We’re taking the day off tomorrow to enjoy Canada Day with our families. In honour of Canada’s birthday we’re featuring a fantastic Canadian business from which you can acquire the wares of many others. Enjoy, and HAPPY CANADA DAY!

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You know when you read repeatedly of a shop but don’t take the time to click through and explore? Well, I did that and feel like a moron for not knowing about Apples n’ Oranges sooner.

Owned by Ottawa moms Lara and Vicky, Apples n’ Oranges carries only Canadian brands. I am ashamed to say that I had no idea we Canucks had such amazing style. The selection is fabulous. With 33 brands to choose from, and growing, there’s no need to pay customs fees anymore. My wallet thanks you, ladies!

Apples n’ Oranges is the exclusive online retailer for my newest love, Vancouver based Peekaboo Beans - a functional and fashionable line of playwear that’s perilously close to being too nice to be playwear.

Each piece meets a “no fuss dressing” mission and is easy for children to get on and off when potty training or learning to dress themselves. Every piece mixes, matches and layers with the others and they’re more versatile than any line I’ve seen before - pants become capris, tunics become tanks and skirts become dresses to lengthen their lifespan. They’re also reversible for the inevitable spills while on the go. Made with high quality materials and super comfortable fabrics, there’s extra strength and durability built into the construction and the pieces are pre-washed. The pants feature a wide, flat waistband for comfort and all pieces use flat, seamless stitching for itch free wearing. The shirts are A-shaped and are a longer length than standard to accommodate those adorable kid-bellies. Added safety features are included, such as reflective piping, chin guards, and ironed in personal identification labels.

Peekaboo Beans is everything you want in a kids clothing line - perfect for playdate, playground and playtime…but you’ll want to make time for an impromptu photo shoot before you leave the house. This stuff is just that nice.

Save 20% on your first purchase with the code firsttop.

Win it! Apples n’ Oranges is giving away a Peekaboo Beans top AND bottom of the winner’s choice. To enter, leave a comment on this post with your choice of outfit should you be the lucky winner. (Be specific. As always, you can’t win if you’re too lazy to click through to this awesome shop. It’s bad karma.) Contest closes at noon MST on July 5/08.

Additional entries available - up to four per person. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

You’ve likely read in the news, a parenting mag or any number of other places over the last decade that family dinners are on the decrease and, conversely, that regular family dinners contribute to academic success, decrease the risk of our children becoming crack heads and keep families connected in ways that are very necessary. As crazy as they are, I love family dinners.

If you’ve ever sat at a table in silence and wondered how to get the conversation started, you’re not alone. You won’t have to hear “Nothing…Nowhere…Nobody…” from your child anymore with the addition of the new card game, Family Talk, to your dinner table. The concept behind Around the Table Games is simple brilliance. These games should not be necessary, but with the state of family dinners in our society today they really, really are. Available in three versions, Family Talk, Family Talk 2 and Grandparent Talk are inexpensive, portable cards games on carribiners (or available in cool jars) that encourage conversations between parents, children and relatives of all ages.

Around the Table Games aren’t just for dinner at your dining room table. “Our games are like taking the dinner time conversation with you, wherever you go,” explains Around the Table Games founder Beth Daniels, herself a working mom. “Because our games are made to be portable, the proverbial table discussions can now be held at the airport, during carpool, waiting in a long line or wherever people gather in the same place at the same time.” You can clip them to a backpack or purse and use them anywhere you might have a few minutes to chat.

Grandparent Talk would make a fantastic gift for your childrens’ grandparents, and it’s just as much a gift for your own childrens. Allowing them and encouraging them to really know their grandparents is one of the greatest gifts you can give. Connecting young people to their family and to their heritage is just one of the things that’s missing from many families today and I, for one, am going to do my damnedest to make sure that my family talks - really talks - and Around the Table Games will sure help!

Save 20% when you buy direct with the code TOPFMT

Win it! One TOP reader will win your choice of the three Around The Table Games! To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon MST on July 2/08 with your choice of the three versions of the game and either a suggested question for a future game or a tip for the rest of us to keep our families connected.

Get up to three additional entries into this contest! (Today you get the expanded version…just in case you need a refresher.)

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CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED - Congratulations Jennifer!

Life is defined by distinct moments pieced together to create a collage of memories. With my son’s first birthday rapidly approaching, my husband and I have reflected on how we want to commemorate the joy he has brought to us over the last year. Even before those closest to us arrive at the historic railroad car where we’ll celebrate, they’ll get a glimpse of how our little boy has developed over the last year thanks to Myra at Moon and Back Studios. She custom designed our son’s birthday invitations, and to say I’m impressed is an understatement. Her flair for the elegant and modern is prominent in her stylish designs.

