masterpass

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

June 9, 2018 By Lena 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! …

Mastering the Art of “Me Time” with Masterpass

December 20, 2017 By Lena 189 Comments

Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

This December, it’s all about me.

After 10 years of getting caught up in the holiday rush – shopping for presents, hosting Christmas dinner, losing my mind with blog commitments and ramping up for the new year – this time around, I’ve decided to simply … not.

I’m done. Out. Finito. And it was easier to achieve than I ever could have imagined. If you’ve been (or are currently) in the same boat, here’s how to master the art of “me time”, even during the busiest time of the year.

1. Practice saying no, and mean it when you say it. For the first time in 10 years, I am not hosting Christmas dinner. Now don’t get me wrong – I love having my family over for the holidays. I love baking and cooking and decorating and fussing about all the tiny details to make it a night to remember. But this year, I decided that I had earned a hall pass; we have other able-bodied members in our family who are just as capable of throwing a festive get together. The conversation went something like this:

“Hey! So I’m not going to host Christmas dinner this year; I’ll let someone else have a turn. So you guys chat … and let us know when and where to show up!”

I realize it may be too late for you to follow suit (there’s always next year!), but there are ways to lessen the burden if you are hosting, such as planning a menu with make-ahead items, declaring Christmas dinner a potluck so everyone shares the workload, or eliminating a few dishes that are not universal hits and yield too many leftovers.

(Need a great potluck dish? Try my Cranberry, Pear and Bacon Stuffing. Yum!)
2. Avoid shopping malls during the busiest time of year. Hey, I love hitting the mall as much as the next shopaholic (some would call it my home away from home) and I have nothing but love for my favourite stores. But during the craziness of the holidays – especially when you’re trying to maximize your well-being – there’s no bigger time suck than shopping for Christmas presents in-store. In fact, a recent survey by Mastercard Canada revealed the average time Canadians spend holiday shopping in-store is about 8 hours … but that doesn’t include the time spent bundling up in winter wear, clearing snow off the vehicle, driving to the mall, circling the parking lot, and finally, walking around from store to store, lugging heavy purchases. …

Masterpass: My Favourite New Online Shopping Hack!

October 23, 2017 By Lena 229 Comments

Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

This past week, I did something I hadn’t done in a really, really long time.

I went to my local shopping mall. It was noisy, and crowded. At 11:00am on a weekday! Dear lord, don’t people have better things to do on a random Tuesday morning? And ugh, someone coughed in my general direction!

Okay, clearly it’s been a while since I’ve been around, er, people.

The thing is, I love shopping online. It’s the absolute best! I can save time by shopping whenever it suits me, whether that be late at night or over my lunch hour. I can save money because comparing prices is as easy as opening a new browser tab, and many companies offer “online only” deals. And most of all, I can save my sanity, because I can browse in the privacy of my own home, for as long as I like without pressure from well-meaning sales personnel.
Therefore, I have just one question for you: Why aren’t you shopping online?

Recently, I discovered Masterpass. And within days of setting up my account and using it at participating retailers, I realized that it single-handedly addresses so many of the concerns Canadians have when shopping online. Today, I’d love to share exactly how it overcomes those barriers, with the hope that by the end of this blog post, you too will be setting up your Masterpass account. …