Fall in love with Peekaboo Beans

Have you heard of Peekaboo Beans clothing for kids? I was first introduced to Peekaboo Beans when my daughter was around three years old. She received the Winter Dream Green Over Yonder pants and Let's Be Friends zip up sweater from the Fall 2012 collection as a gift and I was instantly impressed with the weight of the material and many washes later, I remained impressed – the colour held up and the material didn’t pill, thin or tear.

I continue to love the fun age-appropriate styles Peekaboo Beans offer kids. It was because of my love of Peekaboo Beans that I was excited when they offered to send me a few articles from their Fall 2016 collection for the purpose of a review.

But, instead of reading why I love Peekaboo Beans, I thought I would ask my daughter and my niece to share what they think about their new clothes from Peekaboo Beans:

My daughter, 8 years old

What do you like about your new clothes?

“I love the colour blue, so this shirt is perfect for me, and I love that Peekaboo Beans has thumbholes in most of their shirts and sweaters. Oh, I also love that they have pants that look like jeans, but they’re not jeans because these feel nice on and I don’t have to wear a belt.”

Peekaboo Beans Hip Hip Hooray Tee in Sterling and Jump 'n Jeggings 

Anything you don’t like?

"Nope. Well, there’s no horses on them" (my daughter loves horses).

PEEKABOO BEANS HIP HIP HOORAY TEE IN STERLING AND JUMP 'N JEGGINGS

My niece, 3 years old

My niece loves to dance and play on the floor with her younger sister. She also loves to run around parks, swing and slide, and sing her ABCs as loud as she can, and if there is a sandbox in the area, she with surely be in it.  She also loves to jump in puddles after a big rain.

My niece loved the pockets and the stretchy, comfy material. She also loved the logo!

Peekaboo Beans Whole Hearted Dress with Long Embrace Leggings in charcoal.

Her mom liked how the pants will grow with her and the unique design of the dress, but wishes the pants had a little more give for kids with larger legs.

Both girls had a lot of fun modelling their new clothes. My daughter knows she can expect Peekaboo Beans every season because I love them (and she does too).  I will be sad when she eventually outgrows them. Most Peekaboo Beans styles range from size 1 to Size 10 (there are also Baby Beans) and are available for both boys and girls.

Peekaboo Beans is celebrating their 10th anniversary this year! Ten years of quality fabric that stands up to kids who love to play! I love the fact that this is a Canadian company that truly believes in the products they create.  All clothing is free from carcinogenic dyes, heavy metals and chemicals that can be absorbed by skin. To shop the latest collection from Peekaboo beans visit their website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Note: I received the Peekaboo beans featured in this post at no cost for the purpose of this review, but opinions are all my own (and the kids).

Exploring with the Spot App

by Kamerine

Kids are natural explorers. It starts with infancy - they want to touch and feel everything. Soon they are toddling around their environment. They put things in their mouths and get so dirty! Their desire to learn is insatiable.

It's no different with technology. I think they push all the buttons on remotes and iDevices because they aren't worried about breaking the thing. They just want to know what happens when they push THIS button or THAT button! And it's amazing what they can learn about devices in a short time. I swear my kids know how to work the remotes and my phone better than I do!

Screen time is part of our reality these days. Limited screen time is good but sometimes letting the kids watch a show or play on the iPad is what gets us through the day. The new Spot app is perfect for little explorers. The app opens to a white screen with a ladybug and then the exploring begins.

Little fingers pull apart to make the ladybug bigger... and bigger... and BIGGER! until a new world is uncovered. This goes on and on in the app, exploring what's inside cookies and papers and the table. The whole world can be explored and fun things found.

It was so much fun watching those little fingers going all over and the looks of excitement at discovering what there was to see next. The Spot app is very creative and fun, but it's no wonder when it was created by David Wiesner, a celebrated story teller. Spot allows kids to come up with their own story.

Without a specific task or bad guys to battle, my 5 year old son didn't stay interested too long, but my 4 year old daughter had fun exploring until it was time to turn off the screen. I love how this app encourages exploration and imagination.

This app is for iPads and is available for purchase in the App Store for $4.99. What apps are your kids loving these days?

Disclaimer: I was provided a code to download this app for free. All opinions are my own. 

CBC's Will Stroet: CD Review and Giveaway!

Many offers land in my inbox here at Kids in the Capital. My favourite ones are those that ask me to review a book or a CD. Music is one of my passions, and I've been sure to introduce a wide range of music to my children. Unfortunately, some children's music is not only terrible, but insufferable! That's why I'm so happy to be reviewing Will Stroet's new CD "Just Imagine." It's a breath of fresh air for parents who can't take another rendition of "Do Your Ears Hang Low."

You may recognize Will's name from Will's Jams, which air on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on Kids CBC. The songs are catchy and educational, covering a wide range of topics (eating your veggies, getting exercise, and creativity).

Will Stroet is embarking on a cross-Ontario tour this Fall, and you'll have a chance to win tickets to see him play at the Bronson Centre on November 23rd. Make sure to follow our Facebook page for details of the contest!

