Last weekend, I was lucky to have attended the World Congress of Modern Languages Conference which took place in Niagara Falls. It was a chance to learn and collaborate with educators from across the globe, an opportunity that doesn't come around very often. Next year, the conference will take place in New Orleans. I'm not sure I will be able to make it out there but can you imagine how amazing that would be? The place is rich with culture!


While I ruminate on how I could possibly make that happen, you should watch this video taken during Friday night's reception. It shows Etienne performing one of my favourite songs "Aller" while conference attendees attempt a simple line dance for the first time on stage. Myself included! Avoir II is still my favourite and funny enough, it happens to be Justin Bieber's go-to French song, too!

Joining in for Wordless Wednesday this week? Link up your post below.

As a self-proclaimed die-hard Marvel fan, I am so excited for the opening of Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron on May 1. It is jam-packed with an incredible cast, including some of my favourites Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. The movie also introduces Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Quicksilver and Elizabeth Olsen as the Scarlet Witch. Have a peak below for the latest featurette introducing these two new characters and take a gander at some official images courtesy of Walt Disney Motion Pictures. Don't forget there's still time to enter for a chance to win a family pass for four to a Marvel Universe Live! show near you.

Over the March break, the kids and I were invited to spend a morning at Wizard World Fun Park here in Toronto where we were able to enjoy an exclusive media preview of Mario Party 10. My Nintendo Kid Reviewers have both loved playing Mario Party 8 and 9 so they were eager to see all the new features. My son really seemed to enjoy it and thought it was neat that you could play as Bowser to prevent Team Mario from stealing the Star. The game still has the traditional Mario Party mode as well as new features, boards and mini-games, my son's favourite. It was our first time playing a game on the Wii U console and I see why my husband is bugging me to trade in our old Nintendo Wii for an upgrade. He's a big fan of Mario, as am I. I've always had a thing for Italian men in overalls...

By the way, if you're thinking of throwing a Mario themed party or are just looking for some fun printables, check out the Mario Party 10 Party Planner site.

Spring has arrived and with it the anticipation of Easter. The custom of decorating boiled eggs during the Easter season has been an old tradition for many. As much as I loved decorating them, though, I loved eating chocolate eggs even more. We would wake up Sunday morning, head to church, and then enjoy a scrumptious turkey lunch with the family before having our special chocolate treat. Now that I have children of my own, our Easter weekend includes a trip to my hometown to enjoy that same turkey lunch at my parents' with my siblings and their families. My sister often organizes an Easter egg hunt, too, which the kids really love. The following day, we spend it at my mother-in-law's with my husband's family. And yes, there is always chocolate. And sometimes this will include a special KINDER® SURPRISE® egg! 

To celebrate Easter, KINDER® Canada has created a fun online contest: Unwrap the KINDER® SURPRISE® to Win. From March 16 to March 31, 2015, open the new “KINDER® Easter” app tab on their Facebook page and “tap to unwrap” the 100g egg to reveal an instant prizes or the option to try again. You will also be automatically entered for the KINDER® $3,000 “do-something-fun-with-the-family”grand prize gift card! Instant prizes included two daily KINDER® Easter gift baskets valued at $50. You can also explore additional Easter-inspired content, like games, crafts, recipes and more! In the meantime, keep an eye peeled for the 2015 KINDER® Easter products available in store, such as the bigger KINDER® SURPRISE® 100g egg and the Hollow Bunny with Surprise. 

And don't forget to share your KINDER® Easter moments on Instagram and tag @KinderCanada for a chance to have them re-grammed.

Disclosure: I’m a #KinderMom who is part of the KINDER® Canada influencer team; as part of my affiliation with KINDER® Canada, I am provided with special perks and products. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

You wake up in the morning, it's a quarter to four and your baby starts to cry some more. 

You bang your head. 

You know that feeling? That "I am slowly going crazy" kind of feeling? Yeah, that's the one. With my first-born, I felt like I had lost my sanity on more than one occasion. We had just bought a house, moved out of our apartment and into my in-laws' home, and spent the next six months renovating our new place. It was a stressful time to say the least and it didn't help that my daughter didn't sleep well at night or have routine nap times that I could rely on. When my son was born, however, it was totally different. He would sleep for about ten hours straight each night as young as one-month old. Plus, he would nap frequently during the day. And whenever I placed him in his Fisher-Price swing, it was almost a guarantee that he would fall asleep within minutes. I couldn't blame him. The seat was so soft and cuddly, just like mommy's arms, that I could always rely on it for a Mommy Moment and take a breather. The seat design was very similar to the adorable Fisher-Price My Little Snugabunny™ Deluxe Bouncer, which you will currently find on MomsTop10.ca.

