• home
  • about me
  • PR Info

mapsgirl.ca

mapping our life's journey

  • Life
    • body mind spirit
    • faith hope love
    • parenting
  • Recipes
  • Travel
    • RVing
    • Camping
    • Vacation
  • Features
    • monday mumbers
    • 10tuesday
    • wordless wednesday
    • Thank You Thursdays
    • Thursday 13
    • Other Great Blogs
  • Reviews
    • Auto Reviews
You are here: Home / Archives for Products & Reviews

Enter the Blizzard Bucks giveaway to win $450 CAD! #BlizzardBucks

November 13, 2017 by Wendy S

Have you been a good boy or girl this year?

Santa baby, slip a sable under the tree for me, Been an awful good girl
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight

Enter the Blizzard Bucks giveaway to win $450 CAD via PayPal!

Blizzard Bucks giveaway @ mapsgirl.ca

Santa honey, I want a yacht and really that’s not a lot, Been an angel all year
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight

Just in time for Christmas and holiday shopping! Whether you are trying to get all of the things on their wish lists or you want to treat yourself and buy that one thing that you’ve always wanted, this fun giveaway will help make that easier!

Santa baby, and fill my stocking with a duplex and checks, Sign your ‘x’ on the line
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight

Santa’s cheque will be made out for $450 CAD (not really a cheque…it will be paid via PayPal)

The giveaway is open worldwide, void where prohibited (like Quebec).

Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight 
Hurry down the chimney tonight 

Hurry and get your entry in by December 4th, 2017 at 11:59pm !

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and conditions: No purchase necessary. The Blizzard Bucks ends on December 4th, 2017 at 11:59pm EST. One (1) person will win $450 PayPal CAN Cash. Winners must be 18 years or older to win. Void where prohibited. Enter by using the Rafflecopter widget. All entries are verified. If winner’s entry cannot be verified, or information is not given for verification, the entry will be deemed invalid and a new winner will be chosen. Winner will be notified by email that they used for Rafflecopter. Winner has 48 hours to respond claiming prize or prize will be forfeit and a new winner will be chosen.

Filed Under: giveaway Tagged With: BlizzardBucks, Giveaway, PayPal

Summer Lovin’ Cash Giveaway #SummerLovinCash #giveaway

June 5, 2017 by Wendy S

Summer is about relaxing, slowing down and spending some well needed time with family and friends.  And wouldn’t a little bit of extra cash make your summer planning a little bit easier?Summer Cash Giveaway @ mapsgirl.ca

Craig, the girls and I have a lot of fun things planned for this summer and I know that an extra $425 would really help us!  So let us help you!

We have teamed up with an amazing group of bloggers to bring you the ultimate cash giveaway worth $425USD PayPal Cash!

What would you do with the money if you won?

Enter the Summer Lovin’ Cash Giveaway!

Entry-Form

Filed Under: giveaway closed, Products & Reviews

Car seat safety: Protecting your most precious cargo #preciouscargo @AllstateCanada

November 22, 2016 by Wendy S


Allstate Canada has partnered with Dorel Juvenile Canada, makers of Safety 1st Canada products, to launch “Protecting Your Most Precious Cargo,” a campaign focused on taking a proactive approach to car seat safety.


A recent Allstate Canada national poll showed that 95% of Canadian parents state that they are confident they know how to properly buckle a child in a car seat.  

Sadly, that same poll showed that 23% of Canadians with children under 12 believe that using a snow suit is the best way to keep them warm in the winter months.  Only about one-in-10 (11%) parents of children under 12 say the best way to dress a child is in thin, warm layers.

Safety should always be your primary concern

Dressing your child properly to ride in their car seat is very important.  Car seat manufacturers state in car seat manuals that bulk clothing is not safe when buckling a child into the car seat.

Allstate Canada has put together this great blog discussing “How to Dress Your Child for their Car Seat this Winter”

No winter coats in a car seat @ mapsgirl.ca

The video above shows the impact that bulky clothing has when tightening your child in a car seat.

