagination of the Scottish theatre company producing the play. Made me want to toss many of my children’s elaborate toys and get back to basic creative play using odds & ends from the recycling box as props.
A great play to see with older kids and a fun way to turn them onto live theatre.
Jason & the Argonauts is playing at The Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island from April 13-29, 2012. Click here for details on tickets.
bc children’s hospital – a personal story
By annemarie on April 11, 2012 | Filed Under faces & places, guest bloggers
When Heather van Mil, the General Manager of Gymboree Play & Music in North Vancouver, asked if she could do a guest post about her experience with BC Children’s Hospital when her daughter was born with heart defects and how she now is giving back through the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation we thought it was a great idea. Little did we know how moving and inspiring her story would be. Thanks Heather for this heartfelt (pun intended) reminder about the great work the hospital does!
I am always in awe of mothers who are out and about with their newborns just days or weeks after giving birth. I wonder what it’s like to be able to take your baby home right away, and jump back into the land of the living (or at least make day trips occasionally) shortly thereafter. Or to be one of those incredible mothers who never steps foot in a hospital, choosing instead to give birth at home. I am not one of those women. While I considered long and hard about home birth, day dreaming about a utopian, family bonding water experience, I ultimately decided to go the hospital/midwife route. I wasn’t quite brave enough, but told myself that if that all went smoothly then I would do it with my second child. To this day I am so thankful that I listened to that intuition.
My daughter was born with a Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA), a Ventrical SeptalDefect (VSD) and Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) and a Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA); all categorized as congential heart conditions. For all of us without medical – or Latin degrees, this means that her aorta and pulmonary arteries were on backwards, so the oxygen rich red blood was cycling between her heart and lungs, and the oxygen depleted blue blood was traveling between her heart and body on 2 independent, closed circuits. An average baby born with this defect would not live very long, if past birth at all. Thankfully her “extra” defects came in handy! It meant she had several holes within her heart which allowed the oxygen to mix enough to sustain her until she could have surgery.
She underwent open heart surgery at 17 days old at BC Children’s Hospital. We did not take her home right away, but 10 days later at almost one month old – a fact that I consider nothing short of miraculous. We did not venture out, day trips or otherwise, for several weeks after that. We even had to hold her a particular way, being mindful of her healing ribcage and sternum. She slept on her special little raise bed right in our bed; there was no such thing as too close for us as we cared for our healing baby. I think about all this as I look back. Perhaps next time I will be that mother who is out with her preschooler and newborn just days after. Or I will be the one communing with nature during my at home water birth. For now, I’m thankful for the experience I did have, for the healthy daughter I do have, for the amazing staff who supported us along the way, and for the opportunity to give back.
As the General Manager of Gymboree Play & Music in North Vancouver, I am thrilled to be able to support such an incredible staff and the indispensable services provided at BC Children’s Hospital. Throughout the month of April we will be running Jeans Themed Open PlayGyms (click here for schedule). Our staff will be dressed up in denim leading all the fun activities. All our Open PlayGyms (running Tuesday through Friday), are open to the public by donation to BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. Activities are geared towards children from birth – 5 years old with adults staying and participating too! And what is Jeans Day without pins and buttons? We will be selling those all month long as well! We’ll wrap it up with a big party on Jean’s Day; Thursday April 26th! RSVP is needed for this event only and you can contact us at 604.739.1190 or nshorebc@gymboreeclasses.com. Entry is $10 for members, $20 for new families and friends. In addition to the activities and music, we will also be raffling off various prizes, from instruments to classes to birthday packages; entries available by donation. 100% of the proceeds will go directly to the Jeans Day fundraising efforts in support of BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Children’s Hospital had over 196,000 patients last year. Chances are your own child, or someone you know was one of them. Please help us help them continue the wonderful, life supporting care they provide to each and every one of them!
ribbit redoux
By annemarie on March 12, 2012 | Filed Under events
Carousel Theatre is currently reprising their sold out 2010 production of A Year With Frog and Toad and this past weekend we took in a showing. Here, from youngest to oldest, is our thoughts about the production, which is based on Arnold Lobel’s lovely stories about friendship:
From our reticent six-year-old, who was thoroughly entranced with the whole show and keeps singing the songs but didn’t have much to say afterwards:
Favourite Song: Snail with the Mail
Favourite Character: Frog
Favourite Thing Overall: Costumes
This from our more loquacious eight-year-old who was seeing the show for the second time and marveled at all the little things she’d forgotten between 2010 and 2012:
Favourites Song: Snail with the Mail and the Cookie song
Favourite Character: Mouse and my other favourite character was Frog too.