From trendy to classic, hip to retro, you’ll find a motif to match your every mood at Moon and Back Studios. Myra’s attention to detail and style is evident every step of the way. We chose the “silly animals riding a birthday train” design for our son’s birthday invitations. They were printed on UV gloss card stock (which I highly suggest!). With this option your design is continued on the back and you have the freedom to include additional pictures. What made our son’s invitations so special was a personal note we included on the back highlighting our son’s first year. The finished product is truly a high-quality, artistic, professional piece that we will archive in our son’s scrapbook.

front

back

Of note, Myra’s custom photo enhancement process sets her apart from other design companies. She will digitally enhance, crop, and even change the color schematic on your photograph. The best part is that it is included in your package. Check out what she did with our son’s photo.

Prices vary and depend on your choice of paper for printing. You’ll receive a gift-boxed set of 25 announcements, invitations, or holiday cards for $45 - $57. Ordering is easy and usually takes about 2-3 days for a proof and 4-6 days to print and arrive in hand. How do you share your most memorable moments? Check out Moon and Back Studios for distinct, inspired creations! -Caryn

Win it! Myra is giving one lucky TOP reader a set of UV coated (premium) photo cards valued at $57. To enter, visit Moon and Back Studios to choose your favourite(s) and let us know what you’d order if you win. Closes June 23/08.

Additional entries available - up to four per person. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED - WINNER EMAILED

My daughter and I bake and cook together all the time. Getting all sticky and gooey with a three year old is so much fun. I was searching for a cute matching apron set when I came across YouCanMakeThis.com.

The website is packed with great looking patterns for all kinds of projects. Spending less time searching for patterns at my local fabric store with two kids in tow was very appealing. Being an eco-mom, knowing that I could download the pattern and simply keep my laptop handy while crafting totally sold me on the concept.

Once I had the pattern I read through it and set out to the fabric store for my supplies. I have to admit here that I am not an expert seamstress. Having taken classes in high school many years ago, I have just recently started to sew again. The pattern could have been formatted slightly better making lists easier to read. I totally missed buying the lining fabric. I like things easy and appreciate when things are quick to understand so I can get started. This was not always the case with this pattern, and I got quite frustrated trying to decipher what the pattern was calling for while my baby hung on my leg and I had to explain why it rains for the fourth time to my preschooler.

The end result, however, is so cute. My daughter adores her apron that matches Mommy’s. The second apron turned out much better than the first, mostly due to my understanding of the project. It was great to be able to work on a quick sewing project. I wouldn’t hesitate to use another pattern from their site, as long as I knew I would have some quiet time to figure it out. -Chelle

Save 15% with the code PARENT15 until June 25. One time use per customer.

Win it! We’re giving away ANY pattern of your choice from YouCanMakeThis.com! To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon MST on June 20/08 indicating which pattern you’d choose should you be the lucky winner.

Additional entries available - up to four per person. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Why are children so fascinated with marbles? There’s just something about them that never gets old. Mine all love to watch them roll!

My children currently have a wooden set of blocks that they often set up for a marble run, but they’re going in the donation bin after finding the Q-BA-MAZE Marble Run! This really sets the imagination into orbit!

Founded by architect Andrew Comfort, Q-BA-MAZE is a toy but so much more - it’s right-brained and left-brained, part art and part science. There are literally thousands of options for making marble runs. Children can build any shape their mind can fathom with these cool interlocking, durable polycarbonate pieces, or they can go online and choose a plan to build. Come up with a cool design of your own? You can submit it online to the guys at Q-BA-MAZE to see if it makes the cut to be added to their site. (Here’s the plan for the pictured design made with Q50 in red.)

Q-BA-MAZE sets come in 20 or 50 packs, and you can choose from Cool Colors (blue, green and clear) or Hot Colors (red, orange and clear). They also have a new Fish Five Set and a Dino One Set that comes with enough cubes and instructions to complete the chosen kit. Check out these cool videos of the Q-BA-MAZE in action.

Q-BA-MAZE is available online or in seleceted retail locations. Have fun designing and watching those marbles meander throughout your creation!
- Gina

Win it! We’re giving away a red 50 pack Q-BA-MAZE valued at $50 to one lucky winner. To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon MST on June 16/08.

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Father’s Day is just one week from today. Are you ready to honour your partner in crime?

As much as every guy wants a new tie or club head covers every year - ahem - it might be time to start investigating some alternatives that Dad doesn’t feel tempted to hide once the celebrations are over.

