Shooting in manual!

A month ago, I took a little photography course to learn more about my Canon DSLR, which is now almost 3 years old.  I bought a Groupon for this course back in January, and forgot about it, until I saw another offer for a similar photography course in June and  it sparked my memory that I had a Groupon that was about to expire.  I went to the course thinking that I didn't want to just waste the $40, and that at the very least I would probably learn something.

Well I did learn something - I came away with a wealth of new information.

This course was only a couple of hours, but it covered the basics for learning some important details about a DSLR camera, and it gave me the primary know how to shoot in manual if I ever wanted to.

Before taking the course, I honestly thought, what's the big deal about manual shooting. Why would someone waste their time getting the manual settings in place when you have one button called 'automatic' that would do it for you.  My philosophy in short was... 'when in doubt, use automatic'.

After the taking course, I am definitely a believer in figuring out the manual settings. With a little education, your pictures can go from okay to AMAZING. Natural lighting is everything, and if you have it, it's really a shame to be using a DSLR camera in automatic.

Of course, this educational seminar didn't just talk about manual settings, it actually explained many other functions of my camera that I had no idea even existed, or other automatic settings that I was not taking full advantage to improve my photos.

After the course was over and I had a few days to digest the info, we spent close to a week at the cottage and I thought it was the perfect time to try my hand at manual.  I experimented, and I learned, and I think I grew a little bit as a Mommy photographer. Yes there were four or five shots at the beginning of every set that were dark or overexposed, or noisy. But then came the next four or five that were a bit better, and better, and better. The single most important thing I probably noticed is that your child doesn't have to look at the camera and say 'cheese' to get an awesome shot. If you shoot in manual, in natural light, the possibilities are endless for those amazing candid shots.  Of course, I still love to get my boys looking at me in their happy faces, but I am more drawn to the candid shots now that I know the basic principles of manual shooting.

Since the course, if I have a minute to configure my manual settings, I do try to shoot in manual as much as I can. Of course, in a pinch, I still flip the camera to automatic for fear that I will miss that special moment with the boys, but I am getting quicker all the time.

I do have a new appreciate for the fees that photographers charge. If they are shooting in manual in different scenes and composing different shots for you and your family, they are earning every penny, as they have to put their minds to work every time that shutter clicks.

Thanks to Christine Tripp Photography for offering a Groupon for this course, I am interested in taking her level two course in the fall hopefully - but for now, I will just try to master the basics and enjoy being behind the lens to capture our family memories.


 

Cuisinart Customer Service: USA vs. Canada

You may recall my love for my Cuisinart Keurig Brewing Station. I heart it... seriously. But lately, it has been acting up on me. The dreaded DESCALE signal has come on at least 5 times in the last 3 months. The machine is not running right... and since its has a fantastic three year warranty (most Keurigs only have a year), I decided to call the Customer Service number in the back of the owner's manual and see about what could be done.

The first number I called, I got through to an agent after two keypad entries on the phone. A lovely agent greeted me and asked about the reason for my call. I explained the troubles I have been having and she confirmed in a rather upbeat tone that the machine was not functioning properly. She asked for the model # and the serial #, and said they would ship me out a new one immediately and when I received it, I had to ship them my current unit.

I thought ... this is too good to be true, but AWESOME!

The lovely agent asked for my name and address... but when asked for my STATE, I said ONTARIO, and she said 'oh, your from Canada?'. She then proceeded to give me the Canadian number for Cuisinart and said that it would save me on the headache of having to ship my machine to the USA. So I took the Canadian number down, we said our goodbyes, and I immediately dialed Cuisinart Canada Customer Service.

After selecting the language, and then listening to a recording three times over by a someone with a very heavy accent, I pressed zero and was transfer to a holding pattern for 10 minutes. When someone did finally get to my call, she was a low-talker. You know the kind I mean ... super soft voice as if she didn't want to disturb a hibernating house fly.