A while back, I participated in a survey in which I shared my list of top Fisher-Price Toys and Baby Gear that helped special Mommy Moments happen in our home. I wasn't surprised to find that many of them made the final list of Mom's Top 10 - Baby's First Blocks, the Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Chair and the Rock-a-Stack, to name a few. These trusted toys have played a large part in adding a little bit of magic whenever I would play with my children and now my niece and nephew, too. It could have something to do with the nostalgia Fisher-Price toys can bring when you make time to play with the little ones. And once baby is ready for some down-time, it's nice to know that Fisher-Price has you covered with a variety of must-have baby gear, such as their Snugabunny Bouncer. 

The Fisher-Price My Little Snugabunny™ Deluxe Bouncer is covered in an incredibly soft fabric and is designed to contour baby and support the head, neck and sides. It includes a three-point restraint and non-skid feet so you can rest assured your baby will be safe and sound while you invoke your inner yogi and meditate over a much-needed cup of coffee. And while you catch up on the latest gossip on Twitter, sweet little birdies will float overhead to engage and delight your wee one.

If baby needs a little extra comfort, the Snugabunny Bouncer plays eight soothing songs and nature sounds, and also provides calming vibrations all at the touch of a button. The new easy-touch control panel gives parents with direct access to selection and volume control as well. Now, I know what you're thinking. What if baby experiences a nasty diaper blowout while lounging in the bouncer? Luckily, the seat and inserts are easily removable and machine washable. Is it really any wonder it made its way onto the Mom's Top 10 list? Also featured on www.momstop10.ca are a selection of special #fpmommymomments shared on Twitter and Instagram. Your Mommy Moments could be featured there, too, just by sharing them on Twitter and Instagram using the #fpmommymoments hashtag!

Canadian Marvel fans rejoice! This summer will see the launch of the first-ever Marvel Live tour here in Canada! Marvel Universe LIVE! will feature the most Marvel characters ever assembled in one production and will be jam-packed with spectacular action and electrifying battles. The show will captivate audiences with an original story line that will include more than 25 Marvel characters such as Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Wolverine, Captain America and Spider-Man. They band together on an epic quest to find scattered fragments of the Cosmic Cube, the source of ultimate power and one of the most feared and coveted treasures in the Marvel Universe. With the pieces scattered across the globe, Thor’s evil brother Loki plans to clone its powers, threatening to destroy Earth and obliterate the Universe. Watch as the Super Heroes track the Cube, encounter some of their biggest adversaries including Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Red Skull, Madame Hydra, Aldrich Killian, Electro and more, and prevent them from obtaining their ultimate goal of world domination.

Marvel Universe LIVE! brings new innovations in set design, aerial stunts, pyrotechnics and state-of-the-art show elements that bring movie style special effects to a live audience. Using incredible talents and aided by a unique combination of never-before-seen arena mechanics, some of Marvel’s mightiest characters will come to life right before your very eyes. They will be further supported by innovative lighting design and transformative 3D projection that will be combined with a multilevel aerial space to create a unique experience that puts audience members right in the middle of the action. Oh, yeah!

To help promote the joy of reading, Kumon and First Book Canada have joined together in a literacy campaign during which they will distribute more than 10,000 books to schools and community based programs in Canada. As a part of this initiative, Kumon and First Book have been hosting reading celebrations in February and March at high needs elementary schools throughout the country. They were also so kind to send a small donation that I could give to my school library. This isn't the first time our school has been the recipient of donated books since First Book has provided our students with books on more than one occasion over the years. The students in our school community have greatly benefited and so it was an honour to be able to help make a small contribution on behalf of Kumon. The stuff is like paper gold!

If you would like to help spread the joy of reading, I am giving away a Kumon gift pack full of brand new books and supplies. (Open to Canada only.)

Stopping in for Wordless Wednesday? Feel free to link up your post below.

Every Easter, our family looks forward to spending time with relatives and friends both here in Toronto and back in my hometown. This year will be even more special now that we have a new addition to the family, my baby nephew! I don't often buy gifts for this particular holiday, aside from some delicious Easter-themed chocolates, but I happened to have some Easter DVDs as well as some really cute plush toys from Hallmark that we received for review. I even thought about buying the Bunny Mugs and Bunny Serving Platter above as a little hostess gift. Don't you just love the spring colours? The platter retails for $19.95 and the mugs are $10.95 each.

When Kylie Mar of Made In Hollywood claimed that Disney's "Big Hero 6" was the "Best animated film of the year" he couldn't have been more right. Today Walt Disney Animation Studios announced that their Academy Award®-winning "Big Hero 6" became the #1 animated title of 2014. In fact, the movie surpassed "Tangled" to become the third biggest Walt Disney Animation Studios release ever globally, behind only "Frozen" and The Lion King. Directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams and produced by Roy Conli, this action-packed comedy adventure, centers on the special bond between Hiro Hamada and Baymax, a plus-sized inflatable, huggable robot.

