Valentine's Day has come and gone but for car aficionado's love is still in the air. With the Canadian International Auto Show now underway, crowds are gathering around the newest car models and marveling over the latest concept vehicles, their hearts all a-flutter. Some have even been spotted on the showroom floor, mandible in hand, after discovering jaw-dropping prices such as that of the all-new 2015 Nissan Micra - $9,998. That's cause enough to fall in love with this Canadian-exclusive compact car, wouldn't you say?

When I attended the CIAS last Saturday with my husband and our son as guests of Nissan Canada, I went a little snap-happy with my camera. So many stunning cars, so little time. The one that caught my eye in the Nissan booth was the gorgeous Sport Sedan Concept.

However, our mission was to seek out the infamous Winter Warrior, the all-new Nissan Rogue. Of course, we had to get a photo taken with the notorious evil snowman from the Nissan Rogue commercial before any snow fights ensued. Because we all know the Rogue can easily save us from the merciless grip of winter and, well... you know how it ends for the villain in white.

Since I had a branch to pick with Mr. Snowman, I was quite ready and willing to show him how I felt about this year's harsh winter while posing for a picture. But my son, who loves cars more than I love chocolate, couldn't bare to stand around a minute longer. He had his heart set on checking out the rest of the Nissan lineup, such as the Xterra. The Nissan tag line was "Innovation that excites." Well, it sure does!

I was browsing through some of my earlier card designs on my craft blog and saw these two personalized Disney-themed cards I made for a co-worker's twins five years. They were fun to make but, boy, they sure took a lot of time. You see Ariel? Each coloured area is a separate piece of paper, including her lips, the blue of her eyes and the white part, too. And McQueen was made using several printouts that I cut by hand and layered with foam dots. Clearly I had more time on my hands back then.

A little over a week ago, my husband and I made the one-hour drive to Grafton to spend a weekend away at Ste. Anne's Spa. Upon receiving the invitation to experience Canada's largest destination spa, I was delighted to learn about the various spa cottages that can be found nestled around the main inn and located throughout the 400 acres of scenic countryside and rolling hills. While a room at the inn would afford the convenience of the on-site spa facilities and dining area, spending a romantic weekend in a more private cottage was a wonderful way to spend our first ever adult-only weekend trip in over eight years!

Cathedral ceilings, a gas fireplace, hardwood flooring, and this - a ginormous king size bed! (Cue ethereal music.) Oh, and we can't forget in-room wifi. Just in case, uh... you need to, you know... pop on Twitter or Facebook or something.

This bed was seriously the highlight of this room, next to all of the warm natural lighting that lit up our living space during the day. At night, it was so weird not to have noticed my husband when he moved on his side of the bed. Weird but nonetheless wonderful! Of course, the ensuite 4-piece bathroom was second on my list of favourite features. Check out the two-person whirlpool tub!

If I could have chosen to dedicate myself to a single sport as a child, it likely would have been figure skating. Swimming would have been a close second. Looking back on my youth, should the circumstances had been different, I probably could have excelled at a sport if I had been able to dedicate myself fully to it. The problem wasn't any lack of motivation but rather the inevitable reality that both of my parents had to work long hours in order to provide for us, their children. As immigrants, all they really knew was the life of hard labour. Joining a sports team was never on their radar. Instead, they appreciated the value of a hard-earned dollar and preached how important it was to be debt-free. They did not have any insurance benefits and therefore had to pay for all of our dental, health and vision costs out of pocket. The idea of spending money on expensive sports equipment or costly recreational fees was unfathomable, let alone finding the time in their busy work schedules to taxi us around to practices or games.

Nevertheless, whenever it was time for the Olympic Games, our family could often be found sitting together in the living room marveling over the accomplishments of our nation's top athletes. It was a time for me to live vicariously through my figure skating idols, to dream about what it must feel like to land a perfect triple axel, to shed a tear of pride as they accepted their medals whilst the Canadian flag hung in the background.