Anyways, I proceeded to tell her my spiel about when I purchased it, the descale issue, and the fact that the machine is not functioning properly. She then asked me did I have proof of purchase. I informed her, yes. She asked for my serial # and model # and told me that someone from Cuisinart would have to look at it as it sounds like the unit may not be working right. (Genius). She told me to mail in the unit to a specific address that she rhymed off and in 10 business days, someone would get back to me.

There was silence on my end for a good 20 seconds as I began to process the differences from the call I just had with Cuisinart USA. So I then tried to clarify with Agent Canada the process.

Me: "So, your telling me, I have to ship you my unit and be without my Keurig for a minimum of TEN DAYS"
Agent Canada: Yes (faintly) you are correct (softly),

Me: And in the meantime, I am just without it (read: without coffee, sanity, my soulmate)?
Agent Canada: Ahem.

Me: And after 10 days what?
Agent Canada: Someone will contact you to let you know what the next steps are.

Me: Wow.
Me: You know your US partners were all set to ship me a new one, without so much as asking for receipt. No questions asked.
Agent Canada: Uh-huh. That's the US.

Yes, that is the US... they get the importance of COFFEE to their customers. They understand that k-cups and world peace are pretty much one in the same. They know that taking a product away from a customer is wrong, and they recognize the inconvenience a bold move like this would have on the coffee drinking population.

USA Cuisinart gets it. Canada Cuisinart does not.

I don't understand how two different countries can have such different approaches when its the same issue to the same product.

Agent Canada got a little snarky, (but still a low-voice) when I barked again about having to go without the unit for so long. But the bottom line remains, if I want my unit fixed I have to send it away to get repaired with no guarantee of even getting a new one and no guarantee on the time line.

Lovely... just lovely.

You can bet if I can't brew my own k-cups for ten whole days... there is going to be hell to pay for someone at some point during that dark period.

You've been warned!

Trick-or-treat... give me something good to eat!

The spooky season is upon us... and while I'd love to go all out and say Halloween is one of my favourite occasions, I fall into that crowd that says with a groan 'gee, Halloween again?'.

I have mixed emotions on the actual date of Halloween... its my father-in-law's birthday, but its also the anniversary of my grandmother's death. Can you see the additional spook factor here?

On the upside of things, my grandmother was a fan of Halloween.  She was one of those people who always prepared special treat bags for her trick-or-treaters - she didn't just throw a can of pop or a plain bag of chips in your pillowcase, no, she shopped in States for the candy that you couldn't get in Canada (at the time) like Jolly Ranchers, and candy corn. She put some effort into her treat bags and it showed!

Now... with my own kiddies, I have a little more reason to get in the spirit of the season (this is the first year that I have actually hung some Halloween decorations). And while you won't find me dressing up at the door, you will see that every year I take pride in selecting what Halloween treats I give out at my door.  Just like my Grandma B, I want to have a variety of treats to give to our 300 plus customers!

When it comes to choosing treats, I am a HUGE fan of the Allan Candy Company treats. They've been around forever (like 77 years to be exact) and they still make all my childhood favourites like Big Foots, Green Thumbs, and Hot Lips.  The best thing is their Halloween candy is made in Canada, its individually wrapped, and its certified PEANUT FREE.

Trick-or-treating these days isn't as simple as it use to be... you have to be mindful of what you give out, and although I am not a parent who has to face the challenges of peanut allergies, I still like to know that I am doing my part to keep the risk of an allergy attack at a minimum for anyone's child. I want the candy I give out to be safe and edible after the door to door collection is over and I know that when I choose Allan Candy, I am getting safe treats that are good quality!

If you're like me, Big Foots alone are the candy you secretly steal from your children's bag when their not looking! I have also picked up a small addiction to Allan's Intense Jubes & Jellies, and their Fruit Addictions - hello watermelon slices!

I have a few bags of Allan's treats around the house already and keeping E out of them has been a real challenge so far. He's pumped up for Halloween this year, and I can't wait to take both my boys door to door.