Full of heart and humour, Walt Disney Animation Studios delivers yet again with “Big Hero 6”. Prepare to shed a tear when a devastating turn of events results in the untimely demise of Hiro's older brother. Then, as a dangerous plot unfolds in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to Baymax and his eclectic group of friends — adrenaline junkie Go Go Tomago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred — who transform into a band of six unlikely heroes.

This Big Hero 6 Collector's Edition includes Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital HD. Also included is the theatrical short "Feast", the Origin Story of Big Hero 6, Big Hero Secrets, Big Animator 6: The Characters Behind the Characters and deleted scenes. French version also included. 

Now that my husband is working on a new job site, his schedule requires him to work late hours and sometimes during the weekend. This means that the majority of meal prep has now fallen on my shoulders. Gulp! Not only do I have to make sure I prepare meals that are edible, I now need to take on most of the grocery shopping, something I was happy to let my husband worry about. Since I have a terrible habit of trying to memorize my shopping list, it is almost inevitable that I will forget something. Write down my shopping list on a piece of paper, you say? Sure. I could do that. But that would require effort. And then I'd have to fish out that slip of paper from the depths of my purse once I got to the store. No. I needed something that I wouldn't lose. Something that I would always have at my fingertips. Introducing Flipp 2.0 - A Walmart shopper's best friend.

As my mission, I was tasked with shopping for groceries that I would require for a family brunch. Knowing that I would need a fool-proof menu, I opted for a fruit kebob / blueberry waffle / granola yogurt mini buffet. Then it was time to record my shopping list using the newest feature of the Flipp app. The Shopping List feature allows you to plan ahead and keep track of your shopping needs while using newly enhanced search functionality to find the best deals and even price match with ease. 

With my #FlippList ready to go, I headed out to my local Walmart to purchase some fresh produce as well as some granola, yogurt and gluten free frozen waffles that I like to have on hand in case I'm running late and don't have time make a fresh batch. I also found some organic frozen berries which will make for a yummy breakfast smoothie. Included in my purchase was a tub of Cascade dishwasher detergent I noticed was advertised as on a rollback on the Walmart e-flyer. Since I knew that it would help support the Clean Water initiative, I was happy to buy it. Plus, who wants to wash dishes by hand after slaving over brunch prep, right?

As part of a Grade 1 project my son was given on community helpers, the two of us paid a visit to a local fire station here in Toronto. Because really, what better way to find out about a firefighter's job than from a firefighter, right? When we arrived, we were welcomed by fireman Ted who allowed my son to sit in the cab of the firetruck, showed him some of the special tools that they use and entertained his seemingly endless questions.

It was great to be able to pay a visit and get a tour of the station. I found it really interesting to see a couple of old fire trucks there, too.

This month, my goddaughter will be spending some time with a few of her favourite characters thanks to the NEW Treehouse Ultimate Collection Cube. Inside this boxed set is a collection of ten Treehouse favourites, each in its own DVD case. Included in the set are two DVDs each of the following shows: Toopy and Binoo, Max and Ruby, Octonauts and My Big, Big Friend. Also included are: one Franklin DVD and one The Berenstain Bears DVD. In total, she will be able to enjoy over 100 of the best Treehouse episodes over and over again! When I visited over the weekend to deliver this special gift, my goddaughter couldn't wait to open it. And when I started singing the theme songs for Max and Ruby and Toopy and Binoo, she looked at me like I was out of this world. In a "you're the coolest godmother ever" kind of way.

With Easter right around the corner, I also brought over another new Treehouse release. Zack & Quack have arrived in Canada for the first time on DVD in Zack & Quack: Popping Hopping Easter (available March 10). This adorable show by Kaboom! Entertainment follows Zack and Quack as they take a trip to the circus. During their fantastic adventures inside a pop-up book, they find a cure for Belly-Up's hiccups and help the Easter Bunny get her special chocolate chickens back to the coop just in time to save Easter. It all takes place in a world full of surprises, where pulling pop-ups makes exciting and unexpected things happen. This DVD includes five fun episodes and include: Zack & Quack Pop-Up Circus, Popping Hopping Hiccups, The Pop-Up Easter Egg Hunt, The Poparang 3000, and The Pop Up Easter Egg Hunt.