I wrote a previous blog post where I show my own daughter in her car seat with and without a coat.  You can read it here – “A winter coat is for playing in the snow, not in a car seat!”

So how should you dress them in the winter?

This image from the Car Seat Lady shows you how to keep your infants and children warm — layers!

Winter Layers in the car seat @ mapsgirl.ca

More great info about dressing your child in their car seat in the winter can be found on the Vancouver Island Car Seat Tech page.

Properly installing the car seat is step #1

The one statistic that wasn’t given to me was the percentage of parents who felt they are confident that they know how to properly install a car seat.  

Safety 1st Grow and Go Rear Facing @ mapsgirl.ca

Safety 1st Grow and Go has a Level Line that must be level to the ground when rear facing. This is stated in the manual and on the stickers on the seat.

As many as 80% of children aren’t being correctly restrained in  child seats or booster seats.[Source]

We only slightly touched on the “not used correctly” issues when talking about winter clothing.  Some of the most common issues are:

  1. Not installing the seat tight enough

    The Pinch Test @ mapsgirl.ca

    Use the pinch test to see if the harness is tight enough.

  2. Not using the tether strap when forward facing
  3. Harness not tight enough (and winter clothing will give you a false sense of it being tight)
  4. Chest clip too low
  5. Harness straps in the incorrect position
  6. Wrong seat for the child’s age, height and weight
  7. Getting rid of the booster too soon
  8. Letting your child sit in the front seat too soon 

How do you make sure that your seat is installed properly?

The first thing that I tell all parents is to read the manuals!

Grow and Go - RF Manual @ mapsgirl.ca

Safety 1st Grow and Go’s manual and stickers are colour coordinated! Blue for rear facing and red for forward facing and booster!

You must read your vehicle manual to know where you can install the seat and if the vehicle manufacturer puts any restrictions on car seat installation. You also must read the car seat manual to know how to install the car seat into the vehicle and how to put your child safely in the car seat.

You must read the car seat manual to know how to install the car seat into the vehicle and how to put your child safely in the car seat.

 

Grow and Go - FF Manual @ mapsgirl.caThe Safety 1st Grow and Go car seat has colour-coded their manual and the stickers making it easier to find information in the manual.

Safety 1st has really tried to help parents.  This graphic on the first page is a quick snapshot of how to find the information they need:

Allstate Canada and Safety 1st made this video with some installation tips: 

For more information about installing car seats, see Allstate Canada’s blog post: Tips For Properly Installing Your Child’s Car Seat

When to move to the next car seat?

Car seats fall into 3 stages:

  1. Rear facing
  2. Forward Facing
  3. Booster

From Allstate Canada’s GOOD HANDS blog post When to Move Your Child to the Next Car Seat Stage, 

“While different car seats and regulations may vary, experts agree that children should stay in their rear-facing car seats until they’re at least 18 kg (40 lbs.); in their forward-facing 5-point harness seat until they are at least 29 kg (65 lbs.); and should use booster seats until they are at least 9 years of age and able to sit up straight with their back flat against the vehicle’s seat, and knees easily bent over the seat.

In other words, you don’t need to rush in moving a child up to the next level. Parents should take their time and transition their child to the next car seat when it makes the most sense for their safety. In fact, the longer a child can stay in their rear-facing seat, the safer they’ll be because these seats help to protect the neck and spinal cord of developing children better than any other seat.”

Safety 1st Grow and Go car seat is a 3-in-1 car seat that can be used for all three stages.

Grow and Go @ mapsgirl.ca

Rear facing (with blanket for warmth)

Grow and Go booster @ mapsgirl.ca

Booster (from Amazon.ca)

Forward Facing

 
 

Allstate Canada’s video has great tips about when it is good to move your child to the next stage:

One of the great features of the Safety 1st Grow and Go seat is that it requires your child to be at least 2 years old before they can ride in it forward facing.  This will help to ensure that children ride rear-facing until 2 years old.  Rear-facing is the safest way for children to ride in a vehicle!

