Just a quick note to let you know who won the pair of Julie Klam books offered up in last week's Pet Blog. As usual our trusty friend, the Random Integer Generator, has the answer:
And our winner is:
Congratulations, Dianne! I'll be in touch about getting you your new books!
And thank you to everyone for your comments. My to-read list just got a bit longer!
We all know what a fabulous thing duct dape is – and what we use it for. I've used it for everything from removing lint from a jacket to taping a heel back onto my shoe so I could make it home. But who ever thought kids would be using it for prom night?
Duck Brand Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest invites high school students to use duct tape to create one-of-a-kind outfits for prom (yes, formal gowns and tuxedos!) to complete for scholarships. In fact, first place winners get a $5,ooo scholarship and a matching one goes to the school hosting the prom.
Johanna and Luca, last year’s entrants from Nova Scotia.
These are not just something that kids whip up in a few hours. Long days and nights go into planning original concepts, designing and executing the outfits. But what fun it inspires. Cute, adorable, matching outfits that I could never dream up.
Stephanie and Blake, last year's entrants from Ontario. Love the beret!
And what about this? So classy, duct tape outfits. And I wonder how long it took and how many rolls of duct tape to fashion the train on her dress??!
Negin & Kyle, last year’s entrants from British Columbia.
When I asked myself, “Why is it inspiring?” I had to answer this: Because it's fresh. It's youthful. It's a crazy thing. That fun, freeing feeling of leaving high school behind for something bigger and better. Growing up. And the excitement that surrounds prom is almost palatable.
To me, this contest embodies everything that's good about youth – the passion and the energy that bubbles up at a simple contest like this one.
So, if you know a teen who’s going to prom, do them a favour and send them this link so they can enter. Contest closes June 13, 2012.
BTW, what would you say to a teen graduating this year?
In an act that would surely cause my mom to express both shock and pride, I organized my desk the other week. In the midst of my clean-up, I rediscovered two books by Julie Klam that celebrate the bonds between humans and dogs, and what we can learn from one another.
In You Had Me at Woof (Riverhead, 2010), Klan chronicles how everything she needs to know about life she learned from her dogs, starting with a Boston terrier rescue named Otto. Through looking after her dogs' needs, she learned a vast array of skills, such as how to be an amateur therapist and how to listen to that still, small voice.
Love at First Bark (Riverhead, 2011) is a "dog-oir" about how caring for dogs is sometimes the best way to take care of ourselves. Klan recounts trying to find a home for an abandoned and abused pit bull named Morris; her time with Clementine, a special needs Boston terrier she takes in as a foster; and the time she journeyed through swampy marshes to help rescue a starving feral puppy with a jar stuck on his head.
For your chance to win this pair of books, please leave a comment on this post by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2, 2012, telling me what your favourite book (or movie, TV show, etc.) about an animal is or who your favourite fictional pet is. One comment per person, please; this contest is open to residents of Canada only. Not open to any TC Media employees or the people they live with. I'll randomly select and announce the winner on Wednesday, April 3, 2012.
Update (April 12): I've attempted to reach Jode a few time, but haven't heard back. I'll be choosing a new winner.
The new winner is:
Congratulations, Emma!
I'd like to give a big thank-you to everyone who entered our giveaway for the boxes of Nature's Harvest Fresh dog food.
It's always fun to hear about what animals will not eat, because they always seem to be trying to get their noses into anything that looks remotely edible.
Photography: Daniel Piil
As for the winner of the four boxes of dog food, the Random Integer Generator has spoken:
And our winner is:
Congratulations, Jode! I'll be in touch with more details.
Thanks again to everyone who entered.
Is your dog a picky eater?
Maybe he'd like to try Nature's Harvest Fresh, a new gently cooked dog food from Global Pet Foods.
Photography: Ildar Sagdejev
Made with locally sourced whole food ingredients, the fresh frozen patties have been gently cooked to the point of pasteurization and are available in four flavours: beef, chicken, lamb and salmon. You can find them at your local Global Pet Foods in boxes of 12 (for $21.99) or as individual patties (for $1.99 each).
