Back From My "Technology Break"

Ok, first, I will readily admit that the title of this post is a little misleading.  I didn't take a total break from technology, but I did cut back significantly on my social media presence over the last two and a half weeks.  It was a sort of little experiment for me.  I had been pretty active on social media since the summer.... Twitter Parties, Facebook, Blog Posts, contest shares, etc.  I thought it was time for a little "me time".  I found myself getting stressed about my next post and what I would write.  Then, it hit me, I started this blog as something fun, if it wasn't going to be enjoyable, why would I continue.  So that was it, a little break.

Don't get me wrong, I was still logging in to Facebook and Twitter, and I was still checking in on some posts on my blog, but I posted very little... and in fact... nothing on my blog.  So I appreciate everyone's patience in my lack of content, but I needed that little bit of "me time" to refresh.  Now, back to our regularly scheduled blogging.

Home-made Christmas Presents

I'm a believer in gifts from the heart.  That doesn't mean I don't buy gifts sometimes that are not meaningful, but I do think that gifts given with lots of thought put in them are particularly special.  It was with this thought in mind that my daughter and I worked on a special gift project for some people in our family.  I will apologize now for the lack of photos, but given that these gifts are for Christmas, I didn't want to give too much away.  Some of the readers of this post may be receiving these gifts.

We decided to make a personalized mug.  I've seen this craft shared a number of times on social media, but I was a little skeptical as to how well it would work, but we decided to give it a try.  I bought a couple mugs at the local dollar store, and we went home to get started.

Supplies needed:

- Mug

- permanent markers

- Oven

When it comes to the markers, I hear that the oil based ones are best.  I just bought standard "permanent" sharpies.

Step 1: I really wanted my daughter to be the creator of the art work, so I put down a plastic place-mat in case the marker didn't stay on the mug.

Step 2: Wash the mug really well.  Any residue on the mug may affect how well the marker stays on the mug.  Make sure the mug is completely dry before moving on to the next step.

Step 3: Create!  We had lots of different coloured markers, and my daughter particularly liked the silver and gold markers.  She decided what the picture would be and did the drawing all herself.

Step 4: Put in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.

Step 5: Allow to completely cool before use (or wrapping).

The mug will NOT be dishwasher safe and need to be washed by hand with care.  I did test the mug when it cooled and even when I rubbed with great force, the image didn't come off, but I've heard others say that there's did.  I suggest testing the durability of your image before gifting it.

I may post a follow up picture AFTER Christmas once these gifts have been opened, but I won't do it now at a risk of ruining the surprise.  

Have you done this craft before?  What was your experience?  Share in the comments below. 

Letters to Santa

It's that time of year, children are writing (or have already written) their letters to Santa.  As we all know, this time of year is meant to be about more than just presents, but this can be a challenging lesson for children to learn.  Even with my daughter's young age, I have sometimes struggled with how to balance her "wants" with her "needs" when it comes to Christmas gift buying.  

Don't worry, I'm not going to go on a huge rant on the commercialization of Christmas.  But, my daughter is still young, and I try to stay away from an overwhelming amount of toys.  When she does a list for Santa, we tell her she can pick 3 things to ask for, and one of them is usually an "experience", usually a family trip.

I've also started bringing my daughter to volunteer events to help emphasize the importance of giving back.  I organize a blood donor clinic a few times a year in memory of my dad, who passed away in 2013.  Although the concept of "blood donation" is difficult for a 5 year old to understand, my daughter gets the basic premise that people are there to help people who are sick or hurt.  She helps me organize the snack counter, and she often chats with donors as they come get a snack after their donation.  She enjoys it, and is exposed to a valuable learning experience.

How do you make the focus of Christmas about more than "just gifts" in your family?

Holiday Savings & Coupons Giveaway

It's the most wonderful time of the year, a time where we can all go shopping without guilt in the name of "holiday spirit" lol. The number one thing about the holidays in most people's mind is their family EVEN those family members that drive you crazy you enjoy them that much more . If you're anything like me you wait until there are AWESOME coupons, discounts and deals... so many holiday savings. We know that there are many last minute shoppers SO hurry over and check out all the savings AND get all those gifts for the family that you love! No need to wait for Black Friday or Cyber Monday, just check out the coupons and deals on Your Life After 25's coupons & discounts page. 

NOT only are we spreading the word about all of those amazing deals we are also giving you the chance to Win: Your Life After 25 Holiday Savings and Coupon Giveaway!

Whether you're shopping for a new mom or babies, looking for the right present for the kids or trying to find something for co-worker or in-laws, you're sure to find coupons and deals to help! And the savings isn't just for the holidays, we've all watched or seen those extreme couponers who save TONS of cash on groceries or every day items... you can do the same just start clipping coupons now :)

*Coupons open to USA, coupon codes open to USA/Can*

I love bargain shopping, I check flyers, websites, and social media to find the best sales, and use coupon codes when possible!

Sponsored by Your Life After 25

• 3 Prizes Available; Grand Prize: $100 Amazon e-gift card + $20 The Pocket Sous Chef e-gift

• 2nd Prize: $50 Amazon e-gift card + $20 The Pocket Sous Chef e-gift

• 3rd Prize: $50 Amazon e-gift card + $10 The Pocket Sous Chef e-gift

• Open to US & Canada. • Winners will be chosen at random through Giveaway Tools. • Giveaway ends December 18th at 11:59pm ET. • Winners will be notified via email or Twitter DM. • Mom Powered Media & associated bloggers are not responsible for prize fulfillment. • Each winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. • Must be 18 years or older to enter. • Unlimited Entries • Void where prohibited. • Entering the giveaway means you agree to terms above. 

• Good Luck!

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Cash for Christmas Giveaway!

Tammy from My Life Abundant and Tammy from Creative K Kids have gotten together with a few of our bloggie friends to have a giveaway!

 

We are so excited to be giving away $250 in cash prizes for you to use starting Thanksgiving weekend.  Here are the prizes:

1 - $100 Amazon Gift Card
1 - $50 Target Gift Card
2 - $25 Walmart Gift Card
1 - $20 Kohls Gift Card

Amazing. Right? Well, whats a gift card and getting up early, early to shop if you can't focus on your shopping.   So how about we add a $5.00 Starbucks gift card to each one of the prizes above!!

But wait. There is one more prize.

1 - $5 Starbucks Gift Card

Now its time to meet our wonderful co-hosts who have made this giveaway possible.