Favourite Thing Overall: My favourite story was the one with the cookies. Something I’d forgotten was the birds singing at the beginning and the end and I liked them – they played all the other characters too. I also like Toad Looks Funny In A Bathing Suit and the sled. I liked them because they were funny. The costumes were awesome and you have to go see it because Toad was very, very funny.
And lastly our grown up critic weighs in:
Favourite Song: The Cookie Song.
Favourite Character: Toad
Favourite Thing Overall: I really like the Frog and Toad characters, all the acting was really good and it was a nice story for kids about friendship.
We loved this show the first time around and loved it just as much the second time and as it runs through April 8th and they’ve opened up all their performances including the weekday shows, to the public, it seems to us the perfect way to while away a spring break morning or afternoon, specially if the weather continues to be a bit inclement!
Ribbit!
A Year With Frog and Toad runs from March 2nd – April 5th, 2o12. Click here for info on showtimes and getting tickets!
Photo of Rebecca Talbot and Todd Talbot by Tim Matheson.
strike out
By annemarie on March 2, 2012 | Filed Under events, faces & places
With the teacher’s strike looming next week many parents are scrambling for child care* so we’ve been gathering a list of places offering camps for kids and other programming for March 5th, 6th & 7th. We’re impressed at how many of these facilities jumped in at the last minute to create alternative programming to fill a pressing need for parents and we’re sure there are some we’ve missed here so please email us if you know of others!
Here they are, in no particular order:
- Carousel Theatre is hosting showings of their newest production, A Year With Frog & Toad, on T & W. We saw this in 2010 and it’s a great production!
- Kerrigan Gymnastics in Coquitlam have half and full day camps this M, T & W
- Poirier and Pinetree Community Centres in Coquitlam are offering day camps
- 4Cats Capitol Hill (here are links to other 4Cats studios in case they’re offering programs too)
- UBC Sports Camps
- Jump Gymnastics (call for details)
- Richmond Oval
- City of Surrey (PDF)
- Grouse Mountain, Cypress & Seymour (day camps)
- Vancouver Aquarium
- Eagle Awareness School
- Vancouver Circus School (call for details)
- Inside Edge Hockey School
- Pinocchio Art School (call for details)
- Yoga & Art Camps at the Kerrisdale Community Centre, call 604.257.8100 to register
- Beaty Biodiversity Museum (they don’t have programming but they are offering 50% off admission on strike days)
- Police Museum (drop in programming)
- Rio Theatre (kid-friendly matinees at 11 am & 1 pm M, T & W)
- Roundhouse Community Centre (day camps)
- Many pools and skating rinks in Vancouver are extending their public swim and skate hours
- Director’s Cut (day long film making workshops for grades one to seven)
In addition services such as ayoudo allow you to ask for help from your trusted network and Child Care Options can help as well. We’re noticing mums jumping in to help as well, a stay at home mum we know has offered to care for some of her friends’ kids, a crafty mum we know is putting together craft workshops and we’ve cobbled together a backup plan that includes some child swapping with a friend.
Sorry, we didn’t have time to get all the details for each program – some of them weren’t even on their sites yet - but hopefully these links will help. If you know of other camps or options please comment below, let us know on Facebook or Twitter, or email us and we’ll add them to the list!
*Note: we don’t equate school with childcare, but as working parents we do know that one’s day works on the assumption that your children will – baring fevers and upset tummies – not be home from 9 to 3 and taking time off is not always an option.
Photo by Biscarotte.
more spring training
By jewel on February 27, 2012 | Filed Under parenting
We talked to Jennifer Hood, a Long Term Athletic Development (LTAD) specialist and owner of Jump! Gymnastics to find out what’s developmentally appropriate for the 8-12 age group and found her guidance very helpful in navigating sports with our children, so we wanted to include the rest of the interview here:
Q. How much practice is appropriate?
A. We hear many parents say “For goodness sakes, can’t they just play a game once a week? Do they really need to practice?” Actually, at this stage, 70% of time should be spent in practice and no more than 30% in competition. Why? Games and competitions are more about showcasing than learning (although as long as they stay fun for the child they provide motivation to practice). Consider how many times your child might swing a bat or touch the ball during a baseball game versus how many more opportunities they have during practice. Practice provides the golden opportunity for skill acquisition – if your child is playing a 1.5 hour game a week on average, then 3.5 hours of practice would be developmentally appropriate. Keep in mind the minimum recommendation for physical activity is 30 minutes a day, or 3.5 hours a week. The maximum? Let your kid be the guide. Some kids need to be active for most of their non-school waking moments. But if it’s no longer fun, positive and inclusive then it’s too much.