You can also win one box of each flavour right here! Unfortunately, this contest is open to readers in only Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Please note that the winner will have to pick up the boxes at a Global Pet Foods store. (I, too, wish we had plane tickets to give away.) Here are the stores that carry the product:
ONTARIO
Ajax – 314 Harwood Ave. S.
Alliston – 113 Victoria St. W.
Aurora - 15440 Bayview Ave.
Bowmanville – 2316 Highway 2, Unit K1
Bradford – 170 Holland St. W.
Brampton - 2901 Queen St. East, Unit 4.
Brantford – 39 King George Rd #6
Cobourg - 471 Division St.
London – 509 Commissioners Rd. W.
Markham - 5990 16th Avenue. Unit 208
Newmarket - 130 Davis Dr. box 40
Oakville - 1011 Upper Middle Rd. Unit E5
Orangeville - 47 Broadway (Broadway & HWY10)
Ottawa – 700 Eagleson Rd. Unit 105
Ottawa – 1200 Wellington St. W. Unit E
Ottawa – 1029 St. Laurent Blvd.
Shelburne – 226 First Ave. E. SS 2
Thornhill - 70 Doncaster Ave.
Toronto - 243 Danforth Ave.
Toronto - 808 York Mills Rd. Unit 6
Toronto - 1753 Queen St. E.
Toronto - 125 Lower Jarvis
Waterloo - 425 University Ave. East, Unit 14
Waterloo - 440-450 Columbia St. West
QUEBEC
Brossard – 8200 Boul. Taschereau Unit 1265
Ile-Perrot – 475 Boul. Grand
Montreal – 5326 Chemin Queen Mary
Pierrefonds – 14905 Boul. Pierrefonds
Pointe-Claire – Plaza Pointe-Claire. 245-F Boul. St. Jean
Saint-Eustache – 136 25E Avenue
Sainte-Rose – 683 Boul. Cure-Labelle
Vaudreuil – 585 Ave. St. Charles #220
Vaudreuil – 3100 Boul. Harwood
NEW BRUNSWICK
Dieppe – 9 Rue Champlain
Moncton – 1126 Mountain Rd.
NOVA SCOTIA
Dartmouth – 100 Main St.
Halifax – 9-201 Chain Lake Drive
Sydney – 800 Grand Lake Rd.
For your chance to win 4 boxes of Nature's Harvest Fresh, please leave a comment on this post by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27, 2012, telling me what food your pet turns his nose up at. One comment per person, please; this contest is open to residents of Canada only. Not open to any TC Media employees or the people they live with. I'll randomly select and announce the winner on Wednesday, March 28, 2012.
And after you've entered, why not spoil Fido with a batch of Tested Till Perfect Classic Canine Cookies.
Thanks to everyone who entered our giveaway for the pet gift basket.
I loved reading all the stories of how your pets became a part of your lives.
Image via Wikipedia
As for the winner of the Iams basket, I'm going to let the Random Integer Generator decide that one.
And our winner is:
Congratulations, Penny! I'll be in touch with more details.
Thanks again to everyone who entered.
Since 1999 the Iams Home 4 the Holidays campaign has helped
5.8 million orphaned animals in 21 countries.
The goal this year has been to help 1.5 million homeless animals find homes from October 11, 2011, through January 3, 2012.
If you've been thinking of adding a four-legged member to your family, check out Facebook.com/Iams to search for adoptable animals near you. (In Canada, there are as many as 250,000 orphaned animals.)
Even if you already have a litter – or are unable to adopt a pet – you can still help our furry friends out by donating a bowl of food to an animal shelter; find out how here.
Iams is how happy to offer a gift basket (value: $100) to one pet-loving reader. In it, you'll find:
For your chance to win this pet gift basket, please leave a comment on this post by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, January 3, 2012, telling me how your pet became a part of your family. One comment per person, please; this contest is open to residents of Canada only. Not open to any TC Media employees or the people they live with. I'll randonly select and announce the winner on Wednesday, January 4, 2012.