Starting at the top row we have:

Kim of KidPep | Jody of Mom 'N Daughter Savings | Penny of Penny's Passion | Jeanne of Home Garden Joy | Leticia of Desafio In The City | Barb of A Life in Balance | Tricia of The Good Mamma | Mary of Your Designer Dog Blog | Alecia  of Detours in Life, Family Vacay, Family Time Travelers | Katie of The Ramblings of an Overtired Mama | Michelle of On A Wing and A Prayer | Lauren of Heart of Deborah | Christine of Your Strong Tower | Lindze  of Interior Fun | Michelle of The Happiness Blogger | Stacey of A Moment in our World | Nikki of MBA SAHM | Paula of Beauty Through Imperfection | Sarah of Mommy of Two | Scarlett of Scarlett's Excellent Adventures

Please stop by and say hi to these wonderful ladies and their blogs.

The giveaway will end midnight on Wednesday, November 26th, the night before Thanksgiving.  You will have 48 hours to respond to the email claiming the prize.  If you respond right away, we will get you the gift card promptly so that you can shop with it on Black Friday!  If we don't hear in 48 hours, we will choose another winner. 

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Planning our Florida Vacation - Part 1

There are lots of things I love to talk about, but one of my favourite things is to talk about Florida vacation planning!  I know, some people hate planning, but, for me, it helps build the excitement of the trip.  We are currently planning a trip to Florida in 2015, so I thought I would do a blog post series about the planning, as I often get lots of questions about what things I look at when planning our trip.

This year, we're travelling with my husband, my daughter, brother in-law, mother in-law and father in-law.  We all have different interests, but we always seem to come to agreement with most activities in Florida.

To begin the planning, we survey the group as to when we would like to go.  Typically, we have traveled in February in years past.  This year, my daughter is in school, so we are trying to plan around Spring Break.   We're tagging a couple extra days on the trip, but she'll only be out of school a couple days.

We've stayed in the same property the last couple of times we've traveled to Orlando, and it's fantastic!  It's called the "Disney Magic Villa" and the owners, Julie and Steve, are so easy to communicate with, and when we're there, they have a fabulous property management company that takes care of any issues you may be having at the house.    Check out the Disney Magic Villa for some pics and information: http://www.disneymagic-villa.com/.  I will share more about this fantastic property in my upcoming posts.

Once we had determined our travel dates, I checked the Disney Magic Villa site to see if the property was available, and it was!  Lucky us!  We were quick to get in touch and book our dates.

Our next step is narrowing down our activities during the vacation, but I will save that for my next post.

Planning a vacation to Florida?  Have questions?  Feel free to ask in the comments below and I'm happy to share the tips I have.

Product Review: Timothy's Dulce de Leche

I know, I've been doing a lot of product reviews lately, but when I find things I like or that I'm interested in, I want to write about it!

Today I'm going to review Timothy's Dulce de Leche hot drink.  I came across a 3-pack of the K-Cup version of this drink.  I was intrigued, because I absolutely love most all things caramel or butterscotch related.  So I decided to pick up a pack and give it a try.

I grabbed this pack at Wal-Mart and the price was $2.96.  So, approximately $1 a cup.  A little more than I like to pay for K-Cups (I'm a bargain shopper), but I thought I would give this little treat a try, and I'm so glad I did.  

Each cup is a creamy delight with a caramel taste.  So yummy!  I love hot chocolate, but this is even better.  It's not a coffee drink, just a yummy treat.  It's sweet, so I wouldn't recommend more than one at a time.  And it's a nice evening treat, especially on a cold night.  

I recommend running it through the smaller cup cycle on your Keurig (6 oz cup), it gives the drink just the right texture.

Check out the Timothy's website for more details, and you can also order a box there:  http://www.timothys.ca/products/product-dulce-de-leche.php  

Have you tried Timothy's Dulce de Leche?  What did you think?  Let me know in the comments!

Note: I was not compensated for this post.  These are my own views and opinions.  And yes, that is my coffee mug, and yes, I am a Coronation Street (Corrie) fan.

Win with SingleJo Coffee!

If you're anything like me, you must be a coffee lover.  I love the warmth, the way it tastes, and the way it smells.  Well, now I'm sharing a contest where you can win a pretty awesome prize.  My friends at SingleJo coffee are giving away a "Margaritaville® Bali™ Frozen Concoction Maker" with self dispenser and Margaritaville single serve coffee.  This prize has an over $400 value!  Check out the link below for contest details, and you too can be a winner!

Enter here:  http://bit.ly/1DRdZeq

Product Review - Jamberry Nails

I love having my nails done.  I don't just mean the luxury of going to the spa for a manicure, I actually love the way my nails look when they're decorated, whether that be gel nails, polish or nail stickers.

I've tried a lot of different nail polishes, treatments, stickers, etc, and I had a number of friends asking me to try Jamberry, so I thought I would give it a go.

I had tried similar "stickers" before, and when I say "similar", I mean, ones that you apply and file off the excess.  I had some good luck with some, and bad luck with some.  What intrigued me with Jamberry is that they are "heat activated".  So, I went "all out" and bought myself one of their little heaters.  They do indicate that these heaters are not necessary as you could do it with a hair dryer, but I liked the idea that these heaters stand on their own, so there's no figuring out how to hold the hair dryer while getting ready to apply the sticker.

This is how the Jamberry nails work - you have a sheet of stickers, enough for a manicure and pedicure... maybe more if you're creative and don't make any mistakes.  They come in an oval shape, in various sides, so you cut them in half and use them on the fingers they fit on.  Once you have determined the size you need, you heat them for 3 to 5 seconds and apply them to the nail.  Then you take small scissors and clip off some of the excess and file off the rest.  Then you put your nails back in front of the heat to have it bond to the nail.  I will admit that this process took a little longer than I expected, and I think that probably with practice, it wouldn't take so long, but to do all of my nails, it took approximately half an hour.  But once I had them all on, I loved them:

I've had many compliments on my nails as well.

Even after a week and a half, they were holding strong:  

You can see in the picture that there's a little bit of lifting at the tip of the nail, but it was nothing that affected the look of them particularly.  

I will also note that they recommend cleaning your nail before hand with alcohol, however, I didn't do that step.  I had clean hands, but I didn't specifically clean the nail.

My nails lasted about 2 weeks and then they started to lift near the nail bed, and at that point I removed them.

Next, I decided to try the Jamberry Juniors on my daughter.  She is 5 years old.  I had heard some good things about this product.  So, I followed the same application proceedure as I had with my own nails.  Unfortunately, it didn't quote turn out for us.  This is a picture once we were done:

The stickers started lifting almost immediately, and after about half hour, she got annoyed with them and took them all off.

Now, I know everyone's nails are different, so it may just be that her nails don't take to this product.  We will try them again sometime to see if we have a different result.

So ultimately, a big thumbs up from me for the adult ones!  Not so much for kids.  Have you tried Jamberry nails?  What was your experience?

Note: These opinions are solely my own.  I was not provided any compensation for my review.  