Have more questions?

It is aways best to talk to or meet with a Certified Car Seat Technician who can help you with any car seat questions that you might have.  They will teach you about your car seat and how it fits in a vehicle.

It is nice to see that Allstate Canada has a certified car seat technician on their staff who can help their clients.  This will be especially important if the client is ever in a collision as car seats must be replaced.

Enter to win a Safety 1st Grow and Go 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat!

Safety 1st Grow and Go Giveaway @ mapsgirl.ca
Allstate Canada and Safety 1st want to help your child be safe. Enter to win a Safety 1st Grow and Go car seat.

 
Entry-Form

To find out more about Allstate Canada:

Blog: blog.allstate.ca
Twitter: @AllstateCanada
Facebook: Allstate Insurance Canada
YouTube: Allstate Canada

To find out more about Safety 1st Canada:

Facebook: Safety 1st Canada


Disclosure: This post was written as part of the Allstate Canada Influencer Program and is sponsored by Allstate Canada. All opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Booster Seats, Car Seat Safety, Forward Facing, Front Seat, giveaway, Products & Reviews, Rear Facing

JORD Wood Watches are a must-have fall accessory! #jordwatch #fallaccessories @woodwatches_com

September 22, 2016 by Wendy S

JORD Wood Watches @ mapsgirl.caJORD Wood Watches are absolutely beautiful!

As someone who loves nature and the outdoors, the idea of a wooden watch is amazing.  

“JORD is run by artists, designers, marketers, and minders. We spend our days creating, considering, arguing, and hopefully agreeing. Then we’ll scrap it all for the joy of starting new. We have fun.”

Perfect for any wardrobe!

With back to school in full swing and fall is finally coming in Ontario, the kids are right into back to school shopping!  I like to pick up a few pieces myself to freshen up my closet.  This fall, I added a watch from JORD Wood Watches to my wardrobe!

JORD Wood Watches @ mapsgirl.caJORD Wood Watches are unique and stylish. With the many different styles of women’s watches that they have, there is one that is just right for everyone!  There are so many beautiful women’s watches to choose from!

I love the Cora in Maple and Silver. The light maple wood with the silver accents make it easy to wear with every outfit!  

The self-winding automatic drive system means that there are no batteries to replace and it will keep itself wound with my regular movements.  And I like to move! 

Great gift idea!

JORD Wood Watches would make an amazing gift! I know we have a few people on our Christmas list that can be harder to shop for.  These unique watches have such a wide range of styles that there is one for everyone! 

JORD Wood Watches @ mapsgirl.caFollow JORD!

Instagram: @woodwatches_com
Facebook: JordWoodWatches
Twitter: @woodwatches_com
Pinterest: JORD_Wood Watches

Giveaway

You could win a $75 e-gift code to spend on your own JORD Wood Watch.   And just for entering, you will receive a $20 e-gift code automatically emailed to you.

Enter Button @ mapsgirl.ca


“This post was sponsored by JORD Wood Watches”


Filed Under: giveaway, Products & Reviews Tagged With: cool watch, fallaccessories, jord watch, men’s watch, unique watch, women’s watch, wood watch

Rogers Roam Like Home keeps us all connected! #RoamOn #SilvaBulletRV

July 28, 2016 by Wendy S

The #SIlvaBulletRV @ mapsgirl.caSince the end of June, Craig and the girls have been away camping.  I should probably say RVing since my friends like to remind me that camping is supposed to be in a tent.  Either way, I only see them on the weekends.

We have a membership to a campground just across the US border between Lewiston, NY and Lockport, NY. So not only are they away, but they are in another country.

When we first got the membership a few years ago, we would keep in touch with our loved ones using the camp wifi. The campground does their best, but on a busy weekend, getting on the wifi is hard.