And remember Little Nutbrown Hare? He returns this year in the new release titled Guess How Much I Love You – The Adventures of Little Nutbrown Hare – Someone Special. Inspired by the best-selling books, this DVD follows the adventures of Little Nutbrown Hare and his father Big Nutbrown Hare through seven heartwarming episodes. Little Nutbrown Hare sets out on a hunt for treasure in a meadow, tries to touch the stars and learns to find his way home while spending time with someone special. It's the perfect reminder that there is no greater love than that shared between a parent and child. Episodes include: Moon Dance, Can You Touch The Stars, Field of Flowers, Treasure Hunt, Wind Whistle, Lucky Stick and Shadow Play.

Fact: More than 29 million children across North America live in low-income households. Not surprisingly, these children often go without age-appropriate books at home. We all know that reading is important for a child's growth and development, and I firmly believe that it is beneficial to instil a love of reading at a very young age. Stop by my home and you will find it is full of books. New books. Old books. Pop-up books. Workbooks. And not to mention the dozens upon dozens of used books from when I had my own classroom. I felt fortunate  that my kids had their very own library and firmly believe it is why my little guy showed a love of reading at such a young age. Just watch this video of my two-year-old son 'reading' a bedtime story.

When I think of Great Wolf Lodge, I think of water park and family fun all rolled into one. With a myriad of themed, premium and standard suites to choose from, it is definitely a great option for a local getaway with the kids. You don't even have to pack much since they have pretty much all you could need right at the resort, including a variety of dining options. Plus, if you book reservations before March 5, 2015, you can take advantage of this special promo code to save 20% off the best available, exclusive to Toronto Teacher Mom readers!

While staying at Great Wolf Lodge, our family often chooses to enjoy buffet breakfast and dinner at Camp Critter Bar & Grill. This rustic retreat is filled with cozy dining tents and cute critters hanging out in the trees above. And did you know you could enchant these critters with a MagiQuest wand? Such fun! 

At the Antler Shanty, you can order omelettes at the egg station or help yourself to waffles, cereal, fruit and more at the breakfast buffet. For dinner, you can enjoy a slice of roast beef at the carving station or create your own Caesar salad at the salad bar. You will also find a variety of entrée specials and kids’ favourites. While I was surprised to see they had removed the kiddie station, I was happy to see they offered some kid-friendly options. Also, I appreciate that they serve the kids' drinks in a spill-proof cup. My kids are a little accident-prone.

Seating is ample at Camp Critter but our recent stay fell on Valentine's/Family Day weekend so I wasn't surprised to see lineups during breakfast and dinner. It opens as early as 7:30 in the morning so I suggest grabbing an early breakfast to avoid the lineup on busy weekends.

As part of our March Break tradition, my kids and I meet up with my friend and her two girls. We live in two different cities so it is always a sweet reunion. For the past few years now, we've made it a part of our tradition to take the kids to Crock A Doodle and paint some pottery. The kids never tire of the idea and it is really neat to watch their painting skills improve year after year. These photos were taken during our first time there four years ago when my son was two and my daughter was five. Look at how cute they are in these pics! Looking forward to making more precious memories...

As much as I love taking photos of the kids, I realize that I haven't taken many videos of them lately. I used to record them all the time. Yesterday, I happened across this video I had taken of my son four years ago. He was only two and he wanted to read me the story "Wait and See" by Robert Munsch. I had read it to him several times before and I had just celebrated my 33rd birthday a few weeks prior so the birthday song must have been fresh in his mind. I can't get enough of this video, he is so darn cute! He might not actually be reading the words on the page but he is using the pictures to guide his own story. All I cared about was that he was having such a fun time reading. You can also hear my daughter reading "There Was an Old Woman" in the background. This is one of those videos that I will treasure forever.

Thinking back to when my kids were wee babies, I recall those special toys and baby gear that saved my sanity during what was an overwhelming time in my life. Sometimes, all I needed was just ten minutes to myself to recoup. Luckily, I could turn to Fisher-Price gear such as the Snugabunny Cradle Swing to keep baby content while I relished in a much-deserved cup of coffee. Or, when baby wanted to play, I could count on Baby's First Blocks to enjoy a special moment with baby, sorting shapes and having fun together. They are moments like these that have inspired the Fisher-Price Mom’s Top 10, a collection of Fisher-Price baby toys and gear that moms have relied on for years. Plus, you'll find new favourites that are sure to become instant classics.

Want to find out which toys and gear made the Top 10? Join us for the #FPMomsTop10 Twitter Party! In addition to sharing these top toys, we will also chat about those special #fpmommymoments and giving away some truly fabulous prizes.

Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Time: 8:00 pm ET

Party Hashtag: #FPMomsTop10

Host: @Listen2Lena

Prizes: One of each of the #FPMomsTop10 baby toys and gear. PLUS, one lucky winner will walk away with ALL TEN!

RSVP below for a chance to win. (Prizes are available to Canadians only.)

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