Have You Invested in an RESP for Your Child?

It's been "a few" years since I received my undergraduate degree, but I do remember the costs associated with that degree.  I was fortunate that my parents invested in an RESP for my education.  This investment allowed me to focus more on my studies than worry about my finances.

Although the money I received for the plan did not cover my entire education, it did provide me with piece of mind that a good portion of my tuition would be covered.

When my parents invested in the RESP, they didn't know what or where I was going to study, but they invested anyway to provide me with a good funding so I could make decisions that were based on programs I was interested in and not necssarily the cost of the program.

You can read some more on why I think it's important to invest in an RESP for your child, AND you can also register to win a $2500 contribution to your child's RESP!

http://blog.heritageresp.com/student-mothers-perspective-invest-resp/

Some Topics Close to My Heart

As I was working on a few upcoming posts for my blog, I realized that I have written some great posts as a guest blogger on other websites that I have never shared on my own blog, so I wanted to share those with you all.  They are topics that are close to my heart, so I wanted to be sure you all got a chance to read them.

First, a post about the importance of teaching the value of "giving back" to your children.  Many of you who have read my blog before know that I am passionate about various causes, and I know that it can be a common misconception that volunteering is not a child friendly activity, but this does not have to be the case!  I shared my thoughts on this topic over at the Heritage Education Funds blog, have a look!

http://blog.heritageresp.com/teaching-your-children-the-importance-of-giving-back/

Do you volunteer as a family?  Do you talk to your children about charity?  Share your experiences in the comment section or feel free to connect with me on social media!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/overtiredmama/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Overtired_Katie 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katie_nb/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUfSBYVJfyLpZWn0ihYuoZg

Product Review: Pantene Pro-V Ultimate 10

I'll admit it, I torture my hair.  I have for years. Bleach, perms, curling irons, straighteners, hair colouring, I've done it all.  So, it comes as no surprise that my hair is brittle.

Over the years I've tried a number of treatments and products in order to help my hair feel healthier.  I've used hot oil treatments, salon brand products and just about any store brand you can imagine.  When I was approached by BzzAgent (a totally awesome product review site that you should check out at www.bzzagent.com) to review Pantene Pro-V Ultimate 10 products, I went in to it with an open mind.

What I received from BzzAgent was a bottle of Pantene Pro-V Ultimate 10 Shampoo, Pantene Pro-V Ultimate 10 Conditioner and Pantene Pro-V Ultimate 10 BB Crème.

I was excited to try these products out.  So, the next morning I tried the shampoo and conditioner first.  Both had a nice smell - not over powering, and the smell didn't linger, just a nice clean smell.  And the conditioner was my favourite.  You could feel it wrapping around your hair and it rinsed out so nicely leaving your hair free of tangles and feeling strong.

Once I was done washing my hair, I put the BB Crème in my hair before subjecting my hair to the blow dryer.  I typically don't use styling products, aside from a little bit of  mousse here and there, but this BB Crème was great.  Just a small amount was all that was needed, I spread it through my hair and began to blow dry.  When I was done my hair looked shiny.  It wasn't greasy or sticky.

I have continued to use these products for 2 weeks and the difference in my hair is pretty visible.  I went from dull looking brittle hair, to shiny strong hair.

Big Brother 16 - FINALE!

Well... this is it folks.  The night we've been waiting for!  The big finale!  A reminder that the final 3 are Cody, Derrick... and Victoria.  I think we can all predict how the night is going to end for her.

Let's pick up with the Jury sitting with Dr. Will to discuss who the best player is.  And Caleb joins them as the most recent evictee.   Side note - I refuse to call him Beast Mode.  Refuse.

Anyway, we have some bitter people here.  Particularly Jacosta, who says that Derrick "fake prayed" with her in the house.  Wait... how do you "fake pray"?  Whatever.  

Frankie is his usually self, doing these dramatic gestures and non-hair flips (that's a term I just invented... it's when someone tosses their head like they're flipping long hair, but doesn't have long hair).   A little note about a rumour I heard - I had read that there was a possibility that Frankie would co-host the next season of Big Brother with Julie, and would take over hosting duties the following year.  Am I the only one who prays (real prayers, not fake ones) that this isn't true?  I can't handle any more Frankie.  I realize that there will come a day that Julie will leave the show... but please don't have Frankie in your place.  I think I will have to give up Big Brother if that happens.

Back to the show - Part one of the HOH competition, we pick up where the last show left off... the final 3 balancing on hand gliders while being tilted almost parallel to the ground.  They are faced with some pretty hard rain... and eventually, Victoria falls.  Then Derrick steps down.  Cody wins part 1.  Part 2 of the competition is Derrick vs Victoria and they have to put all of the nomination pairs in order while climbing up a wall to put the Houseguests pictures in place.  Derrick wins.  Final part of the HOH, down to questions about jury members.  It comes down to a tie breaking question... both answers are pretty close, but Cody wins.  He chooses to evict Victoria, leaving The Hitman alliance as the final 2.

The Jury throws questions at the final two including a question for Cody about being Derrick's puppet and a question to Derrick about "using" his family to win.  Harsh. 

On to the voting..... but we don't get to find out the winner yet.  They bring back former houseguests first.  And Derrick announces to everyone that he is, in fact, a police officer who spent a couple years under cover.  Many are shocked, except Frankie who dramatically exclaims "I knew it!"

Let's find out the winner.... by a vote of 7 to 2, Derrick wins - the only two votes he doesn't get are from Jacosta and Donny.  

Fan favourite - I don't think there was any question - Donny.

What did you think of this season???  Exciting stuff?  Or not so much?

Big Brother 16 - Recap - September 17

Another abbreviated recap.

So, now we get to find out what the house is like "post Frankie".  And I have to say, I'm happy not to watch him anymore.  Even watching him with Julie I found annoying.  But I digress.

Time for nominations, and Derrick, clever as he is, was able to convince Caleb to nominate himself.  Caleb does so assuming that the boys will stick together until the end, sending Victoria home this week.  What Caleb doesn't know is that Derrick and Cody have had a deal this whole game.

On to the POV where the winner is.... Cody!   This means Cody is safe, and so is Derrick.  Cody also will be the only houseguest that will be voting this week.  And he decides to vote out Caleb.

Caleb feels most betrayed by Derrick and tells Julie so.

Can you believe we're almost at the end?

Big Brother 16 - Recap - September 16

Just an abbreviated recap tonight.

Well this episode was intense and fun!

Picking it up where we left off... Frankie is upset he was nominated.  Surprise, surprise.  So he wants to know why he was nominated, and Caleb spills that they were nervous he would save Victoria.  Seriously.  Come on Caleb.... why did you tell him that?