Last summer was the first summer that Craig and the girls were away all summer-long. They were gone for 68 days.  Craig can work as long as he has an internet connection and can work from camp.  I only get so many vacation days so I join them on the weekends. 

Sim cards @ mapsgirl.caJuggling SIM cards while going back and forth across the border and trying to get on the camp wifi gets really frustrating.  Before I left I would need to log into the company’s website and add a plan to my account and set it up to start at a certain time. I would get to the Duty Free on the Canadian side, text Craig to let him know where I was, change the SIM card and head across the border.  When I got across and the US signal was picked up, I would then stop and text Craig to let him know where I was.  

This year traveling back and forth across the border is easy!

This year we have Rogers Roam Like Home.  One SIM card, one account and no hassles. 

Rogers @ mapsgirl.caRoam Like HomeTM now includes over 100 destinations around the world, so if you’re on a Share EverythingTM plan like Craig and I are, you can use your phone just like you do at home. If you’re not on a Share Everything plan, check out our Travel Packs, which cover you in over 230 destinations!
Rogers Roam Like Home US @ mapsgirl.ca

It uses the same calling minutes and data plan that we already have with our Share Everything plan, just no scary roaming charges that show up on your next bill.  For $5 per day to a maximum of 10 days per bill, we get to use our phones in the US.   It’s that easy.

Over 100 Destinations!

Rogers Roam Like Home is available in so many places! 

Roam Like Home map @ mapsgirl.ca

Comfort in contact

It truly is comforting knowing that I can keep in contact with Craig and the girls while they are away.  Craig and the girls will share photos on Instagram or Craig will comment on Facebook. The girls and I can text back and forth.  I can’t be there during the week so this helps me make it until the weekends!  

And over the next few weeks, we’ll be able to keep in contact with our families at home when we go on a big road trip!  We’ll be using our Roam Like Home to the fullest extent!

Follow #SilvaBulletRV to see all of our fun adventures!  

We’ll be sharing a lot of great photos of our journey and lots of info about Rogers Roam Like Home.

Follow these hashtags:

#RoamON
#100Days100Destinations
#SilvaBulletRV
#SilvaRoadTrip16

Follow us on all social networks:

@mapsgirl
@bigdaddykreativ

 

#SIlvaBulletRV @ mapsgirl.ca

Filed Under: Ambassador, Camping, Life, Products & Reviews, Roam Like Home, Rogers, Travel Tagged With: #SilvaBulletRV, camping, Roam Like Home, Rogers, RVing, travel

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 51
  • Next Page »

Follow MapsGirl On…

mapsgirl@gmail.com

Why “mapsgirl” ?

Wendy is a cartographer! She draws maps!

When not mapping, Wendy is also a mom to two daughters. They are the inspiration of this blog. Passionate about child passenger safety, Wendy was a certified Car Seat Technician in Ontario, Canada from 2008 to 2020. [Read More …]

Subscribe

Top Posts

  • and come September I will remember our camping days and friendships true.
  • Eight is not Enough: The 5 Step Test in Action #carseat #ncssw
  • What to do with a used, expired or damaged car seat
  • Airbag Safety Tip: Never put your feet on the dashboard! [video]
  • a new angel in heaven

RSS What’s new @ Big Daddy Kreativ

  • How To Be The Best Role Model For Your Children
  • 5 Easy Ways to Be a Fantastic Parent
  • Exploring the Iconic Landscapes and Lighthouses in Southwest Nova Scotia
  • Two Dogs Are Better Than One
  • Elevate Your Home: Top Tips for Adding Luxury and Style
  • How to Make a Wedding Proposal Unique
  • How Investing in Spray Insulation Can Save You Money
  • Discover the Incredible Flavours of Southwest Nova Scotia
  • Banana Bay Resort & Marina is Marathon’s Hidden Gem
  • Enjoy an Island Oasis at Grassy Flats Resort & Beach Club

Copyright © 2023 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in