There is no denying that sports play an important role in shaping a child’s life. However, the reality is that 1 in 3 Canadian families cannot afford to get their kids involved in sports and recreation. Jumpstart, a nationally registered charity, aims to help kids experience the joy of participating in sports and develop the life skills inherent in doing so. Kids aged 4-18 are given a sporting chance through Jumpstart, which covers costs associated with registration, equipment and/or transportation. Since 2005, Jumpstart has helped almost 700,000 kids (and counting) get in the game. And 100% of donations to Jumpstart go straight to achieve their vision of helping equip kids for life and directing them towards a better future. Together we can help all kids play!

This year, Canadian Tire Jumpstart is proud to have 10 Olympic Ambassadors attending the Winter Games in Sochi. To show their support, Canadian Tire and Sport Chek will be donating $5,000 to Jumpstart for every goal scored by one of the Jumpstart Olympic Ambassadors. These Ambassadors include Jonathan Toews, Sidney Crosby, Hayley Wickenheiser, Meaghan Mikkelson and Maëlle Ricker, who was named one of the top 10 most influential snowboarders of all time and brought home an Olympic Gold medal in 2010 and World Cup Gold in 2013. To learn more about the Ambassadors, visit the Ambassadors tab on Jumpstart’s Facebook page.

In honour of the Olympic Winter Games, Jumpstart has launched the Podium Predictor. Submit your total medal count prediction for the Canadian Olympic Team before February 20 to be entered to WIN 1 of 17 daily prizes or a Grand Prize of a $250 Canadian Tire shopping spree!

To help get you into the spirit of the Games, you could also win this Jumpstart prize pack valued at $110. It includes:

Last month, Toon Hero creators Trigger Happy teamed up with eOne's popular lifestyle brand, SO SO Happy, to offer a lineup of popular characters for their animated storytelling app. In the spirit of creativity, users can send greetings, animate stories, share jokes and more without any training or artistic ability. And now they can add the quirky characters of SO SO Happy!

“Toon Hero is a great way for our fans to engage with our characters in a way that hasn’t been done before,” says Cindy Bailey, President, Pop Culture &Lifestyle, eOne Licensing and founder of SO SO Happy. “We’re pleased to take this important step with Trigger Happy to allow our fans to tell their own stories through our characters on Toon Hero. We can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with,” she adds.

Available SO SO Happy characters include:

Characters are available for in app purchase for .99 cents and to get fans started Ozzie will be free. Limited edition characters from SO SO Happy have been offered in the past so I wouldn't be surprised if they offer more down the road. Other exclusive characters and properties that are available on Toon Hero include: Valve’s Portal 2, The Jim Henson Company, Hero: 108, Mukpuddy, and National Geographic among others.

Toon Hero is available in 14 different languages and free to download from the App Store on iPad.

The SO SO Happy brand and its mission were inspired by creator Cindy Bailey’s own life experiences with her eldest son who was bullied throughout his school years. The brand is now devoted to spreading love and motivating a “Movement” of positivity that inspires all ages to be happy, caring and embrace the diversity of life.

They have created a line of adorable, unique characters and brightly coloured clothing that is loved by kids of all ages. From onesies and tees, to hoodies and socks, you can find a lovely assortment of products on the SO SO Happy store. The best part is that 10% of profits are donated to organizations that help kids in crisis.

Have you ever gone swimming in below-freezing temperatures? Neither had I until recently. To celebrate my birthday, I had arranged a little getaway for my husband and I last weekend, a trip which also doubled as a travel review. It only made sense to choose the final weekend of my 35th year to make the hour-long drive out east to Ste. Anne's Spa. I was excited enough to get away with my husband for the first time since having kids but I also couldn't wait to check out the Fieldstone Grotto - a lap pool, a cold plunge pool and a 104-degree hot tub surrounded by snow and icicles. Enough said.

I hope you enjoyed Part 1 of this series and that you are beginning to feel more comfortable entering the wonderful world of DSLR photography. Now that you have absorbed the first five tips, let's now move on to the top five.

5. Read the manual.

 

468 pages? Yikes!

Your first instinct may be to go bananas snapping pictures with your new camera, and it's perfectly ok to do so. However, after you get that bug out of your system, it's important that you read the manual. Many of the fancier settings may be buried in menus or limited to a certain shooting mode. It is also a good idea to learn how to change shooting modes such as Auto, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, etc.

In addition to shooting modes, it is a good idea to learn how to change file types and sizes, drive mode, white balance, etc.  If all this sounds foreign to you, that's alright, it will become second nature after some practice. Learning all of the functions of your camera will let you get the most out of your investment. 
 