Anyway... to make a long story short.... Cody wins VETO, and despite Frankie's pleading, he isn't saved.  On to the vote... and he's voted out.

Now next HOH - and the winner is.... Derrick!

Another one voted out tomorrow... and finale next week!  Eek.... busy times!

Big Brother 16 - Recap - September 14

Dear Football,

You are ruining my TV watching.

Sincerely,

Overtired Mama

That "letter" was prompted by yet another delay of Big Brother because of football.  I know.... first world problems.

On to the recap....

We pickup with the HOH we're replaying because of the Rewind.  And the new winner is........ Caleb.

Lots of game talk about who should be nominated.

Then.....a luxury competition.  The houseguests find out that the Jury members are coming to play for the luxury competition.  The winner gets $5000.  Then the houseguests are going to bet on the Jury members, and if their jury member wins they will also get $5000.  So no one chooses Christine.  Ouch.  And Nicole absolutely KILLS in this competition.  She knocks out most of the houseguests, then Hayden swings in and wins in the end.  Which means, he wins and so does Victoria.

Part of this competition was that the houseguests had to look for small disks in the house, which results in the house being absolutely torn apart.  The houseguests are devastated and grossed out.  I'm all for anything that makes the houseguests clean.  I mean, they're in there all day every day.... it just helps them out if they have something to do.

In the end.... the nominees.... Victoria (surprise surprise) and... FRANKIE!  YAY!  He's finally on the block!  Let's wait and see how this turns out!!

Big Brother 16 - Recap - September 9 and 10th

Yes, I cheated and am posting both recaps in one post.  So let's get to it.

So Frankie is HOH, and he nominated Cody and Victoria.  They will have some opportunity to "win their freedom" during POV.  But first (I had to channel my "inner Julie"), Let's talk about Team America.... yes, that's still happening.  Anyway, Team America has to convince the houseguests that there is a mouse in the house and keep them up all night looking for it.  And, SUCCESS!  Apparently everyone is scared of rodents... well, except Caleb.  He makes some kind of trap.

On to POV - which consists of looking a pictures that are composites of 3 different hosueguests.  They have to guess who is in the picture.  And the winner is..... Frankie.  Boo.

Frankie laments in his room about what he's going to do, and once again talks about making a "big move"... but if this show has taught us anything... it's that big moves don't happen.  And Frankie stays true to form and does not change the nominations.

On to the episode from tonight (10th).

We get to see Nicole and Christine arrive at the Jury house.  Nicole is received warmly.  Christine?  Not so much.  People barely look at her.  Christine shares that she was booed when she was evicted, and everyone, including sweet Donny, laughs.  They all talk about what a strong player Derrick is.

Julie reminisces on the week with the houseguests and allows Cody and Victoria to give their speeches on why they should stay.  When she sends Derrick to HOH, the countdown reaches zero and a buzzer sounds.  To add to the drama, Julie tells the houseguests she'll explain what's happening after the break.  When they come back, she explains that we are rewinding the week and starting over again.

Frankie's face at the rewind.  Amazing.  He clapped, but he definitely wasn't in to it.  haha

So, we're playing the seed challenge over again.  but that's where we're left.  We'll have to tune in on Sunday to find out who won.

Big Brother 16 - Recap - September 7

We open with a recap of the previous double eviction episode, including the "rewind" twist.  

Then we see the houseguests reacting to hearing the boos of the audience towards Christine.  Cody assumes that Christine must have been doing things that he didn't know about in order for people to boo her.

Then, the button is revealed to the houseguests.  Speculation runs wild as to what pushing the button would do.  Then, everyone gets to go see the button in person.  

And we also get more talking about why Christine was booed.  Caleb and Frankie tell Cody they think she was booed because of their relationship, because Christine was married.  They tell Cody about how Christine looked at him with "love" in her eyes.  Cody doesn't buy it.  The conversation is interrupted when Victoria heads to the Diary room and the boys celebrate.

Cody, Derrick and Caleb talk about making a big move and nominating Frankie if they get a chance.  *sigh*  How long are they going to keep talking this "big move" nonsense.  I say nonsense because it Never Happens!!!  Prove me wrong boys.  Prove. Me. Wrong.

This week's HOH competition is farm themed.  Houseguests have to take seeds across a "seesaw" leave them on the other side and head back for more.  They have to get them all across without falling or knocking them off.  If they fall or knock their seeds off, they have to start over.    

Can someone explain to me why Frankie explained what they had to do in this competition, literally 30 seconds after Derrick did?

Caleb compares this challenge to basic training (military), and he and Frankie are battling.  Very close.  But in the end, Frankie pulls out the win after Caleb is forced to start over when one of his seeds falls out.

Back to the button.  It's alot of back and forth... then they ultimately push it all together.  And a countdown clock appears.... and everyone is nervous.

Derrick tries to tell Victoria that she's the last girl in the house and will, therefore, be the most remembered.  Awww... don't get the girl's hopes up Derrick.

DOORBELL!!!!!  And in come...... Jeff and Jordan!  The houseguests freak!   Jeff notices how filthy the house is.  Thank you Jeff.  It's disgusting.  Also, good to know it smells as disgusting as it looks.

The houseguests have to get changed for a competition.     But Jeff tells Jordan, once they're outside, they're not there for a a competition, and pops the question!!!   Probably the sweetest moment in reality tv.  So cute.   Love these people.   Then he brings out their dog to celebrate..... then their families!!!  Then, they bring out Brett Eldridge (please excuse my spelling if it's wrong... I"m not familiar with him... sorry!)   And Caleb seems just as excited as Jordan.  We get to see a little montage of Jeff and Jordan.  Again... so cute!  And Frankie cries. 

Alright,  enough of the cute stuff (although I could have probably watched Jeff and Jordan for another hour).    Now for nominations, and I see Frankie did his nails in sparkles for the occasion.

Nominees are Cody and Victoria.

Looking forward to Veto on Tuesday!  (New night, don't forget!)

Giving Back and my Personal Challenge

I open today's blog post with a picture that means a lot to me.  A picture of my dad holding my daughter just a few hours after she was born.

This picture shows the beginning of a truly special relationship between my daughter and her Grampy.  When she was only 2, my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  Through his battle with the disease, she provided a bright light.  They would read stories, watch funny Simon's Cat videos (if you aren't familiar with Simon's Cat, check him out on YouTube, very funny), and playing games.  Sometimes they did this at home, and sometimes from the hospital bed.  No matter where they played, it was special to both of them.  My dad passed on April 6, 2013. 

