Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

Father's Day

This Father’s Day, boost his MOJO with Costco.ca and Masterpass!

By 199 Comments

Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

Decades ago, the iconic soap-on-a-rope and striped tie represented the hallmark of Father’s Day presents. After all, dads were branded as toiling away in either a factory or office, so the selection of gifts represented his “need to have” versus a “nice to have”.

Today, gift giving for Father’s Day isn’t focused on what dad does; rather, it’s focused on what dad does for us. He shows unconditional love and likes your post on Facebook. He solves math problems and makes the best marinara sauce. He changes dirty diapers and orders the biggest slurpee at the ballgame. He’s AWESOME.
Also? Let’s pay homage to his style, his MOJO and his always efficient approach to online shopping: 1) great selection, 2) fabulous price, and 3) a quick, convenient and secure transaction.

Thankfully, Costco.ca and Masterpass offer all of the above – a shopping experience dad can get behind! …

Read More

Build Your Own Father’s Day Gift with Google MakeLab!

By 108 Comments

Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

Still stuck on what to get dad for Father’s Day? Here’s a unique gift he’ll love!

If you live in the Greater Toronto Area, visit the Best Buy store in Heartland (Mississauga) on Saturday, June 17th from 1PM to 6PM. They’ll be hosting a FREE workshop event where everyone is welcome to design and build their own, customized, one-of-a-kind Father’s Day gift with the help from the Google MakeLab laser printer!
I love that parents and kiddos can work together to make unique, techie-inspired gifts. It’s a creative way to spend quality time together this weekend – exactly what Father’s Day is all about. Plus, while you’re there, you’ll have a chance to browse some of the hottest electronics and gadgets that are sure to be at the top of every dad’s wish list. Here are some of my favourite picks! …

Read More

We Heart Dads: Foodie Picks for Father’s Day

By 29 Comments

Dear old dad. He often takes a backseat to mom, doesn’t he? I mean, we get all the glory for raising our kids, having awesome jobs, taking care of the home… you, know, doing it ALL… whereas fathers tend to be the strong, silent types (at least on social media). That’s why I truly believe Father’s Day should be celebrated loud and proud – let dad know he’s your number one guy, this Sunday and all year round!

Now I don’t know about you, but my husband is a foodie. So of course I decided to round up some of my favourite small appliances from Breville Canada – they’re innovative, affordable and perfect for Father’s Day.

The Smoking Gun. (Review to come!) Where there’s smoke… there’s flavour. This handy new small appliance adds an effortless finishing touch to your food by smoking meat, fish, vegetables, sauces and cocktails for a natural smoke flavour infusion. Simply load The Smoking Gun with wood chips, light and blow smoke into a covered container of any kind, stir or swirl and allow it to sit and infuse for a few minutes. You can even try smoking foods twice for a deeper smoked flavour!
We’ve been trying our hand at smoking with this innovative appliance and I’m at a place where I feel really good about it! Stay tuned for my full review. …

Read More

(Their) Dad, My Hero.

By 32 Comments

From time to time, my husband and I chuckle about his father’s “well-meaning” advice.

It was shortly after we had returned from the hospital, just days into becoming a family of three. My husband’s parents had arrived for a visit with their brand new grandson. Ryder, a sweet but fussy infant, demanded constant crooning and attention. Needing a moment to collect myself, I passed our baby to my husband, declaring he was officially nominated for diaper change duty.

Later that evening, as I rocked Ryder to sleep, curled up in my arms, my husband relayed a conversation he’d had with his father.

“I was changing Ryder’s diaper,” he explained, “and my dad followed me into the room. He said, You shouldn’t be doing this. It’s the woman’s job to take care of the baby. You need to concentrate on work and let her handle everything else.”

For about two seconds, I seethed with rage. But as I looked up at my husband, ready to launch into my “oh-no-he-didn’t” diatribe, I realized he was laughing, shaking his head in astonishment. Because he no more believed in gender stereotypes than I did; beyond that, he wanted to take an active role in our son’s care and upbringing.