Q. Specialist vs. All-rounder?
A. At this age, parents start facing pressures to let their child specialize. Keep in mind that early specialization can be detrimental to later stages of athlete development, can increase the likelihood of injury and burnout, and may prevent your child from developing skills they can transfer to other sports as their interests change. At this stage ideally a child would play 2-3 different sports throughout the year. If your child loves an early specialization sport like competitive gymnastics or ballet it may not be practical to do other organized sports, but make sure you get lots of family swimming, bike riding and hiking in to give them a broader base. Summer camps also provide great opportunities to explore new sports.
Q. How much should we push the reluctant child?
A. The best way to ensure your child stays active for life is having fun; Only you will know the difference between your child just not feeling like it on a particular day, and really loathing it. If it’s the former – they are at the age where it’s appropriate to start teaching them that their team depends on them. If it’s the latter, then why push it? Try another sport – we know one family who tried 3-4 team sports before finally ending up with capoeira, where their child has been extremely happy. If it’s something like swimming that is really an essential skill, then work with your child to see if you can come to an agreement: take a break for a while, try a different pool, private lessons, or do regular family swims, for example.
Q. Should the coach be scary?
A. There is no room in your family’s life for coaches who yell at or belittle children in the guise of ‘motivating’ them, or twist the rules in the name of winning. Even if your child seems to thrive under the competitive pressure it can be very damaging. Depending on how seriously it’s impacting your child, you can work with the coach and the league to fix the problem, or pull your child out. Never forget, sport needs to be fun for your child. And remember, scary coaches are in the minority – there are thousands of dedicated volunteer coaches across Canada introducing our children to sport in a fun and supportive way. They deserve our thanks!
Q. How can we learn more?
A. Activeforlife.ca is a great resource – it does a particularly good job of showing the link between fundamental movement skills and specific sports. Canadian Sport for Life has a publication called “Developing Physical Literacy”, which is a guide giving parents of children aged 1-12 a roadmap to long-term wellness in activity and sport. Although a child’s interest in a particular sport is the most important consideration, parents might also find SportFit’s online questionnaire a useful tool to suggest sports that fit well with their child’s profile.
last minute love gift ideas
By annemarie on February 13, 2012 | Filed Under eco friendly, things
I must admit to a certain fondness for Whole Foods. Their fruit always looks juicier, their veggies crisper and their goodies more delicious. Admittedly their fruits and veggies really do beat the ones at my local grocery store pretty much hands down and so their goodies. Of course all that comes with a price tag, which is why I restrict myself (as much as possible) to only shopping for things I can’t find elsewhere – and lots of produce.
But I also find Whole Foods is a great spot to find little gifties, whether in their Whole Body department or some delicious cheese or a lovely bouquet. In fact as often as possible I try and walk through their floral department on my way into the Cambie location, as it sets my shopping off to delightfully scented start. It’s also a great spot to pick up a few tulips or other fresh blooms on the 14th!
So if you are looking for last minute gift ideas for anyone you love tomorrow we have some edible suggestions – some of which are items they sent us to test, others which are just items we already, well…love. It is almost Valentine’s Day after all.
We adore “real” hot chocolate. The kind where chocolate, not sugar, is the first ingredient. Allegro Coffee Company’s line of drinking chocolates (pictured above) fits the bill. We’re partial to their Dominican Republic 54, with chocolate sourced from the largest organic fair trade c0-op in the world. And just think, you could share a cup of this with someone grown up that you love once the kids are abed tomorrow night.
Though we’re longtime fans of Vancouver’s Butter Baked Goods we’ve never been big on marshmallows so we’ve stuck with their Chocolate Sandwich Cookie and Lemon Loaf and never ventured into fluffier territory. But when we were sent some to test we thought it only fair to try one. Suffice it to say our kids were pretty crazy about them – especially the pretty pink strawberry flavoured ones - and I suspect older marshmallow fans would like these light, fluffy treats too, but I’ll be sticking with chocolate!
Local baker Kreation Artisan Cake also makes heart-shaped cookie lollipops that little ones are bound to feel passionate about. We tested them on our tots who were instantly smitten but took a bite ourselves and the cookies were fresh, light and tasty, and very cute!
My stocking was stuff with Maisie Jane’s Chocolate Toffee Almonds this past Christmas and I hope I’m getting more for Valentine’s Day. I’m crazy about these roasted almonds combined with crunchy toffee and delicious chocolate. What could be better? Plus almonds are good for stabilizing your blood sugar so these are a healthy treat. Well, that’s what I tell myself anyhow…
Those are just a few of our faves but you’ll find lots more chocolatey (and more) treats there too. We also love Denman Island Chocolate – their dark chocolate red foil wrapped hearts make a lovely little gift, Alter Eco Fair Trade’s organic chocolate (try the Dark Chocolate Almond) and our love affair of Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate goes way back.
