I tried two products that were new to me – the Tea Tree Face Mask and Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter.

I was really impressed by both the Tea Tree Face Mask and the Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter. I am still prone to acne (sad but true!) so I enjoyed trying the Tea Tree Face Mask. It felt cool and refreshing and I’ve noticed an improvement in my skin since I started using it. As well, because my hair gets really dry and flat during the winter monthes, I was keen to try the Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter. I loved it! It has an amazing scent and my hair is softer and has more body since I’ve been using it!

I also like the fact that many of the ingredients in these products are sourced through The Body Shop Community Trade program so that you can feel good about the purchases you make and what you are putting down the drain.

Not only does The Body Shop have some amazing products for spring, they are also helping to raise awareness of a great cause and help to raise money for it!

Because I am interested in global issues and am shocked that some practices still exist in 2012 – especially the trafficking of children and young people all over the world!

The Body Shop, in response to this issue, has launched an initiative to help put an end to this practice!

The Body Shop, in collaboration with Tamara Mellon (OBE) has designed an exclusive limited edition bag to raise funds to support victims of child trafficking globally. Known as The STOP bag, the reusable cotton bag features personalized handprints from Oscar winning actress Nicole Kidman, super chef Jamie Oliver, musician and producer extraordinaire Mark Ronson, Oscar winner and UN Goodwill Ambassador Mira Sorvino and CNN anchor Piers Morgan, who have all pledged their support for the campaign.

Profits from the sale of the bag will benefit Beyond Borders and the Somaly Mam Foundation. The bag are available in store and online and will retail for $10.00. Approximately $2.00 from every purchase will be donated to both campaign partners.

Not only is this bag fun, funky and functional (I love the choice of colours and the celebrity handprints on it), it is great to know that buying yourself a new bag for spring can also help to make a difference in the lives of children and young people around the world! To learn more about this cause, check out The Body Shop’s Stop Child Trafficking webpage.

You can purchase all of these items instore or online.

I thought it would give me a chance to talk about things that are on my mind (I’ll try not to make it too boring!).

Today is Shrove Tuesday (also know as “Pancake Tuesday” in some places) but there are no pancakes in my world (much as I would have loved them!).

It’s only been a few days since I recommitted myself to getting my health under control and I’m already starting to feel better, though it is really hard! When you have bad habits, it is really hard to change them (I know – I’m stating the obvious here!). And, to me, realizing I have a food addiction and thinking of ways to cope has forced me to look at how I think and how I can change my pattern of thinking.

It’s difficult to explain but, for me, food addiction is tough because you can’t quit cold turkey (well, not unless you want to starve to death anyway!). It is everywhere and you have to make good choices all of the time.

It’s tough – and frustrating.

How am I dealing with it? By making life as uncomplicated as possible.

My goal is to really embody the “eat to live and not live to eat” philosophy.

I’d lie if I didn’t say it wasn’t hard. But I am doing it and will continue to do it. One day at a time.

While I’d heard about Celtic Woman, I’d never actually heard their music (which, I have to admit, surprised me – how could I have missed them?). I remember a friend of mine telling me that she had been to one of their concerts and had told me how awesome their music truly is.

I couldn’t wait to hear it for myself!

I loaded Believe onto my iPod and listened to it while doing some computer work (I love listening to music in the background while I work!). I found myself getting distracted because the music was absolutely gorgeous! This group is incredibly lyrical and stays true to their Celtic roots as they translate it into music. Their rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” touched me – as I was listening to  this song had me stopping and singing aloud with them because their sound is so infectious! I enjoyed all of the tracks, though my favourites were “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, “A Spaceman Came Travelling” and “Nocturne”. I found their harmonies to be seamless and their arrangements to be truly brilliant!

And their DVD added a whole other layer to the Celtic Woman experience! While I don’t generally watch music dvds, I really enjoyed it!

I’m really hoping that Celtic Woman will bring their tour to Canada as I’d definitely go and see them!

Giveaway: One reader from Canada (excluding Quebec) will win a Celtic Woman Believe CD and DVD!

Remember, you must complete the mandatory entry in order for your extra entries to count (entries without the mandatory first entry will be discarded)!

Mandatory entry:
To enter the giveaway, visit the Celtic Woman website and tell me something you learned about the group. (1 entry).

Daily Entries:

• Follow me Twitter AND tweet the following (please include the link to your tweet): Gorgeous Celtic music! Win the Celtic Woman Believe CD and DVD set! @ReviewCorner http://wp.me/p10r9i-1Nd 03/09 CAN/US
  
• Check out the Believe list of tracks, listen to some excerpts and tell me which one you’d most like to hear! (1 entry)

Additional Entries:

• like Celtic Woman Facebook fan page – include your Facebook name (1 entry)
• subscribe to My Little Review Corner’s RSS feeds (or tell me you already receive them)– include the email address you used (2 entries – enter each one separately)
• subscribe to My Little Review Corner via email (or tell me you already receive them) – include the email address you used (2 entries – enter each one separately)
• ”like” my Facebook fan page – include your Facebook name (1 entry)
• NEW share this giveaway (use Reshare button on my Facebook fan page
• NEW follow me on Pinterest (1 entry)
• follow me on StumbleUpon -include your user name (1 entry)
• NEW follow me on Google+ (1 entry)
• NEW Comment on any of my non-giveaway posts – let me know which post you have commented on (1 entry per post – unlimited entries)