“Let’s not worry about dear old dad’s advice,” he concluded.
13398595_1733175216968258_1320105471_nToday, my husband is the father of two boys. He has changed diapers; he has drawn baths. He has cooked and cleaned and kissed boo boos and chased away monsters. He is an active role model for the boys and their hero – not just because he brings home the bacon, but because he fries it, too. …

Read More

Celebrating Dad: The #CAAChat for Father’s Day!

By 8 Comments

It is my humble opinion that dads are unsung heroes. Think about it: moms get all the glory! Large corporations invest in expensive commercials applauding their efforts. Crafty aprons proudly proclaim a woman’s work is never done. The busiest day of the year for international telephone calls is Mother’s Day. I could go on and on.

But what about dad? What about the men who fearlessly make spiders disappear, take out the garbage without a peep of protest, and teach junior how to ride a two-wheeler? They braid hair, kiss boo boos and pick up your dry cleaning – when they’re not grilling the most delicious homemade burgers for their families, of course. Dads deserve every ounce of recognition, and more!

Well, it’s time to show dad just how much you love him – by winning a prize for him at the @CAASCO Father’s Day Twitter Party! And trust me – you won’t want to miss this one!

Twitter-party-with-logoSimply tweet with the hashtag #CAAChat on Thursday, June 12, 2014 between 12-1 ET. We’ve got TWO grand prizes to give away, including a 16GB iPad Air and a $300 Home Depot Gift Card! Other amazing prizes include gift cards worth up to $300 from East Side Mario’s, Hard Rock Cafe, Kernels, SportChek and tickets to Toronto FC, Argos & The Hamilton Bull Dogs. I’m pretty sure I know a lot of dads who would love any of those prizes.

No RSVP required, so all you have to do is show up! With Father’s Day right around the corner, the question on most people’s minds is “what do I get for the man who has everything?” Get ready to swap Father’s Day gift ideas, great Dad stories and more. See you on Thursday!

A Home Depot Father’s Day #Giveaway

By

Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

In my post “Oh Brother. How Do You Choose?” I asked y’all if you prefer a man who frequents the Home Depot… or Holt Renfrew. Turns out, many of my fabulous readers love a handyman; the Jonathan Scott-types were preferred almost 2:1 over the smooth-talking “Drew Scott”s of the world.

Thing is, I happen to be married to a “Drew” who thinks he’s a “Jonathan” – and nothing has furthered this delusion of grandeur more than our #ProjectPatio. My husband has been living at the Home Depot Canada ever since we joined forces with them to make over our backyard. Alas, he is convinced that he needs wood stain (for the fence that is suddenly subpar in his eyes), planters (for plants I will likely kill), and a solar lamp post (which sounds like an oxymoron to me). And while the construction of the patio has been *slightly* delayed due to the unpredictable, unseasonably cool weather (shakes fist at Mother Nature), we are nevertheless well on our way to achieving a backyard oasis.

(Have you seen the gorgeous pieces that the Home Depot Canada generously supplied? Read about them here!)

Hence, since it’s apparent that my husband will absolutely have the BEST Father’s Day EVER, I thought it was only appropriate that I share with you my Top 5 Picks for Father’s Day Gifts – all available at The Home Depot Canada – and an awesome giveaway to boot!

1. Coca-Cola Cube Fridge

I adore this iconic red Coca-Cola fridge, especially for the basement, SUV or office! The Coca-Cola Personal Cube Fridge is a great gift for the Coca-Cola lover, and the perfect, affordable gift for Father’s Day. The cube fridge has a 7 liter capacity and can hold up to nine (9) 12 oz. cans and cools up to 35 degrees below ambient temperature. Features solid state thermoelectric cooling; for use at home or in the car.

My husband would totally be loving this fridge for long car rides – it eliminates the mess of melting ice, and is lightweight, compact and portable too! Price: $89.95…

Read More

Blog Love: Father’s Day Event!

By

My bloggie buddies over at My Organized Chaos and My Wee View are having a fabulous Father’s Day Event! For the next two weeks, tune into both blogs for a chance to win amazing prizes that dad will drool over.

Read product reviews from two distinctly unique perspectives, and then double your chances of winning by entering on both blogs! Even if you don’t win, you’ll collect a few great gift ideas… like this Philips Wake Up Light. (Now THAT’s cool.)

Good luck readers! Don’t forget, you can also enter to win a Father’s Day Gift Set from The Body Shop!