WholesaleKeychain.com not only offers hundreds of super-hot licensed keychains to make a statement about Dad’s wheels or favourite sports teams but they also carry a line of quality digital photo keychains that you can load up with images of the people he loves most.

For cool on top of cool, you can engrave a personalized message just for him on any of their products for just six bucks! (And if you’ve tried engraving at the mall lately, you know that’s a super deal.) The eleven letter limit per line is just perfect for “I love you Dad!”

Win it! We’re giving away two digital photo keychains with the T.O.P. url engraved on the back! To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon MST on Father’s Day!

Get up to three additional entries into this contest!

1. Blog about this contest using one of the top three images found here. Leave a comment with the direct link to your post (not to your main page, and in a separate comment from your other entry).

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The WholesaleKeychain.com company sells both retail and wholesale. If you’re a business owner or blogger, check out this video and get your brand noticed.

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CONTEST CLOSED & WINNERS EMAILED

My friends are wonderful and I don’t get to visit them nearly as often as I’d like. When I do, I love to leave a hostess gift in the room I slept in. For the person who has everything, I love the adorable handmade felt conversation birds from Gifts Define.

In addition to the any occasion birds, they are also available adorned with ribbon and a gift card announcing a pregnancy, welcoming a baby, saying thank you, I love you or any number of other sentiments. If (and I do mean if I have a third child, I’m thinking I’ll leave a conversation bird hanging on a doorknob in various people’s homes to make the announcement.

Then they’ll be able to say truthfully “A little birdie told me!”

Another amazing product from Gifts Define are their handmade felt tooth guardian angels. As a teacher of 6 year old children, I have seen first hand the excitement that accompanies losing a tooth. I make it as special as I can for the children in my classroom but nothing is as awesome as the memories created around those normal childhood experiences at home.

When your child loses a tooth, they can put it in the pocket of the tooth guardian angel and hang it on their door. It’s much easier to get to once they’re asleep than if it were under their pillow, and seeing it on the door drastically reduces the chance of the Tooth Fairy forgetting to come. The tooth can be replaced with a coin or other special item to commemorate the lost tooth for the child to discover when they wake in the morning. I’m saving mine and can hardly wait until we get to use it. I’m assuming my son’s molars will actually come in and he’ll sleep through the night once or twice before he loses a tooth?

Both products are incredibly well made with fabulous detailing and are gifted in a simple yet elegant organza bag. Keep in mind, these are not toys and many contain small pieces not suitable for young children. (Who, generally, are not losing teeth.)

Save 10% at Gifts Define with the code em>GDOPINI10 only until until June 13/08.

I’m always shocked when I clean our bathrooms thoroughly (not often enough, but that’s another story) and see the mung that lives in the bottom of the toothbrush holders. That’s some serious grossness. With everything I do to keep my family safe from harm, I’m letting them put that crap near their mouths?

I’m won’t be concerned for long because I’m switching them all out for Flipper toothbrush holders. These cute and sanitary individual toothbrush holders adhere to mirror or tile with suction cups and allow for completely hands free operation with no chance of cross-contamination from brush to brush. They’re super easy to use (see the product demo at the right side of the home page) and when they get dirty I just toss mine in the toddler basket in the dishwasher and it’s good for another 10,000 miles.

They make a great razor holder too!

Save 20% on your Flipper toothbrush holders with the code “opinionated parent”

Win it! We’ve got a cute little golden retriever Flipper (pictured) to give away. To enter, leave a comment on this post listing your favourite Flipper design that’s NOT mentioned in this post. Contest closes May 9/08.

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED

I’m a labeling freak. There are labels everywhere in my house - even the bin that holds the labels is labeled!

Lovable Labels is a Canadian mom-run company that carries a large selection of customized labels as well as some cool stuff to help a mom around the house. Goodness knows I need all the help I can get.

My kids especially love their unique fun stickies that are shaped like butterflies and dinosaurs and are available in lots more cool shapes (pictured at right). Believe it or not, they’re less likely to leave their things lying around the park when they have their own special label on them. And for those days when they do, I’ve got a better chance of getting them back eventually!

Have a child with allergies or medical issues? Check out these cool vital ID wristbands. The kids I know would be much more comfortable wearing those than a metal bracelet. And while you’re looking for things that make your kids ecstatically happy? Personalized notecards and way cool books would be fantastic gifts. Is it too early to shop for stocking stuffers? I think not.

Mention that you heard about Lovable Labels through the The Opinionated Parent during the checkout process and receive 15 FREE Red Regular Sticker Bonus Labels with your purchase. One per family. Expires May 30, 2008.