Even before my dad's diagnosis, I was involved in the Canadian Cancer Society.  I believe in their programs, services, information resources, advocacy efforts and research.  If you want to read more about why I'm passionate about this organization, check out my previous blog post on the subject:  

http://www.overtiredmama.com/2014/06/giving-back-canadian-cancer-society.html 

My dad's diagnosis prompted me to "ramp up" my efforts in fundraising for the Canadian Cancer Society.

I am participating in the 2015 Saint John/KV Relay for Life in support of the Canadian Cancer Society.  As part of my fundraising efforts, I am asking people to sponsor me and if I reach my $2000 goal, I will face my greatest fear - heights.

Visit my personal fundraising page to find out more about how I will face my fear, and consider sponsoring me for this challenge.  All proceeds will go to the Saint John/KV Relay for Life in support of the Canadian Cancer Society.

http://convio.cancer.ca/goto/KatieFearChallenge

And for anyone interested in Survivor, I'm putting on a Survivor Pool for this season of Survivor which premieres September 24.  The castaways cost $10 each and you can purchase as many as you like.  The prize will be 50% of the funds raised.  If you are interested in participating in this fundraiser, please email me at Katie_NB@hotmail.com and let me know how many castaways you would like.  Your contestant will be randomly chosen for you on September 22 or whenever the pool is full (which ever happens first), and you will be notified by email who you have.

Finally, I will also be having another Email Bingo game beginning Monday, September 22.  Cards are $5 each and the prize will be 50% of the funds raised.  You are welcome to purchase as many cards as you like.  Your cards will be emailed to you.  For the week of September 22 and September 29, 5 numbers a day will be sent out (business days only).  Beginning the week  of October 6 , 2 numbers a day will be sent until we have a "Bingo".  Players have until 4 PM (Atlantic = 3PM Eastern) each day to claim their Bingo.  If there are multiple winners, the prize will be split between them. 

Money for the Survivor pool and Bingo can be sent by e-transfer to Katie_NB@hotmail.com or, email me to make arrangements for me to pick up your donation.  Please note that you must pay before the beginning of the Bingo game, and by September 24 for the Survivor Pool.  The prizes for both the Pool and Bingo will be sent by e-transfer unless you make other arrangements with me.

I appreciate that we all of causes close to our heart, and I appreciate that it's not possible to donate to every cause out there, but I wanted to share some of my efforts.  Thanks for reading!

Big Brother 16 - Recap - September 4

This is it folks!  The double eviction night!  Let's get ready for some big moves!  Or not.  Who knows.  Let's get in to it.

So Nicole and Victoria are on the block.  Nicole looks pretty nervous as her leg was kicking so much I thought she was going to kick the coffee table over.  When they give their speeches, Nicole tells the houseguests to stop being big babies and start playing Big Brother and make some big moves.  YES!  Nicole gets it.  It's what I've been saying for weeks!  I'm tired of watching these baby moves.  But I digress.  Victoria gives a typical un-notable speech.  Voting time, and Nicole is unanimously voted out.

Now, HOH, it's a question game, and on the very first question, Derrick is the only one to answer correctly and wins HOH.  He nominates Victoria and Christine.  He says that if one of them wins Veto he will nominate Frankie, and I cross my fingers that it happens, but it doesn't.  Frankie wins Veto and decides not to use it.  Voting time and Christine is unanimously voted out.  Without a word to any houseguests she walks out to a blast of "boos" from the audience.   Let me go on a little rant here.  I am not a Christine fan,  but the booing thing is terrible.   Maybe you don't agree with her behaviour in the house, given that she's married, but let her husband deal with that.  If you don't like her, don't clap when she comes out, but the booing thing... come on.  Anyway, the houseguests heard the booing and take it as a sign that they made the right move.

Julie asks Christine some hard questions about whether she feels betrayed, whether she feels she played the game well and about her relationship with Cody.  Christine gives some pretty basic, non-controversial answers and then we move on.

We find out that there is the potential for a "rewind" that will be unleashed this week.  If this magic button is pressed, nominees will be taken off the block and the whole week will be played over.   Exciting!

Now, we have to wait until Sunday to find out who the next HOH is.  I can't wait!

Big Brother 16 - Recap - September 3

As promised, a brief recap of the episode I didn't recap on the long weekend:

Caleb won HOH.
Lots of talk about Donny's leaving.
Derrick starts dealing with his "Hollas".
Nicole and Christine are nominated.

On to tonight's episode.  The boys give Christine a pep talk to assure her she is not a target.  Which Derrick quickly follows up with a diary room message saying she is, in fact, his target.  Love it.

On to POV - the first out of the competition has to dress up like a dinosaur.  The houseguests have to cut wires on a bomb in response to a question asked about a colour sequence they had to view.  If they cut the wrong wire, it explodes.  Best. Challenge. Ever.

Cody is out first.
Then Caleb.
Then Victoria.
Then Derrick who says he thew the competition in hopes of keeping Nicole from getting knocked out... but Nicole is knocked out too.

Christine wins POV.  Frankie runs up to her and starts pumping her up, and says how good she is, then starts yelling about Caleb being color blind.  Huh?  Good diversion Frankie.  Not.

Cody asks Christine what Frankie said to her, and she repeats his congratulatory message.  Cody is mad that Frankie is "undermining" he and Caleb.   He talks about making a big move... somehow I'm not convinced.

Next, Cody gets dressed up as a "#TyrannosaursJerk"  Everyone fusses over how cute he is.  I dunno, I must be immune.  I don't get it.

Now, a big Caleb/Cody chat about Frankie.  So they talk about good reasons why Frankie should be a target.  Will it happen.  We'll see.

Caleb chats with Derrick and Christine about backdooring Frankie.  Christine loves the idea, Derrick says he isn't sure.  He talks to Cody and they continue to talk about Frankie as a threat.

Derrick and Nicole chat about missing home.  Nicole tries to plant the seed about making a big move.  Derrick is skeptical about her motives.  So he decides Nicole has to be the target, not Frankie.

POV ceremony.  Of course Christine uses the veto on herself and Caleb nominates Victoria.  Am I the only one that isn't surprised?  This "Bomb Squad" has been talking about making "big moves" all season.... so when are these big moves going to happen?  *Snooze*

So unfortunately, we'll see Nicole go home on Thursday.... unless something major changes by then.  But remember, it's a double eviction week, so things could flip quickly... and lets hope it does.

Want to keep up on all the blog happenings?  You can do that by "following" this blog (option available in the menu on the right), follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Overtired_Katie, follow the blog on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/overtiredmama  or through BlogLovin: http://www.bloglovin.com/. - See more at: http://www.overtiredmama.com/2014/08/big-brother-16-recap-episode-28.html#sthash.tuPmClxe.dpuf

Big Brother 16 and the Long Weekend

So, as you all know, it was a long weekend.  So it was long weekend vs. Big Brother 16, and the long weekend won.  We were out at a camp with no cable TV.  I didn't even PVR it because I knew I wouldn't watch it.  Not because I'm lazy (ok, I am lazy, but that's not the reason), it's because my daughter starts Kindergarten tomorrow.  I've been labeling school supplies like a mad woman... and making lunches (yes, plural... I was nice and made lunch for my husband too).