When I received the CD in the mail, I immediately popped it in our player and my girls started dancing around the room. The first track - Chuggada Choo - is reminiscent of Johnny Cash, and super catchy! Same goes for the Brazilian "Mama Samba," and I found myself humming "My mama loves to dance, she's gonna do the mama samba" for the rest of the day. The girls, of course, loved to see me attempt the Samba :)

Will and his Backstreet Band (Elliot Langford and Kevin Romain) show their musical chops with  a wide range of influences - bluegrass, blues, folk, rock and so much more. Each song is very different, so you don't run the risk of getting totally and utterly bored as a parent listening to this CD.

And it's clear that Will is a devoted father of his own two girls (Ella, 4 and June, 4 months), as evident in the final track on the CD - Daddy's Lullaby. Very sweet!

If you're looking for some new music to pop in the CD player while driving your car, then I would definitely suggest purchasing Just Imagine. You can buy Will's CDs from his website and also give him a follow on his Facebook page.

And if you're looking for a fun family outing, don't forget he's playing at the Bronson Centre on November 23rd.  Here's the link to purchase your tickets!

Disclosure: Kids in the Capital was compensated for this review, but all opinions are my own.

Cat's Fish and Chips: Restaurant Review

The other day one of my Facebook friends posted a lovely picture of her fish and chips dinner. The caption read "it's hard to find good fish 'n chips in Ottawa" - as a Brit, she should know. Britain is the land where fish and chips was born! Yesterday was my husband's 32nd birthday, and my friend's photo gave me a great idea. I decided to take my hubby out to the best fish and chips place in Ottawa. My husband is the guy who must try fish and chips at every restaurant/pub we visit - a lot of these meals have been pretty gross. It's easy to screw up fish and chips!

I did some googling, and found Cat's Fish and Chips at Hemlock and St. Laurent. The ambiance takes me right back to Casey Key, Florida, where my family loves to vacation every winter. If I closed my eyes, I could almost hear the ocean waves.

We sat on the patio, and ordered a beer - Beau's Festivale for my hubby (you get to take home the glass, but I believe this brew will be done soon!). The server was extremely welcoming and helpful, and the food arrived in record time. We tried the Crow's Nest (seasoned and fried onions) with chipotle and dill dipping sauces, and then opted for the halibut. Portions are GIANT, so think about it before you consider ordering 2 pieces of fish :)

We were too full for desert, but I can't wait to go back and try their homemade doughnut topped with a scoop of ice cream. There was a kids menu, which would offer smaller portions for the wee ones.

And speaking of kids, I was delighted to see that Cat's was very kid-friendly. The bathroom even had a wooden change table and pad - much nicer than those plastic monstrosities. And any child would be delighted with the decor, which makes you feel as though you're inside an old ship!

Price-wise, Cat's is very reasonable. Our bill was on the higher end, given that we paid extra for the halibut and indulged in an appetizer and some drinks. Most meals are between $10 - $15 (I found the kids menu a bit pricey, but given that my girls don't eat very much when we go out, I would probably have them share something)

And for those of you gluten free - Cat's has a whole menu dedicated to gluten free fare!

It was a lovely meal, and we ended the evening by walking through the National Cemetery of Canada. We definitely needed that walk after a healthy dose of fried fats :) I think Cat's may become one of our family's favourite restaurants in Ottawa!

A Review and Giveaway from Mastermind Toys!

I'm so excited to be posting this giveaway from Mastermind Toys! Growing up in Scarborough, Ontario, our favourite store to visit (other than Stedman's in Haliburton during our summer cottage months) was Mastermind Toys in the Scarborough Town Centre. Unlike the toy aisles in Kmart (yes, I'm old) or Sears, which had distinctly separate rows of pink and blue, Mastermind Toys curated the best toys from around the world and marketed them to.....wait for it.....children!! Not boys or girls, but all children. There were science sets for any young person keen to see things smoke, bubble or explode. There were toy trains, tracks and miniature people for the kid eager to build a village, and of course, coveted items such as Skip It and Marbles (and remember Slap Bracelets?)

My mother loved Mastermind, because the majority of the toys were "educational" - in other words, they awakened creativity, enhanced fine motor skills and developed imagination. And bonus points for the fact that my brother and I were never the wiser :)

So when Mastermind contacted me about their new store opening in Barrhaven (71 Marketplace Ave., in Chapman Mills Marketplace), I was stoked! The Grand Opening will be July 10th - 13th, and there will be free loot bags for kids, a great offer from the store, cupcakes (Saturday Only), and giveaways! Staff will be on hand to help you with all your shopping needs, and complimentary gift wrap service will also be available all weekend.

Mastermind gave me one of their amazing summer-themed toys to try out with my girls. Most of the toys were for older ages (my girls are 20 months and 4 years old), so we chose to try the Kidnoculars. These are the only binoculars designed specifically for kids! The eyepieces are more than three times the size of ordinary binocular, and the perfect-fit goggles with placement guide enable kids to see up close.

The 20-month old was a little too young to appreciate the Kidnoculars, but my 4yo loved them! She ran around the backyard inspecting bugs, plants and spying on the neighbours :) These are certainly worth the $16.99!

As well, Mastermind is giving away a $50 Gift Card to one lucky recipient! Entering the contest is easy!

• Comment below with YOUR favourite toy that you had as a kid
• For a second entry, head to the Mastermind Toys website, and tell me which toy your kids would love for summer
• Winners need to pick up their gift card at the store

I will draw one name using Random.org at noon EST on July 9th, 2014. I’ll contact the winner via email at that time. Good luck! Comment #31 was the winner - congrats Jo!!