I remember how exciting Halloween was as a child for me... it was a special night where we got to eat pizza and then rush to get our costumes on, so we could head out on the streets of our small town to collect the goods.  These small traditions are something I will carry over into my own family with my boys... and I can't wait to see them in their costumes this year! It's H's first Halloween and E's third, but technically his first when its comes to going up to the door and actually saying 'trick-or-treat'. He's excited and we are counting down the sleeps already!

Here's hoping your Halloween preparation is off to a spook-ta-cular start! What do you do to get ready for the big night? Do you have any favourite candies that you like to give out?


Disclosure – I am participating in the Allan Candy Company blog tour by Mom Central Canada.  Although I received compensation for my participation in this campaign I jumped at the chance to talk about Big Foots and all of the Allan Candy as they are my faves!  The opinions on this blog are my own.

My LOVE for Keurig

It's February, so maybe I am feeling overly lovey this month, but whatever the case is and I am in total undeniable passionate love with my Cuisinart Keurig brewing system.

I have had the Keurig system since September (PC surprised me with it as a gift for our anniversary), and I have to say at first, I didn't know if we really needed it. I had seen and tried other Keurig brewers and thought they were neat, but didn't think it was something for us.  But, today, if I came home and my house was robbed, I think the first thing I would ask is 'did they take my Keurig?'.

Since I've been off on maternity leave (November), I have used my Keurig everyday and each day as I finish my cup of coffee, I take the last sip and announce 'that was good' *sigh*.  It is truly one of the things I look forward to in the morning (next to the smiley faces of my sweet boys).

This is in no way a paid endorsement of any type, but there are some pretty great features about my Keurig....

• it makes great tasting coffee EVERY TIME
• there is absolutely NO MESS
• There are so many different kinds of coffee to choose from... you can match your mood easily.
• It allows me to drink decaf, and PC regular coffee within the blink of eye
• When I am in a hurry, one touch of a button and in less than a minute I'm ready to go with my hot cup of coffee.

I use to be one of Tim Horton's top customers here in Embrun, PC and I were always making a TIm's run on the weekends... but lately, while we still enjoy the timbits and the odd cup of chili, we aren't going there nearly as much as before we had the Keurig. The couple times that I have had a decaf double double from Tim's I have been disappointed, because my Green Mountain French Vanilla decaf taste ten times better.

I have also been using this particular machine just for a shot of hot water to warm H's bottles.  I only need 6 ozs of hot water, so I just select that cup size, hit the hot water button, and I'm in business. Its been super handy for that.

I'll admit, I've become a bit of a K-cup whore when it comes to brands and kinds. At first we were drinking some Van Houte coffee, but then we discovered Green Mountain coffee, and while PC's go-to is the Nantucket Blend, I love the French Vanilla decaf, but also have a deep appreciation for their Pumpkin Spice, Carmel Vanilla Creme, and the Half Calf.  We recently just picked up a box of Green Mountain Apple Cider (which is so yummy on a cold winter day) and the Timothy's White Hot Chocolate which I am also in LOVE with, not to mention the Timothy's Chai Tea.

There are a gazillion flavours and brands ... and I love going to Tweed & Hickory here in Ottawa where you can buy the individual k-cups and try out as many flavours as you want. It's like the Pop Shoppe of coffee!

All around, if your one of those people who has been thinking about getting a Keurig, I can honestly say, I don't think you will be disappointed.  If you are the only coffee person in the house, then the Keurig is for you, because no one likes to brew a pot of coffee for just one or two cups and then have to clean up the mess after. If you want, no fuss, no muss... this machine will answer your prayers!

I know I am not the only K-cup Keurig lover out there... are any of you madly in love with your Keurig machines, or secretly wishing someone would surprise you with one as a gift?  Valentine's day is just around the corner for anyone looking for gift ideas for their love ones!

Bring on the next cold (although I say that lightly, yet with confidence!)

Disclaimer: I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central and received a Mom Central gift pack to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Back in February, E had a cold. It wasn't his first cold and definitely won't be his last, but as a new parent, I have been constantly searching for cold-aids that are safe for babies, and will provide some relief for them, and some peace of mind for me.