I'm not used to being emotional about these sorts of things.  Let's put it this way.  In high school, I went to watch Titanic in the movie theaters with my friends and while everyone in the theatre cried when Jack died (*spoiler alert*), I was laughing at how ridiculous the whole scene was - there was plenty of room on that board? If she truly loved him, wouldn't she make more of an effort to save him???  Anyway, I digress.  Don't get me wrong, I wasn't laughing out loud... I recognized that people were emotional about it and really liked it.  I just wasn't there.  Well, now, I'm an emotional train wreck.  I haven't had a full-on break down blubber fest, but, I'm sure it will come.

So have mercy on my lack of recap, I will do a mini recap of last night's episode on Wednesday when I recap that night's episode.  And think of me and my probable cry-fest tomorrow.

Big Brother 16 - Recap - Episode 28

This is it, the moment of truth, this is the episode where we find out if Donny or Nicole goes home, and, whether Team America were successful in their challenge.

A little recap of the flip flopping that was happening before this live eviction.  Caleb approaches Derrick about keeping Donny.  Derrick says he's glad he's not the one bringing it up (in the diary room - not to Caleb), but he's open to the idea.  Caleb goes to chat with Cody about it.  Cody is like a brick wall.  Not open to the idea in the least.  Frankie thinks it's a good idea.

In the meantime, we learn that Team America will find out if they were successful in the "coming up with their own challenge" challenge through a "secret code" that Julie will have.  She will ask one of the Team America players what kind of food they would request as a have not this week.  They are to respond "Apple Pie".  If Julie says the request is granted, they were successful, if the request is denied, they failed.

We also get to meet Christine's family.  The focus has been on Christine's husband, given Christine's weird relationship with Cody.  Her husband is nice and diplomatic.  He says he doesn't mind the hair rubbing or the arm tickles, but he does feel uncomfortable with the hand holding.  Christine's family, however, decide to take a more direct approach.  They are disappointed with the relationship she has with Cody.  I think Christine's in for some difficult conversations when she leaves the house.

Then we get to meet Cody's family.  His dad doesn't have a problem with the relationship.  He approves of his son flirting to get where he needs to be.  His sister, on the other hand, doesn't approve.

Back to the house.  Just before the votes begin, Julie asks Frankie what food he would like as a "have-not", he says "Apple Pie" and Julie says it's an "overwhelming no".  The look on Frankie's face is priceless.  As much as I would have liked to see Donny get some more money, I'm glad they lost the challenge, because I think Frankie needed a wake up call.  Hopefully he got it.

Julie also decides to show houseguests some brief messages from home.  Everyone cries.  And how cute was Derrick's daughter?  I also notice that Christine's husband says "don't forget about me" which is also something he said in his letter to her when she was HOH.... I hope she picks up on his repetition of that phrase.   Like, maybe she should forget about Cody and remember she's married.

Anyway, on to the votes, and, no surprise, Donny is voted out unanimously.   He speaks with Julie with tears in his eyes.  This guy is the best.  How can you not adore this guy?  Anyway, he says that he hopes to get his old job back... I don't think there's any fear that he wouldn't.  Julie also tells him that he's been offered a guest spot on the soap opera "Bold and the Beautiful".  He's shocked.  I love it.

Now on to the HOH competition.  This is an endurance competition that involves taking  liquid down a slippery path and filling a container until a piece of coal floats to the top.  The person who gets their piece out first wins.  There is a temptation though (that America voted on live).  You can fill a smaller container and win $5000 and 5000 "Hollas".  So you get money, but you have people yelling "holla" at you for the remainder of your stay.  The challenge begins, but the show ends, so we don't know who won.  We have to wait until Sunday to find out (or read spoilers).

So there we have it.   What did you think about tonight's episode?  Feel free to comment!

Want to keep up on all the blog happenings?  You can do that by "following" this blog (option available in the menu on the right), follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Overtired_Katie, follow the blog on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/overtiredmama  or through BlogLovin: http://www.bloglovin.com/.

Big Brother 16 - Recap - Episode 27

Aside from the fall out from nominations... we have Victoria, suffering from an apparent tooth ache.  Eventually, she passes out in the bathroom.  Scary moment for the houseguests.  They carry her in to the diary room.  She eventually comes around and says she's feeling better.

Team America gets to come up with their own challenge.  Donny says they should save him... but the other two don't agree.  Frankie says (while doing his makeup in the diary room) that America would never want to save Donny (huh?).  Frankie says he'll figure something out.

Derrick tries to explain to Donny why people are scared of him.  Basically saying it's because he's likable.

Frankie suggests they do a play.  Donny still tries to convince them to save him, but Frankie is not on board.  They decide to do a play, much to Donny's dismay.

POV - Detonators come up with a strategy.  We'll see if it works.  Winner gets POV, but they get to watch CBS's new show "Scorpion".  Frankie says he's amazing at numbers, this challenge was made for him.  Frankie is out first round.  I guess numbers aren't his thing.   Anyway, ultimately, Cody wins.  He brings Nicole and Donny for the reward because he also put them on slop.

I don't know what I've done to these people, it seems like I've been they're target from day 1.  Whatever happens, I will walk out of here with my head held high".  How can you not love this guy?

The play.... interesting.  I love Donny's impression of Devin was awesome.   The other impressions were kind of terrible.

Derrick and Cody talk game.  Cody talks about saving a houseguest and putting up Frankie.  He also talks about what a huge floater Christine is. (Agreed!)

Here we are at POV ceremony, and despite all of the game talk.... Cody does nothing... keeps the nominations the same *snore*.  So, unfortunately, Donny or Nicole are going home tomorrow night.

My Thoughts on the ALS #IceBucketChallenge

I was prompted to write this post after reading so many negative comments and news articles about this challenge.

Before this challenge, I will admit that I knew very little about ALS.  I have learned so much about this devastating disease throughout this campaign.  Some I've learned because I chose to look in to it further, some I've learned because of people including educational pieces as part of their challenge.

This campaign is positive on two different levels - it's raised an enormous amount of funds, and it's raised awareness.  Yes, I realize there are people doing the challenge that will not donate any money, and yes, there are people that will learn nothing about ALS as a result of this challenge.  But the fact is that funds ARE being raised and people ARE learning things about ALS because of this challenge.