*Contest closes at 11:59 PM pm EST on Friday, March 9th, 2012 . Open to residents of Canada and the US (excluding Quebec), 18+ years of age.*

We enjoy a lot of things during our Family Nights:
-watching American Idol and judging performances, as everyone has their own opinion (even Little One will tell us which songs she likes or who she thinks “looks pretty!”);
-singing and dancing against one another with our Wii (a favourite for the whole family);
-baking together (I’ve already got ideas to make Pringle Brownies as I’ve heard they are delicious); and
-playing games (that is Little One’s choice over anything else – she loves playing board games).

And, as the TV fanatic you all know I am, we’ve been getting wrapped up in Season 11 of American Idol! I’ve been watching it since Kelly Clarkson won in Season One and my husband’s favourite is Taylor Hicks (and I still think Ryan Seacrest is cute too though don’t tell anyone – it’s our secret!).

At MCR.com/family, you can find exciting contests, instant wins, rewards, recipes and games—with many fun American Idol based activities for your family! (For Canadians, like me, if you log on to MCR.com/family you may not get the same experience though there is still lots of fun to be had – just a heads up!)

Giveaway: One reader from Canada and the US (excluding Quebec) will win a Coca-Cola Family Night prize pack including a hand held camcorder, Coca-Cola and Pringles coupon and an American Idol – The Hits Volume 1 CD – over $100 value!

Remember, you must complete the mandatory entry in order for your extra entries to count (entries without the mandatory first entry will be discarded)!

Mandatory entry:
To enter the giveaway, tell me how you plan to spend your next Family Night! (1 entry).

Daily Entries:

• Follow me Twitter AND tweet the following (please include the link to your tweet): Looking to bring family together? @Cocacola helped me create my Family Night! Enter here: http://wp.me/p10r9i-1N4 #CokeFamilyNight 03/09 CAN/US
  
• Tell me who your favourite American Idol performer is (either from Season 11 or a previous season) (1 entry)

Additional Entries:

• Follow CocaCola on Twitter – include your Twitter handle (1 entry)
• subscribe to My Little Review Corner’s RSS feeds (or tell me you already receive them)– include the email address you used (2 entries – enter each one separately)
• subscribe to My Little Review Corner via email (or tell me you already receive them) – include the email address you used (2 entries – enter each one separately)
• ”like” my Facebook fan page – include your Facebook name (1 entry)
• NEW share this giveaway (use Reshare button on my Facebook fan page
• NEW follow me on Pinterest (1 entry)
• follow me on StumbleUpon -include your user name (1 entry)
• NEW follow me on Google+ (1 entry)
• NEW Comment on any of my non-giveaway posts – let me know which post you have commented on (1 entry per post – unlimited entries)

*Contest closes at 11:59 PM pm EST on Friday, March 9th, 2012 . Open to residents of Canada and the US (excluding Quebec), 18+ years of age.*

The prize was provided by Coca-Cola, but Coca-Cola is not a sponsor, administrator, or involved in any other way with this giveaway. All opinions expressed in the post are my own and not those of Coca-Cola.

The winner of the Chicken Soup for the Soul: O Canada giveaway redraw is #185 – corey

The Trop50 giveaway had a total of 1055 entries and the winner is #952 – renee

The VH giveaway had a total of 1056 entries and the winner is #49 – stephy905

The Chocomania from The Body Shop prize pack had a total of 1043 entries and the winner is #699 – Soozle

The Chicken Soup for the Soul: Find Your Happiness giveaway had a total of 161 entries and the 3 winners are:

#28 – Robyn L
#77 – Amy C
#67- kara sceviour

The Lady and the Tramp Diamond Blu-Ray Combo and Book/CD set also ended Friday night – I’m waiting to hear from the winner and if I don’t hear back by tomorrow I will draw another winner.

I started off with a great idea – I’m going to exercise and lose weight (yeah!). It’s my focus and I started doing well.

Then I got busy (or, let’s be honest, make myself busy by playing Words with Friends when I should be at the gym!). I tell myself, “I’m tired”, “I’m busy”, “I’m working hard”.

Reality check – it’s all BS!

Well, not total BS as I am busy, and I do work hard BUT if I have time to chat on Facebook, or watch a TV show I adore, or blog here (hey, I’m be honest here!) – I have time to haul butt to the gym!

I also have a food addiction. That has it’s own challenges but I think I can get that back under control.

The key to everything? Structure and accountability! AND having something to be accountable to (as I’m awful at being accountable to myself!). I’ve got someone who is going to be accountable and I’m going to be recording everything (which HUGE thanks from me!).

It’s embarrassing to say I can’t do this on my own – but I can’t do this on my own.

