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Loblaws

Post-Halloween Deals You’ll Scream Over

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I’m a huge fan of post-holiday sales. A collector by nature; I have perfected the art of purchasing items at 50-80% off the retail price a mere days after the special event is over. Then, I hoard like a penny-pinching maniac until the following year, when I break out my brand new Christmas decorations/ Easter baskets/ Valentine’s heart paraphernalia/ insert-holiday-or-occasion-here.

(The only caveat, I suppose, are the boxes of “stuff” in our storage room. Still, well worth it when the occasion rolls around, and I don’t have to spend full price on amazing decor!)

Today, I’m particularly loving the 75% off Halloween-themed costumes and decor at Loblaws and Superstore.

At a routine grocery run this morning, I was like a kid in a candy store – or, I suppose, a kid on Halloween – as I sifted through the goodies for cheap, cheap, cheap. The average deluxe costume was between $12.00-18.00, and the accessories? Don’t even get me started. If you’ve got extra room under the stairs, the time to stock up is NOW.

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History in the Breaking: Loblaw’s Cheesy Victory

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Warning: The photos in this blog post may bring on an urgent craving for nutty, salty, crumbly and perfectly savoury Parmesan cheese. Just go with it. It’s futile to resist.

Here’s a little brain teaser for you:

What do you get when you take 300 wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (valued at $2,200 per wheel), over 250 participating Loblaw stores and the desire to skillfully crack them open at exactly the same time from coast to coast?

You get a Guinness World Record, that’s what.

The previous record, held by Whole Foods Inc, was 176. But on Sunday afternoon, Loblaw Companies Limited reported that 305 wheels, and counting, were cracked simultaneously.

“Today was a momentous day for Loblaw and our colleagues. It was an overwhelming experience to celebrate this achievement with our customers and colleagues at more than 250 stores; we couldn’t have done it without them,” said Metzi Liau, Senior Deli Category Director, Loblaw Companies. “Our colleagues were specially trained to crack the wheels in the traditional style upheld by Italy’s Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese Consortium, and we are thrilled to have achieved this world record.”

Now it’s well known far and wide that I’m a cheesehead; in fact, given the choice to exist on chocolate or cheddar, I’d gladly take savoury over sweet. So I was tickled pink with the opportunity to experience an intimate lunch featuring dishes using Parmigiano-Reggiano created by Chef Tom Filippou (Executive Chef and National Director, President’s Choice Cooking Schools). I attended with Robin Edwards (@shopwithrobin) and we were treated to celebrity appearances (members from Italy’s Consortium of Parmigiano-Reggiano and a representative from Guinness), a detailed lesson in old school cheese-making (a method that is roughly still used to this day – you don’t mess with perfection), and of course, a tasting. Mmm… Parmigiano-Reggiano.

So what about those photos? Set you salivary glands to “drool” now -…

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Introducing: Jump Kids World!

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If I had to list the top three requests I receive on a fairly regular basis, they would have to be:

1) Do you wax, pluck or thread your eyebrows?
2) Can you please send me the link for your Spiced Pear Cake?
3) Where can I find affordable – and stylish – kids decor in Canada?

While the first two questions are very easily answered, I’ve always struggled with the third. Truth is, it’s not hard to find affordable kids decor in Canada; if you’re looking for bright basics and uninspired styling, just about any major retailer will have you covered. But what about contemporary design? Bold prints and bright patterns? Adorable that borders on edgy? Sure, a certain Swedish furniture giant usually gets it right, but the fact is, locations can be hard to come by for Canadians – and I don’t recommend driving 2 hours to pick up a $6.99 “KUSINER” box.

And so from the team of designers at Joe Fresh (squee!), introducing Jump Kids World – a line of decor, furniture and accessories that give kids a chance to design their own lives. From Decor Hooks to Animal Storage Cubes, Interlocking Mats to Character Hooded Towels, there are over 60 new pieces that will take your child’s living spaces from drab to fab in moments – at incredibly, ridiculously, too-good-to-be-true affordable prices….

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Joe Fresh: HOT Clearance on Now!

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Every smart mama knows to purchase clothing for their growing children out of season, in the hopes of scoring a sweet deal on threads that will have a short lifespan.

Last night, while attempting to keep my sanity during a grocery run at Loblaws (+ two whiny kids and one hungry husband), I decided that I simply must take 2 minutes to see if there was something that caught my eye in the toddler clearance rack at Joe Fresh. Well, hubby allotted exactly two minutes (you know that glazed-over look they get in their eyes when you peruse through a sale rack? yeah, that look) so I quickly rummaged to see if there was anything I could grab Ryder for next summer, when he’d be a size up.

In just under two minutes I was able to extract the following finds: a few cute tees for around the house, a pair of fleece shorts, and a sweet pair of plaid shorts that cost less than three apples!

I’m curious if the stand-alone Joe Fresh store has similar bangin’ deals – imagine the non-damage I could do with a better selection and without three dudes breathing down my neck? Will definitely have to place a call in this morning!

Pop by the Joe Fresh store at your local Loblaws or Real Canadian Superstore to score some fabulous clearance deals that will have your kids dressed for less.