How unfortunate that some are saying that this disease is unworthy of our donations due to the "small" amount of people affected.  Do I realize that more people are killed by heart disease each year?  Yes.  And I still donate to the Heart & Stroke Foundation.   I will continue to support the causes that have been close to my heart.

My own family has been affected by cancer.  In April 2013, my dad passed away after a battle with pancreatic cancer.  Pancreatic cancer kills 4300 Canadians a year.  There are many other diseases that kill more people.  But I will continue to support fundraising efforts for pancreatic cancer.  It's important to me, it's important to my family and many other families.

I also donate to causes that haven't necessarily affected my family, but I think they're important (soup kitchens, food banks, etc).

I consider myself a pretty intelligent person, and I believe that I have carefully considered a lot of information before I've donated to various causes.  I, personally, don't need the media to tell me who I should and shouldn't be donating to.  I know there are hundreds, if not thousands of extremely worthy causes out there, and I donate what I can, where I can, when I can.  People shouldn't be criticized for the causes they choose to support.  As fundraisers it's important to communicate why it's important to donate to the cause(s) you're raising money for.  I think criticizing other causes to convince people to donate to another is not the right way to go about it.

As for the "wasting water" argument.  I sincerely hope that none of the people making that argument have ever done any of the following:

- left the water on while brushing their teeth
- left the shower on while lathering the shampoo in their hair
- had a leaky faucet
- watered their lawn

There are lots of ways we waste water as a society.   I'm not saying that we should ignore wasting water, however, I would hazard a guess that more water has been wasted doing the above activities than has been wasted in this challenge.  And, if you are concerned about wasted water, or societies that don't have access to clean drinking water, I encourage you to get involved in clean water campaigns (Free The Children, WaterCan, The Water Project and Charity: Water are just some examples of the clean water campaigns that exist).

Bottom line - I realize that our Facebook newsfeeds may be inundated with these videos at the moment, but, my newsfeed has been inundated with game requests, cat pictures, "share this picture/status" contests and many other things before.  I would much rather see positive things like this.  No one says you have to watch the videos.  Scroll on by, ignore if you must.    If you're passionate about a different cause (cancer, heart disease, mental health, or something else), then do what you can to promote it.  It takes innovation and passion to come up with awareness campaigns.  I've been fundraising for many years, and trust me when I say it's a hard job.  Anyone who's ever had to do any kind of fundraising, large or small scale, knows it's challenging.  That's why, instead of criticizing the efforts of people participating in this campaign, I choose to applaud their efforts.  There's already so much negativity in society today, why does an awareness/fundraising activity for a terrible disease have to be a part of that negativity.  Take it for what it is and if you don't agree with it, don't donate, don't watch the videos, but don't put down others for supporting the cause.  My wish for those "annoyed" by this challenge is that they can take their "annoyance" and turn it in to a positive by allowing it to motivate them to raise money/awareness for a cause they are passionate about.

I'm not telling you to donate or not to donate.  That's a decision everyone needs to make on their own.  I encourage everyone to read up on organizations and donate to those that they want to donate to.

I will close with a little screenshot of my own "ice bucket challenge" video.  Please consider visiting www.als.ca and read up on the disease and the wonderful work this organization does.

Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Big Brother 16 - Recap - Episode 27

People are reacting to Nicole's return to the game.  Unsurprisingly, no one is particularly happy about it.  Nicole and Donny do some game talk, which makes everyone talk about them working together.

Caleb decides to bring out Beast Mode Ninja.  He shows everyone a series of kicks, spins and yelling.  Oh yeah, and then he falls down too.  He's so weird.

HOH - Boxing challenge.  Unfortunately, Nicole is out first.  It ultimately comes down to Cody vs. Donny.  The winner is...... Cody.  Unfortunately, that doesn't sound good for Nicole or Donny.  The Detonator boys start discussing how they will have to get rid of Christine at some point soon.  I'd prefer sooner rather than later.

Cody's HOH room - a couple of notable happenings: 1 - Caleb talks about how good looking Cody's sister is. 2 - Donny says he thought Cody was just "some dumb kid", but turns out he's "a genius".

Nicole goes to chat to Cody to plead her case.  Cody makes it clear that Donny is his target this week.  This is followed by a discussion between Derrick and Cody about how necessary it is to get Christine out sooner rather than later.

So a girl gossip sesh (I'm so hip... that's a cool word for session).    Everyone wants to find out about Nicole and Hayden.  She says he's sweet, made her breakfast, he's an amazing cuddler... awww.  Cody says it sounds like all the action is in the jury house.

Donny decides it's a good idea to wake Cody up to talk game.  Zingbot was right, his social game is not the best.  I don't know very many people that enjoy being woken up.  Donny makes his speech, and Cody grunts through the whole speech.  In the end, Cody says Donny gave him lots to think about, and he considers Frankie and Christine to be people in his alliance he could go after.

Derrick and Donny have a chat.... really, I didn't find it all that interesting.  Yes, Derrick points out that he's not in the house to have Team America wreck his game, because he's there to play his own game.  I don't think that's a bad or unreasonable thing.  Ultimately, isn't everyone there to play their own game?

Nominations - Donny and Nicole... no surprise there.

Cody still says he's considering making a big move.  I guess we'll see once we know what happens with the POV.

I want to end with another plug for the Bayside Broncos!  As they get ready to start their next school year, please have a look at my post about their fundraising efforts for the Children's Wish Foundation and help them #BringRicktoBayside:  http://www.overtiredmama.com/2014/08/spotlight-childrens-wish-and-bayside.html

Big Brother 16 - Recap - Episode 26

Wow, episode 26.   Hard to believe that we're this far in to it, unless you start remembering all of the houseguests that are gone.

Anyway - let's pick up with the fallout from Frankie's nomination of Zach.  Zach decides to go in to full campaign mode.  He's hoping that Frankie will back him up as a good choice to keep in the house, but Frankie doesn't do that.  Poor Zach feels betrayed.  To make matters worse for Zach, Victoria has taken her pink hat back (the hat Zach "borrowed" from her at the beginning of the season).  Zach is devastated.

On to eviction time, and, no surprise, Zach is voted out.  He's pretty classy in his interview with Julie, considering I expected him to throw everyone under the bus and say what horrible people they were.  He didn't even trash Victoria, who, in her goodbye message, showed Zach that she had shredded his beloved hat.  Side note - is THAT her big game move?  This girl is terrible.

While Zach talks with Julie, she reveals that the evicted houseguests are going to be able to compete to get back in the house.  He's pretty excited.

Julie rejoins the houseguests and lets them know they're in for a twist.  The doorbell rings, and in run all the jury members.  Everyone pretends to be excited, but you know they're not.  So the jury members compete in a challenge in the backyard... and, I don't know if it's just me, but does Jacosta seem particularly intense to anyone else?  Wow.  She's in to it.  But in the end..... Nicole wins!  I nearly yelled out loud I was so happy.  I was hoping she would get back in, although I think we all know what whoever was coming back in the house was in for a short stay... so I have no doubt that Nicole will be targeted.