So I feel renewed and I’m jumping back in head first!

I’ve decided to take out the entry for stumbling non-giveaway posts.

I love it when people comment on non-giveaway posts for extra entries BUT you can only comment once on each post to get an extra entry. Spread the love – if you want to comment feel free to comment on other posts.

Happy Weekend all!

The girls have loved the variety in the weather. No matter if there is snow on the ground or not, they have enjoyed playing outside and enjoy the playground at Miss Eight’s school.

This weekend we are enjoying Family Day and I’m already gearing up with plans for March Break! What are we going to do? To be honest, there will definitely be some sleeping in (insert happy cheering here!). I’m also sure we will be baking (as the girls love helping out and Miss Eight is enthralled by her Easy Bake Oven), making crafts (the girls love to craft and Miss Eight has recently started making her own jewelry) and visits to Grandma and Grandpa’s house! I think we’ll also be enjoy some days watching movies and doing a lot of dancing, courtesy of the Wii! Overall, I know it will be a great week – we always have fun together so I’m looking forward to it!

If hanging out at home isn’t enough fun, our town is also full of cool things to do – from the local Y (with its swimming pool and daily activities) to the Public Library (where Little One loves to check out all the books – I swear she’d take them all home if she could!). If the snow continues, I’m also sure the week will involve sledding at the largest park in town because it also has THE most amazing hill for sledding!

What fun are you planning for your March Break? Check out the My Kinder Moments Facebook app -every time you frame a shared moment of joy in February you’ll also be entered for a chance to win $500 towards the ultimate staycation!

I’m part of the Kinder® Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

The other night I was flicking through the channels and ran across an iconic song title from my teen years – Don’t You Forget About Me. I remember thinking, “What is this about?” and checked out the title on to discover that it is a documentary about the search for John Hughes – the writer of movies that defined my generation, including Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Breakfast Club.

Once I’d realized that, I had the PVR set as I couldn’t wait to see this film!

Before I saw the documentary (being the Google gal that I am), I Googled the subject to see what else I could find out about this film. I stumbled across the filmmaker’s blog and read about the film – which only made me wanted to see it more!

SYNOPSIS:

How did John Hughes capture the growing pains of adolescence so perfectly? Why do his films resonate with those that grew up with them, and those that have just discovered them? Why did he leave?
Armed with those and many other questions, a documentary was put into production.  It wasn’t long before interviews with Hughes alumni and those influenced by Hughes transpired, shedding light on Hughes and his work. However, after 2 years of compiling hundreds of interviews there was still a very important one missing: John Hughes’.

So the neophyte documentary crew hit the road to his hometown, documenting their journey, the approach they would take and their personal connections  to his films.

Little did I realize, once I started watching the documentary, that the 4 filmmakers who are searching for John Hughes are from Toronto (GO Canada!).

They leave Toronto on a hunt for John Hughes because they want to talk to him about why he stopped making movies after his development of phenomenal stories.

The documentary is a montage of interviews with actors who played roles in Hughes’ movies (including Judd Nelson – that man still makes me swoon!) and various movie critics, such as Roger Ebert.

Interspersed between these interviews are discussions with teens who talk about why they can still relate to Hughes’ films. I really enjoyed hearing what they had to say because the majority mentioned the realism of his films, which is why movies like The Breakfast Club appealed to me as a teen as well!

I thought the funniest part of the film was the scene from Dogma (starring Jay and Silent Bob) where they talk about the Hughes films – I’d forgotten how hilarious it is!

It also reminded me how old I was when these films appeared – I was in Grade 9 when I saw The Breakfast Club (as it came out in 1985!)

And Jim Kerr from Simple Minds still makes me DROOL (it’s sad but it’s true – I have an ’80s crush on him too!).

After the documentary ended, I felt even more nostalgic! I ended up scouring YouTube for videos (check out the ones I found below – they are just the tip of the iceberg!). I really want to see The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink again – I might end up inviting some friends over for a retro movie night!

RIP John Hughes – you truly helped to define a generation and you are still touching youth over 20 years later!

I appreciated the story lines – they were really gritty given the time period and truly honest (teen pregnancy, HIV, rape – they were ahead of their time in reflecting the darker side of youth!). I learned a lot from these shows and loved the characters as if they were my own friends because I could relate to their lives!

One of my favourite characters was Wheels. Played by Neil Hope, Wheels had  a tragic storyline, including his turn to alcohol to cope with a number of other events that had taken place.

To be honest, I always Neil Hope was really cute too (sorry Snake and Joey – I was a Wheels fan!).

While I hadn’t seen Neil in any productions for years, I assumed that he had simply settled down for a quiet life out of the public eye.

Neil played Wheels in the original Degrassi series.

I was shocked and saddened to learn today that Hope actually died in 2007 but it had never been reported publicly.

As someone who appreciated your honest portrayal of the pain of youth in a time when it wasn’t common to do so, RIP to you Neil Hope. Your work touched me at a time when I really needed it. My condolences go out to your family and friends as well.

And like many, I am sure, I am sorry to hear of your passing and I hope you have peace.