4. Consider an off-camera flash.

 

Yes, I'm suggesting that you spend even more money! Most entry level cameras come with a built-in flash, so why would you get another one? Good question. There are several reasons to get a separate flash:

• The built-in flash is quite anemic and requires a longer recharge cycle 
• An off-camera flash uses its own set of batteries, preserving the camera battery during longer shoots 
• A built-in flash is more susceptible to creating red-eye  
• Off-camera flashes also provide more features such as remote triggering, auto-focus assist beams, and the ability to aim the flash to bounce off walls and ceilings. 

 

3. Get a tripod.

 

Now, a tripod need not be expensive, but it should be able to handle the weight of your camera and lens with capacity to spare. Even with image stabilization technology, you will not be able to keep your hands steady enough during longer exposures or at extreme focal lengths. Long exposures help in low light situations or when you want to add some creative motion-blur (think of those dreamy looking waterfall pictures: shameless plug).

A tripod will also allow you to use the camera remote shutter or timer function to allow you to quickly get in a family picture. As you move ahead in your photography hobby, you'll notice that virtually none of your pictures include yourself.

 

2. Learn the exposure triangle.

 

Yes, this isn't the most exciting concept to learn, but it is one of the most important to understand. The interaction and limitations of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO sensitivity dictates what your picture will look like. I won't try to explain this concept here, however there are many tutorials all over the internet. One of my favourite sites is Cambridge in Colour. Their explanation of the exposure triangle can be found here.

Did you hear? There's a new hero in town. And his name is Rogue. Nissan Rogue.

You may have already heard reports of villainous snowmen wreaking havoc in Toronto's downtown core. They've destroyed storefront windows, they've attacked innocent snowblowers and they have even been seen throwing... gasp... snowballs! These malevolent acts have not gone unnoticed, however, as the city has been graced with the ultimate Winter Hero. Watch the all-new 2014 Nissan Rogue in action. (Warning: Snowmen may have been injured in the filming of this video.)

While the Nissan Rogue has defended the city from recent attacks by these merciless and notoriously evil creatures, which we have confirmed to be made of the abominable substance known as 'snow', we fear that this may only be the beginning. Recent sightings have been reported of snowmen hiding in the shadows in and around the area surrounding the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, which will be hosting the 2014 Canadian International AutoShow. Rumour has it that they may even make an appearance this coming weekend. A final showdown with the Nissan Rogue, perhaps? 

To celebrate the recent heroic efforts of the all-new 2014 Nissan Rogue, we will be having a #NissanRogue Twitter party this Thursday, February 13 at 9 pm EST. My family and I will also be attending the Toronto Auto Show on Saturday, February 15 and getting our photo taken in the snowman photo booth. If you plan on attending, be sure to stop by and say hi! The photo booth will be open from 11 am to 7 pm on both Saturday and Sunday. Also, check out this funny Nissan Rogue behind-the-scenes video: Interview with a Snowman Part 1.

Moderators: @TeacherMomofTwo • @Listen2Lena • @SassyModernMom • @kidsumers • @ParentClub

Throughout the party, we will be giving away seven Nissan Canada prize packs (valued at approximately $100 each) which will include branded swag and a $50 gas card. There will also be a grand prize valued at approximately $300, which will include a $250 gas card!

Please be sure to RSVP using the linky below and use the hashtag #NissanRogue to be eligible to win.

Check out the full Rules and Regulations here.

New to Twitter and/or Twitter parties? I have written the following tutorials to help you out, complete with screenshots:

Counting down to Valentine's Day? It's only one week away but there's still time to find the perfect gift for that special someone, whether it be your spouse, your nephew, a friend or, ahem, your child's teacher. Featured below are some gift ideas from Hallmark to help celebrate the day. My personal favourite? The Hearts A-Hoppin' Frog that sings a cute parody of "Hot, Hot, Hot!" Isn't he toad-ally adorable?

New to Hallmark is the Sarah Jessica Parker Collection of greeting cards, sold exclusively at Hallmark Gold Crown stores across Canada. This collection includes more than 70 different cards for birthday, friendship, love, thank you, congratulations, wedding and baby.