So we don't get to find out who the next HOH is before the end of the episode... so we'll have to wait until Sunday!

Big Brother 16 Recap - Episode 25

We open with the fallout from the Battle of the Block.  Donny is not a stupid man, he knows that Christine threw the competition.  He believes Derrick is one of the masterminds in all of this.  Derrick also knows something is up with Donny and he tells Frankie that Donny is on to them.

I've been waiting for this episode all season because, it's the return of Zingbot.  When Zingbot arrives, he's not quite himself.  Zingbot is spouting compliments and the Houseguests don't like it.  Christine voices her displeasure - Don't worry Christine, soon enough, you'll be wishing that there weren't any Zings.  So after the niceties of Zingbot, the doorbell rings, and in comes Kathy Griffin to zing everybody.  Some of her zings include: "Who likes to wear pink and cuddle with men?  Zach!"  He tries to look hurt, but eventually can't help but laugh.  There's a Zing about all the cuddling Cody and Christine do.  She gets a little upset.  Cody says in the diary room "There's nothing going on there.  We're just very, very, very, very good friends".  Um, I think that's too many "verys".  On to POV, and this challenge is meant to "fix" Zingbot.  I won't get in to the whole challenge other than to say, Frankie wins.  When Zingbot comes out, there are Zings all around.

The episode was laced with paranoia.  Some about who would be nominated in the event Victoria won POV.  Frankie assures Zach over and over again that he would not be nominated.  The other side of the paranoia had to do with the Team America challenge.  They steal items of clothing and hide them.  People start flipping out about it.  Especially "Beast Mode Cowboy".  Ugh, seriously, we're still calling him that?  Anyway, accusations start flying around about who stole the clothing.  Ultimately people start assuming there's a "saboteur".  Frankie is literally screaming about it.  Please.  Can we take the volume on this episode down a notch.  I can't handle it.  The screaming's not done there.  Caleb decides that it makes sense that Zach must be the saboteur.  Everyone agrees that it makes sense.  So, poor Zach, is accused of stealing everything.  Eventually, the clothing items are found, and the even higher pitched screaming begins.  Seriously, this is the worst.  It's bad enough when they yell in the Diary room.   Screeching is just the icing on the horribly loud cake.

In the end, we're down to POV ceremony.  Frankie decides to use the POV on Caleb, and replaces him with..... Zach.  He does an embarrassingly awful rap about his nomination.

We'll find out tonight who goes home.

I'm going to end with a little plug for my previous post.  Please read about the kids at Bayside Middle School and their incredible efforts to raise money and awareness for the Children's Wish Foundation.  They deserve recognition.  Read about the efforts to #BringRickToBayside:  http://www.overtiredmama.com/2014/08/spotlight-childrens-wish-and-bayside.html

Spotlight: Children's Wish and the Bayside Broncos

Kids are amazing.  I don't just say that because I'm a mom, I say that because I'm surprised all the time by the strength and abilities of kids to do amazing things.  Here in Saint John, New Brunswick (Canada), there is an amazing school full of awesome kids who are doing an incredible thing for their community.  Bayside Middle School has about 600 students and the whole school gets involved in their annual "Walk for Kaitlyn" in support of the Children's Wish Foundation.

Bayside's fundraising efforts began after a child at their school, grade 8 student Kaitlyn Doucette, passed away after a battle with cancer in 2002.  As the school dealt with the loss of Kaitlyn, they decided they wanted to have something positive come out of it, and it was decided that they would partner with the Children's Wish Foundation.  Since they began their fundraising campaign in 2002, they've had 2 more students pass away after battles with terminal illnesses.  This school has been through a lot, and each year they remember their former classmates.

This small school raises more money for the Children's Wish Foundation than any other school in Canada!  What an accomplishment!  And they do it all without corporate sponsorship.  I spoke with one of the teachers at Bayside, Tiffany Sabin, about how they've been able to run such successful campaigns.  "Besides being a good team building activity, it helps the kids look beyond themselves and see the struggles that other children go through." As for their hopes for this year, they want to make the campaign bigger and better than ever before. "The fundraising has grown every year. The first year raised around $10,000 while the 12th raised over $31,000." Ms. Sabin shared. "The kids get really excited to see the total and know that they contributed. They get to be a part of something huge, something they couldn't have done on their own. Kids helping kids."

One of the Bronco's biggest supporters is Gerry Beresford, Director of the New Brunswick Chapter of the Children's Wish Foundation, spoke to me about the impact of the "Bayside Broncos" and their fundraising.  "I could talk forever about the Bayside Broncos, what an amazing school".  The Children's Wish Foundation grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses.  "The looks on the faces of the children who receive their wish, and their families, are amazing.  These experiences mean so much to them."  This year, the Children's Wish Foundation celebrates 30 years of granting wishes, and here in New Brunswick, they're preparing to grant 50 wishes.  "The average cost of a wish is $10,000, and we've been able to raise the money for these wishes through the generosity of New Brunswickers, that's why supporting the fundraising efforts of the Bayside Broncos is so important".

Each year, as part of the campaign, the campaign is topped off with a "Walk for Wishes".  This year's walk will take place in mid-October, and to help this year's campaign, the Broncos have extended an official invitation to Rick Mercer of "The Mercer Report" on CBC to come join them at their walk.  To help entice Mr. Mercer to come to their walk, they've launched a social media campaign called #BringRickToBayside.  This campaign has started primarily through their Twitter account, www.twitter.com/Bayside_Broncos, and the corresponding hashtag, but will be expanding to include other social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.  "These kids deserve to be recognized for their exceptional dedication to the cause." Says Mr. Beresford.  "What better way to recognize them than to have Rick Mercer come visit them!"  Not only would this be great recognition for the kids, but Ms. Sabin also added “Rick would love visiting Bayside!  We always have fun activities to celebrate the kids reaching their goal, and which is a perfect fit for The Mercer Report.”

The Broncos need your help in this year's campaign!  Join in the social media campaign to #BringRickToBayside.  Here are some ways you can help:

1) Follow the Bayside Broncos on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Bayside_Broncos. This is the best way to stay up to date on their efforts. 
2) Retweet the Bayside Broncos tweets to help spread the word, respond to our tweets to show your support, or send your own tweet to @rickmercer and make sure you include our hashtag - #BringRickToBayside 
3) Send Rick an email, post on The Rick Mercer Report, or send a letter in the mail! Everything helps! 
4) Post on Instagram with #BringRickToBayside