The hubster and I love movies just as much as the next couple, and if given the chance to watch a cartoon or a comedy, you can bet your bottom dollar it won’t be the cartoon. Of course, being parents to a preschooler and a barely-one year old often leads to us watching one too many kids movies each month.  I’m sure you can all relate.

It seems nowadays the hubster and I find ourselves watching movies at home while the kids are in bed. No, it’s not as fun or romantic – at all, but what’s the alternative? I don’t want to shell out big bucks twice a month to a babysitter – especially with our youngest being so, well … young.

Besides, I personally think seeing a movie should be an experience, not just an action. I want to get dressed and actually you know, leave the house! Especially after having a new baby, when it seems there’s no where “appropriate” to take your baby so that us mamas can have a little break.

That’s what’s so exciting about Empire Reel Babies – parents now have the opportunity to go to the movies with their babies, toddlers, whatever – during the day! Can you say hello fun to your maternity leave now?! :)

That’s right, no more worries of interrupting others because you need to change your baby mid-movie or your little one needs a feeding. They even turn down the volume a little so your little one’s ears are safe – and dim the lights a little so you can still see around you while you’re fidgeting for that favourite baby rattle! Best of all, you get a few hours out of the house every couple weeks with some other parents and their children – which means you aren’t stuck at home in your yoga pants 24/7!

About Empire Reel Babies

• Twice a month you can enjoy a new-release movie in a baby-friendly environment.
• Each theatre is equipped with a change table, bottle warmer, play mat and swing, so you can take care of your little one while you catch the latest blockbuster
• They even keep the lights on dim and lower the volume a bit

Promotions

Be sure to take advantage of the all-new February promotion: it’s ‘Bring a Friend’ month! Buy one admission to EmpireReel Babies and get a second free:

Visit Reel Babies to see a location near you! You deserve it!

Disclosure – I am participating in the Empire Reel Babies program by Mom Central Canada on behalf of Empire Theatres. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation.  The opinions on this blog are my own.

Aren’t organic eggs beautiful?!

Being a stay at home mom means I have the luxury (ha!) of shopping with my toddler and preschooler any day of the week I choose.  But since it’s so much easier to shop sans-kids, the hubster and I made arrangements to drop of our preschooler for a sleepover at my parents’ home before dinner.  That allowed us to do some much needed running around with just one kid in tow.

We headed over to Walmart because I was given the opportunity to try the brand new Equal Cook and Bake Sucralose Sweetener – it’s the one in the yellow canister. It’s also on Rollback down to $7.97 from $9.97 *cha-ching!*

Upon roaming around the sugar and sweeteners section in the baking isle for 5 minutes, staring blankly at every kind of sweetener BUT Equal, I felt like a ridiculously naive shopper.  Clearly the next step was to enlist my husband’s help in the search. Unfortunately he wasn’t much help either, and the two of us stood in the isle staring at the same products for another few minutes until finally giving up and began searching for a Walmart employee to help us.

We finally hunted someone down, and they said to look in the Pharmacy section. The Pharmacy? Really? How…random. But I guess it makes sense because Diabetics shopping in the Pharmacy would be able to find Equal Sweetener easily…right? Err…I don’t know, either.

I suffer from hypoglycemia and wouldn’t think to go there for a sugar substitute. Again, maybe I’m just a ridiculously naive shopper. Anyways, we did find the Equal Sucralose Sweetener there! Yay, success! :)

We did a lot more shopping before heading home. We picked up organic eggs, organic apples, organic bananas (see a theme?) and organic tortilla chips amongst other things.  Check out my Google + story!

When we arrived back home, we ate dinner and put mr. toddler to bed before whipping out the delicious Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from the #EqualCanada  facebook page. Next up was to make and bake these wonderful low-cal gems with the hubster! Yay for teamwork ;)

The cookies are a HUGE hit amongst our family – no one could even tell they had 27% fewer calories than the traditional recipe! Here’s the 411:

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup stick butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup Equal® Spoonful or Granulated*
• 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips

*May substitute 8 packets Equal sweetener

Directions

1. Beat butter with electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until blended. Mix in Equal® and brown sugar until combined.
2. Mix combined flour, baking soda and salt. Stir into butter mixture until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake in preheated 350° F oven 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden color. Remove from baking sheet and cool completely on wire rack.
4. Store in airtight containers at room temperature.

Find Equal Canada on Twitter and on Facebook!

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions are my own and have not been influenced.

Maybe it’s because I just turned 30 or perhaps it’s because I (clearly) opted to indulge in too many sweet treats over the holiday season, but February has been a month of revisiting my health goals and joining The Quaker Heart Health Challenge. And I’m happy to report that joining in the challenge has successfully catapulted me in the right direction!

From participating in the challenge through logging my fitness activities at MapMyFitness.com, I have come to a couple crucial realizations:

1. I NEED to workout more often. Setting “easy” fitness goals is doing myself a disservice – I should be pushing myself harder to get fit.
2. Mapping my fitness is the best motivator I have in terms of keeping myself accountable for my health. It’s so easy and really allows me to see my goals, progress and the path I’m on.
3. I am choosing to lose 10lbs of yucky fat by May 1st in a healthy, fit way!

Do you want to live a healthier, more fit life? I’m Inviting all you Organic Mama readers to join the Quaker Heart Health Challenge! Come on, you’re worth it!

February is National Heart Health month. Even if it’s only 5 more minutes a day, what extra step will you take to stay fit?

For your chance to win $750 complete these two steps:

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Quaker Oats Company. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

One of my favourite “green” smoothies is the Blueberry Lettuce Smoothie. I know, I know, it doesn’t sound very appealing, but I promise you’ll be pleasantly surprised with this healthy, full body cleansing drink.

The Ingredients

1 head romaine lettuce
3/4 cup blueberries (frozen)
1 apple, roughly chopped (or 1 banana)
1/2 cup sliced mango (frozen)
1/4 lemon (or lime)
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 1/2 -2 cups water

The Directions

1. Pour water into the blender then add everything else.
2. Blend until completely smooth. Serves 2-3

Note: If not palatable, add a couple tablespoons of Orange juice and stir.

Enjoy!