This year, I will continue my role as a member of the Hallmark 2014 Panel and share my favourite Hallmark products with you. To celebrate my fourth year on the panel, I will be giving away a Magic Message Reveal Heart to one of my readers. For a chance to win, check out my past Hallmark panel posts and leave a comment here telling me which has been your favourite Hallmark product. Please be sure to leave your email address so that I may contact you if you win. This giveaway will end on Tuesday, February 11 at 11 pm ET and the winner will be chosen at random from all qualifying entries.

Disclosure: I was sent product from Hallmark Canada as part of their Hallmark Panel  to help facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

If I could indulge in a single breakfast item every day for a year, I would be utterly content with a hot-off-the-skillet French toast topped with fresh strawberries and a good helping of pure Canadian maple syrup. Yup. C'est vrai! Could be the French teacher in me but I love me some French toast. Miam, miam! Fellow French toast fanatics like me will surely rejoice in Dempster's new bagel flavour, which will launch just in time for National Bagel Day on February 9. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to... Dempster's French Toast Maple Bagels! This scrumptious pain doré will be available for a limited time so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for it in your grocer's bakery aisles.

In the meantime, we will be celebrating Dempster's exciting launch in one of the best ways we know how. (And I'm not talking about stuffing ourselves silly with some seriously tasty maple goodness. That will come later.) I'm talking about a good ol' Twitter party, of course!

And yes, there will be prizes! We've got Dempster's coupons and maple-themed gift baskets to give away. Répondez, s'il vous plaît, using the linky below and join us online for the #GoMapleGo Twitter party.

Date: Thursday, February 6, 2014

Time: 9:00 pm ET

Party Hashtag: #GoMapleGo

My sister was kind enough to let me continue posting on her blog. You may remember my first blog post, which was a review of the services provided by Posterjack.

While I am still an amateur in the realm of photography, many of my friends (and even my sister) ask me questions related to the operation of their camera and related gear. I still struggle with the artistic side of photography, however I feel very comfortable discussing some of its more technical aspects. What I hope to accomplish with this post is to provide you a top ten list of items you may wish to consider when beginning with DSLR (digital single lens reflex) photography.

Note that while many of these concepts apply to all DSLR cameras, my experience is primarily with Canon products. (Psst! If you're on Twitter, join in the #Aflkids Twitter chat on Monday, February 3 for a chance to win a Canon EOS Rebel SL1!)

Part 1 of this two-part series will cover the first five tips. 

10. Pay attention to kit lenses.

One of the main advantages of DSLR cameras is that you can change out the lens. Many entry level DSLR cameras come in a bundle that includes one or more lenses. Quite often (but not all of the time) these "kit lenses" aren't the best when it comes to optical and build quality. Many of these lenses have smaller apertures (more on this later) which can make taking pictures in low light situations more difficult. Also, these lenses may not be the focal length you need for the type of photography you want to do.

I'm not saying that kit lenses are bad. However, it is important that you consider what type of lens(es) are included in your bundle before making the purchase. You may be better off buying the camera body on its own and using the left over funds towards a more appropriate lens.

9. Don't get caught up in megapixels.

The race towards having the greatest number of megapixels (MP) has pretty much moved beyond what a regular consumer needs to print photos for their personal use. As such, the number of megapixels a camera can capture is no longer a significant consideration. Canon's entry level DSLR bodies already offer 18 MP sensors. This is more than enough for your use. 

My first digital camera, from many, many moons ago, was less than 2 megapixels. I recently blew up one of its photos to a 4x6 print without any issues. I feel confident that I could get an 8x10 out of the file as well. 

8. Watch your wallet. (a.k.a. Apologies to my spouse.)

Don't expect to hold on to these for long...

Getting involved is DSLR photography can be an expensive choice. Entry level camera bodies can run in the $500 range and go up from there. Lenses can also cost a fair bit of coin. Some of the entry level lenses are around the $300 range (kit lenses) but more decent glass will start around $700. While there are exceptions out there, a good collection of camera equipment will easily push you past the $1,000 mark. 

This isn't to say that to start out in DSLR photography requires you to spend thousands of dollars right from the start, it's simply a warning that the "habit" can get quite expensive. I speak from extensive experience in this respect.  

Some ways to save money include: