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rewards

The Kid, The Lunchbox and The Kinder Surprise Bribe

September 30, 2014 By Lena

I’ve got two very different little boys. Ying and yang, I like to call them. Because even though they’re both Tauruses, share physical characteristics and have an intense dislike for the bad “b” word – bedtime –  they really couldn’t be more dissimilar. Which I suppose is half the joy of raising more than one child; the varying array of quirks, conflicts and complex personalities that keep you on your toes. (And often, reaching for a bottle of wine.)

This year, with Reid being in school for the very first time (translation: freedom!) I’m once again reminded that he is very different from his older brother. Whereas Ryder will ALWAYS finish his entire lunch at school, Reid has an insurmountable decision-making process, known only to him, for what he will eat, and what will go untouched.

“Why didn’t you eat your sandwich?”
“It was too melty.”
“Why didn’t you finish your grapes?”
“They’re too round. I like them less round.”
“Why did you bring back your cookies?”
“They smell funny. Like someone has been breathing on them.”

Now I ask you, what does melty even mean?? And how does it relate to a pristine turkey sandwich?

Two weeks in, I was seriously beginning to wonder if he would ever get the hang of eating a school lunch. And then I remembered a key piece of armour – a strategic tactic, if you will – in the war against determined toddlers: The Bribe.

Please don’t look for The Bribe in parenting manuals. We are stoically told from the moment our children are born that thou shalt not bribe children to elicit a desired behaviour or outcome. To which I say, yeah, and my toddler was toilet trained in 3 days when I bribed him with a KINDER SURPRISE.
KINDER SURPRISESo, I did what any responsible parent would do: I told Reid that if he finished his lunch… within reason, of course… he would receive a KINDER SURPRISE as an after school treat. The first day, he attempted to call my bluff; returning with an almost full, untouched lunchbox. However, when I doled out one of those delicious chocolate eggs to his brother, and not him, he quickly revised his stance. …

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Filed Under: Family Tagged With: #KINDERMom, after school snacks, Kinder Surprise, rewards, school lunches

Countdown to SHOP.CA!

May 28, 2012 By Lena

There are few things that make me silly happy.

1. Finding an old tube of lip gloss in a rockin’ shade.
2. Winning anything on a scratch ticket.
3. Searing the perfect scallop.

And… the realization that SHOP.CA is about to launch!!!

SHOP.CA is the Canadian Shopping revolution. It’s the end of cross-border Shopping and the beginning of friendly, hassle-free online Shopping – created for Canadians, by Canadians. In other words, behold: Shopping Nirvana.

To celebrate it’s upcoming launch, the savvy mompreneurs at SavvyMom.ca welcomed some of Toronto’s most loved writers, bloggers and social media folk to clink glasses (SHOP-mopolitan glasses, that is!) and share in the excitement. We had a chance to hear about why SHOP.CA will be completely awesome (ahem, FREE shipping on EVERY order, what!), which goodies they have in store us (they’re totally on top of the shoe category, ladies) and why online Shopping will never be the same again for Canadians.

Before I take you through some of the pics from the evening, I wanted to give you the heads up about another epic Twitter Party! Join SavvyMom and SHOP.CA on Thursday, June 8th at 8:00pm EST for the #SHOPsavvy Twitter Party.

RSVP here to be eligible to win prizes (your share of $1000 worth of SHOP.CA Rewards!) Then, I’ll see you at the Twarty next Thursday!

On to the live event – here are a few snap shots from a wonderful evening spent among friends!…

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Filed Under: Fashion Tagged With: Fashion, online shopping, rewards, SavvyMom.ca, SHOP.CA

By Canadians, For Canadians: This is SHOP.CA

April 19, 2012 By Lena

When I was a little girl, there were only about 3-4 months out of the entire year that I could enjoy strawberries. And boy oh boy did I ever look forward to the summer season – in addition to sweet berries; cold, juicy watermelon; fuzzy peaches and perfect plums, the farmer’s market nearly overflowed with local, tree-ripe produce. We devoured the fruit to our heart’s content, knowing that eating “in season” meant enjoying it while it lasted. And was it ever GOOD.

Today, I can get strawberries any old day of the week. In the dead of winter, if I please. Because they come from countries like Mexico and the US; making it highly convenient to “enjoy” them all year round.

(Notice the sarcastic quotes around enjoy?)

The thing is, imported strawberries simply aren’t as sweet as their local counterparts. They don’t keep as well – having endured the long journey in the cargo hold of an 18-wheeler. The fruit bruises easily and sometimes gets that telltale brown blush which lets you know that at one point, they were almost frozen. They ALWAYS come with a subtle warning to “Wash Before Use”, because other countries have different regulations for pesticide use.

And I suppose the kicker is: if you have a question or concern about the food you’re consuming, you’re pretty much out of luck. Trust me, as much as the strawberry growers in Mexico care about their crops, they really don’t care about you.

So why the heck are we talking about strawberries this morning? It all comes down to the importance of buying products and services from companies created by Canadians, for Canadians. …

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Filed Under: Fashion Tagged With: Fashion, online shopping, rewards, SHOP.CA

The End of Cross-Border Missions: SHOP.CA

March 30, 2012 By Lena

I’ll be honest – since I love to Shop, I put up with a lot.

Specifically: Inflated designer prices. Convoluted return policies. Suspicious sizing. Indifferent customer service. Taxes, surcharges, delivery costs, membership fees, tariffs, restocking fees and more.

I’m not exactly sure why I’m such a martyr; perhaps, as a Canadian, I’ve been programmed to believe that the best products – and deals – can only be found south of the border. And so I subject myself to the perils of cross-border Shopping in a quasi-masochistic way; scanning US websites in a desperate attempt to find one that will bring the product(s) to my door for an amount that does not rival a car payment.

Those surcharges really are the bane of my existence.

Sometimes, I get creative. It was almost 5 years to the date that I began looking for gifts for my then-bridesmaids. They had all done such a wonderful job helping me plan my wedding; I felt it was only right that I reward them with something fabulous. And I knew exactly what I wanted to gift – the Limited Edition Coach Patchwork Carly. The golden-hued handbag is in the classic Carly shape – while being highlighted with patches of python, leopard, suede and signature prints. Back in 2007, it was kind of a big deal.

Alas, at the time, getting Coach on your shoulder necessitated a trip to the US or a visit to a knock-off retailer – the second being a big no-no, of course, unless you wanted to sport oblong “O”s instead of “C”s. And since Coach.com did not ship to Canada, I felt my hands were tied.

So I went on a mission. First, I looked into purchasing a PO box in Buffalo. That idea was immediately rejected, because if I could drive to Buffalo to pick up my parcel, then I could cross the border and just buy them from the Coach store in the States. Next, I contemplated a cross-border delivery service – one that ships the purses to a US address, and then in-turn re-routes them to my home. This seemed like a winning solution until I discovered the final cost after shipping, brokerage fees and extra charges: almost $170 for four purses! (Many of these services base their charges on the value of the goods, and Coach handbags aren’t cheap, obv)….

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Filed Under: Fashion Tagged With: Fashion, online shopping, rewards, SHOP.CA

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Lena Almeida

Toronto Blogger, Social Media Strategist for Listen to Lena Inc. Television & Radio Personality, Columnist and Speaker. Family Travel Expert. Star Wars Fanatic. Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion. Read More…

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