I've tried a few products on the market, but the first one that actually made a difference was the hydraSense Ultra-Gentle Mist Nasal Spray. I spotted this product in the cold and flu aisle of Shopper's Drug Mart, and picked it up on whim, but was actually pretty pleased with the purchase. The first time I used the product, I (and E) noticed the difference. The nasal spray actually provided almost instant relief for him. The spray is powerful enough to have an effect, yet gentle enough that he didn't choke or cough from the force of it. I used this product about 5 times during his cold and was relieved to have found a product that actually does something for infants who are so helpless when it comes to cold and flu season.

Coincidentally a few weeks ago, a Blog Tour opportunity came along from Mom Central for HydraSense products. I immediately signed-up for this tour because I wanted to share my experience with other new Moms out there and let them know that this product is worth the money. As part of the Blog Tour, I received a box of hydraSense products for review, including the hydraSense Nasal Aspirator - and honestly I love the concept of the this product. I have not had a chance to try it on E during a cold, but I really love the product because A. you can see what is coming out their noses, so you know its works, and B. it has a disposable filter to ensure its clean and safe to use every time, and on multiple children (if necessary).

When E was born, the hospital sent us home with a nasal aspirator bulb, and I have used it a few times, but I hate that you can't really see what your sucking out their noses, and I always feel that I don't get it clean enough, because it doesn't open up, there is only one tiny hole for the snot to go in and out of. The fact that the nasal aspirator is clear and comes apart to clean and wash makes me feel so good about the product.

If your interested in seeing how the hyraSense Nasal Aspirator works, watch this how-to video - although keep in mind if your baby is like mine, he or she won't be all smiles when using the product like the baby in the video is - but the end result will be the same. If you think its something that will work for your baby you can download a coupon for $8 off the purchase of the product by signing up for the hydraSense Dolphins Club and entering the code MC2010.

I am not excited about E's next cold, but I am excited to try out the new aspirator when the times comes, and we all know the time will come.

Every Moment Matters

I wanted to share with you a couple of designs that I had done by my favourite designer - Jill, owner of Every Moment Matters (who is also Canadian - woot woot!).

If you've been following this blog for the last year or more, you may recall a post I did back in November 2008 about Jill and her company, as she designed a custom birth announcement marking E's arrival and details.

I absolutely loved it.

She also did a Halloween design for me marking E's first Halloween - and our first ever photo family Christmas card.

This past fall, Jill created birthday invitations for E's party and a matching 1 Year milestone announcement, which I used as a Thank You card.

Then as you may have saw here a few weeks ago, Jill created and designed another photo Christmas card for our family.

I absolutely love her work... and her attention to detail. She is so easy and fun to work with, she has great design initiative, and she aims to please - always. The best thing about Every Moment Matters is that it is not a template design... everything she suggests can be changed and moved around - if you have an idea in mind, she can design around your idea, and in my experience, make the end product even better than you originally imagined.

The one design, I have been wanting to share with you, is the design I asked her to do for E's grandparents for Christmas. It was a collage of his month by month milestone photos. I took a photo from each month (as you know), and I had her put all of the photos together in an 11 x 14 print, that would show the changes in E over the first year. I was thrilled with how it turned out and was so excited to give it to both sets of E's grandparents. Jill did not disappoint me on this design - she went above and beyond her call of duty (in my opinion), and the final product was something I was highly impressed with.

Here it is:
If you have a special photo or series of photos that you want to make extra special, I highly recommend Jill @ Every Moment Matters. She makes those milestone occasions into beautiful memories through her designs - beautiful keepsakes to say the least!

*Note* I am in no way receiving any commission or kick backs from Every Moment Matters - this is my honest opinion - and I just love to share the beautiful work I have received from this company.

Great Toy!

Meet Sophie the Giraffe! You would think this toy looks pretty boring from the outset, but believe it or not it seems to be E's favourite toy right now.

I bought it when I was in Toronto, sort of curious what was soooooo great about it. I had heard others rave about Sophie, but for the price point ($20), I was pretty skeptical.

However, in the last month, E has wanted to put everything in his month and chew on everything he can get his hands on, so when I heard Sophie was made of all natural rubber, and is a great substitute for hands in the mouth and other cloth toys... I snatched up the first one I saw!

She doesn't disappoint either. The concept of the toy is fairly simple... not a lot of bells and whistles. She makes a squeak here and there, but over all is a just a plain-jane type toy, that E seems to love.

I guess the other thing that make me want to buy her, is that she isn't just toy that the novelty will wear off when the next big thing in toys comes along... she's been around the block and back, as her history dates back to the 1960s. Her packaging reads ...

Born in 1961, her success is legendary in France. Made in the French Alps with natural rubber and non-toxic paint, Sophie has been safely cuddled and chewed for over 40 years! She is soft, light, and easy to grasp and fits perfectly into little hands. Sophie is loveable and amusing. She even makes a happy sound when squeezed. Babies especially love her bumpy head to soothe their teething gums.

I love that I can wash Sophie in warm soap and water... and that she is not going to fade or get fuzzy. She is very low maitnenance, a quality that is hard to come by in for many toys.

Have you heard of Sophie, do you own one? What other toys would you recommend for a soon to be teething baby?

Perks of the job!

I have been at this blogging thing for over a year now, and while there have been some highs of the job, I just recently received my first real 'perk' via Canpar express mail, Tuesday morning. I opened the package and was surprised to find the following:

You may recall my post Anyone feel like taking a leak on their keyboard? - to which I openly discussed how a university study showed that over half of workplace keyboards tested positive for traces of urine.

I mentioned (a few times) how disgusting I found these findings as I was thinking of my own workplace and keyboard. In my post, I referred to a product called Kleen Keys in which a company by the name of Vision Global Media Group is producing and marketing a medical silicone keyboard as a solution to avoiding the germs, dust, and traces of urine that sometimes can spread through a workplace causing god knows what kind of infections to employees and management. The solution in Kleen Keys being that the silicone keyboard can be sanitized using soap and water, which prevents the spread of bacteria and germs all together.

While I merely commented on the product, thinking it was just some sort silicone cover you put over your real keyboard, I did not expect the president of the company to contact me, nor follow up with sending me, not one, but two, Kleen Keys keyboards to try for myself.

I sent the company my information late Thursday night heading into the Easter weekend, and VOILA, Tuesday morning the parcel was delivered to my door. To my surprise the product is not a cover, its an actual functioning keyboard that comes with a USB cord and proper keyboard attachments. I was stunned to think that this keyboard would actually work, let alone be able to be subjected to soap and water. I am using the board as I type this post, and to my amazement the thing actually works, and works well.

The initial feeling of typing on a flatter keyboard is something that I have to get use to, but the part I love is that it does not make a sound when you are typing (however, in the office I almost want people to hear me clicking away so they at least think I am doing something)!

I just put the keyboard to the real test, detaching it and washing it in the sink with some dish soap. Believe it folks, you can wash this baby with your regular dish detergent and with in a matter of minutes the board is gleaming, and ready for use. You really have to see it to believe it, but you can roll the sucker up, throw it in your purse... practically do whatever you want with it, and I believe it will work.

Dead skin cells, chewed nails, eyelashes, and other natural germs no longer have a permanent home on my keyboard, nor will they spread to any other person using my computer, because as soon as I see the particals building up I won't think twice about washing up my board!

I love love LOVE this product, its cool, and best of all it's a pretty healthy choice (this coming from the girl who just got over a nasty cold that she probably picked up from someone in the office)! To boot... Kleen Keys is not only available in black, but this summer you can get the board in cool colours such as blue, green, or pink. Imagine having a pink keyboard.... its soooo me!!

I don't know... I had thought that Kleen Keys was going to be some knock off product that was just a gimmick, but I can definitely see that it's actually very useful, and the more people that use Kleen Keys in a common space, the bigger healthier advantages there will be for everyone involved.

Thanks Kleen Keys!