An Ottawa radio station is hosting a contest where women have the chance to win three IVF treatments. The prize, valued at over $35,000, could help boost the winner's chance of conceiving a baby.
A dream come true?
According to the Hot 89.9 web site:
"It is some people’s lifelong dream to conceive a baby, but not everyone can. If you’re in that situation The New Hot 89-9 is swooping in like a big beautiful stork to make your dreams of changing diapers a reality."
Controversial contest
The contest has been gaining international attention, which has not always been positive. In the U.K., the Daily Mail reports:
"Hot 89.9's Morning Hot Tub show, which is running the competition, has been unapologetic and brags on its website that it is the 'first in history' to be making such an offer.
Its disturbing advert features a baby staring out at the camera holding up a sign saying: 'Win me!' although with the caveat underneath that 'Baby may not be exactly as shown'.
Listeners complained that the contest was sending out the wrong message, not least to the child whose parents will have to explain the story of how he was born."
Here at home, Andrew Lovesey has this to say in the National Post:
"Having children is not a frivolous decision. And the blessing of a new child shouldn’t be treated in the same way as a free breakfast at a pancake house, or a week-long holiday at a Cuban resort. But you wouldn’t know that from listening to an Ottawa radio station that is using a prize of in-vitro fertilization treatments as a contest promotion…
…The very premise of the contest insults the sanctity of life. The idea of “winning” a child is itself offensive in the extreme, belittling life, making childbirth into a marketing gimmick. It also has the effect of making an object (a prize) out of a human being."
In an interview with CBC News, Jan Silverman, a member of Ontario's expert panel on infertility, had this to say:
"I certainly dislike the commodification of babies, turning babies into products ... However, I am pleased that it brings attention to the plight, to the expense that infertile couples that require IVF must go through to have a baby."
What do you think? Does this contest leave a bad taste in your mouth? Or are you glad it's drawing attention to the struggles some couples have conceiving? Leave a comment and let me know.
On Thursday, I invited you to post a comment to let us know what you're most proud of mothering for a chance to win this incredibly trendy SAS handbag by Bod & Christensen.
This big, beautiful bag is made of Gucci nylon in cream with cognac trim. It features a satiny leopard lining and has lots of interior pockets for your cell phone, keys and all your goodies. It retails for $90.
And the winner is . . .
apavlovsky, who wrote:
"I try to be a good mother, but it is not always easy, lol! I work part time away from home, but when I am home I try to have some homemade goodies ready for the kidlets when they get home from school. We also have storytime. At the end of the day we snuggle in my bed and read the books they picked out for me. It helps us to stay connected. I sure hope this stage lasts a long time because I will miss our special time when they get older."
Congratulations! And a big thanks to all who entered. apavlovsky, I'll be emailing you for your address so I can send you this super-fab prize.
Here's a chance for you to win a beautiful prize for yourself (or to give to your favourite Mom) just in time for Mother's Day.
The incredibly trendy SAS handbags, by Bod & Christensen, range from $50-$150, but you can WIN this one for free.
This big, beautiful bag is made of Gucci nylon in cream with cognac trim. It features a satiny leopard lining and has lots of interior pockets for your cell phone, keys and all your goodies. It retails for $90.
And it could be yours! Just post a comment to let us know what you're most proud of mothering - it could be your children, a relative, or someone in your care. Not a mom? No problem. Tell us about how you're "mothering" and nurturing your business, your pet, even your garden. It's your call.
Let us know by this Sunday, May 8 (that's Mother's Day!). I'll announce the winner here on Monday, May 9.
Good luck!
Let Pam Mazzuca Prebeg, Canadian Living's fitness expert, guide you through a great tricep workout. Complete her routine of five arm exercises three to four times a week for best results.
We've married our sumptuous butter chicken recipe with the ease of the slow cooker to create the ultimate Slow Cooker Butter Chicken. Food director Annabelle Waugh walks you through the steps in this video for a restaurant-worthy dinner every time.
Amanda Barnier, a Canadian Living Test Kitchen food specialist, shows you how to cut fruit and arrange it beautifully for a fruit platter.
