Magenta Studio Photo - An Intro and a Giveaway!

In the week before school started, my girls and I were asked by Magenta Studio Photo to come in for a complimentary photo session. Magenta Studio Photos has just opened in St. Laurent Shopping Centre and they are trying to spread the word. Founded in 2002 to address the lack of artistic photography on the market, Magenta wanted to offer an alternative to the fixed poses of conventional studios. From the moment we walked into the studio, Ashley and Beatrice were very warm and welcoming. They showed us around the studio and it really was unlike any other photography studio I had ever been in. In addition to their front showroom which displayed they different customized photographic pieces that you could purchase, their backroom included a full range of props, costumes, and even black and white t-shirts that you could wear for your photo shoot. They had dressing rooms to beautify yourself, iPad stations for little ones who needed to wait and a comfortable spot for adults sit and waited. Beatrice explained how everything worked and then my girls and I went in for the photo shoot.

Ashley, our photographer, was amazing. From the moment we walked into the studio, She made us all feel very at ease. She knew how to make my girls laugh and look serious and was able to pose all of us to get the best shots. And she really did get some great pictures out of all of us. My girls had a blast acting like models and loved the props and the "wind."

We had a 45 minute photo shoot, complete with different backgrounds, props and poses. When it was done, it was time to wait to see our shots. It was actually a bit of a wait but my girls were able to occupy themselves at the iPad station while I looked at the different pricing and packages available. When it was time to view the photos, I must say they really were - and no I’m not biased at all. Ashley was really able to capture each of us at our best in both conventional and candid photos.

The downside of this whole experience was that the cost of the actual pictures was more than I thought it would be. We had to purchase each image (which comes on a CD) separately at $50 a pop and there was no way to buy the whole session on one CD without purchasing each image - which in a 45 minute session was about 75-100 pictures. The upside is that they often have promotions and discounts available on their products so before you book a shoot, make sure you are going at the right time to get a good deal.

In order to get their name out, Magenta is offering one lucky Kids in the Capital readers a $75 gift certificate for a free sitting for your photo session. Leave your name in the comments below and tell us why you want this photo session. One lucky person will be chosen at random on September 20th.

While we were given a free photo sitting, a free 8x10 image and a discount on some photo products, all views in this post are my own.

Farmers, Warriors, Builders: The Hidden Life of Ants - A Giveaway (Closed)

Farmers, Warriors, Builders: The Secret Life of Ants is a new exhibit at the Museum of Nature. We sent Andrea and her kids to scout out the digs and they loved it. You can read about their adventures here. The collection is on loan from the Smithsonian and features 39 incredible, large-format images from Mark W. Moffett, who the National Geographic Society describes as “the Indiana Jones of entomology.” The exhibit is jam-packed with all kinds of interesting information about how ants work, hunt, live and communicate.

Now for the giveaway part

We have a family pass for one lucky family (2 adults and 2 kids) to visit the Museum of Nature and The Hidden Life of Ants.  The pass includes admission to the Hidden Life of Ants exhibit and all the regular exhibits but some special exhibits and movies may have additional fees. In order to qualify you must answer tell us one fun fact about ants (or even just why you love ants!).  Leave your answer in the comments below and we'll pick a winner at random on August 5th. Good luck!

Welcoming Our New Sponsor: The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head (and a Giveaway to Boot!)

Giveaway Closed

Kids in the Capital is proud to welcome a new sponsor. And it’s not just any ordinary sponsor. It’s none other than the iconic Mr. Potato Head! The Children’s Museum, located in the Museum of Civilization, is now playing host to the temporary exhibit of The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head.

Last month, Kamerine got the chance to experience the exhibit with her two kids and thought it was pretty SPUD-Tacular.  The exhibit, geared toward children 3-8, is full of opportunities for creative play and problem-solving. There are tons of  hands-on opportunities for little inventors to creating their own amazing jungle bugs, for young oceanographers to climb aboard the potato-shaped spud sub, be budding archaeologists exploring the ruins of a lost vegetable kingdom or astronauts aboard the S.P.U.D. space station as they orbit the distant planet Neptato. The exhibit also includes one display of the original toy as it appeared in the 1950’s. Back then, children had to use real potatoes. What a great way to spend some time over the summer holiday.

The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head runs now to January 5th at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. You can read more about the exhibition here. This is also where you can buy advance tickets and look ahead to any special activities that are planned.

Congrats to Lisa Kastler who won a family pass to see The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head. But we have more! We’re also giving away two Mr. Potato Head toys. Just tell us whether you're partial to Mr. or Mrs. Potato Head in the comments below and you're entered! Contest ends July 10th!

The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head Giveaway - Closed

By Kamerine I don't think there's a single person who hasn't heard of Mr. Potato Head. Even if you didn't have one of these toys as a child, chances are you know someone who did or your kids now have one. At the very least you've seen him in the Toy Story movies.

Mr. Potato Head has been around for about 60 years and started out as pieces to stick into actual potatoes. Over the years, Mr. Potato Head has changed and is now bigger and comes with a plastic potato body. I didn't know this, but there was even a Mr. Potato Head show that aired in the 90s.

It's fitting that the Children's Museum has created a special Mr. Potato Head exhibit to celebrate this popular toy. I had seen the ads forThe Adventures of Mr. Potato Head and was excited to get the chance to take my kids, ages 2 and 3, to check it out. And wow, it was incredible!

We couldn't get more than 5 feet into the exhibit because right at the door is a section with 7 Mr. Potato Head bodies and loads and loads of pieces. The kids dug around and picked out eyes, mouths, feet, arms, and silly hats for their potatoes. When they were satisfied we moved farther into the room. There was so much to take in: to the left a section for digging for artifacts, flashing lights in the back left fighting for our attention, a jeep right in the middle for safari fun, and a spaceship in the back right beckoning us. In fact, each of these are special adventure-themed zones with clever descriptions you can read about on the museum's website.

We slowly made our way around the room, exploring the different parts with the help of museum employees. We checked out the light wall that is motion-sensitive and twinkles when you move in front or touch it and then fades away as you move away. We dug for artifacts and found the pieces to make a crown. We checked out the submarine and played with the underwater sounds. We sat in the spaceship and saw ourselves on the screen. We checked out the coral reef and read some books about going on safari. We sat in the jeep and played with the binoculars.

And on our way out the kids couldn't help but build more Mr. Potato Heads at the activity table near the door.

The exhibit was well done and bigger than I imagined. So many things to see and do, including some activities that we didn't try that are probably better suited for children a older than mine.

The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head is a special exhibit at the Canadian Children's Museum (inside the Museum of Civilization) and runs until January 5, 2014. On top of the exhibit, there are special events for more hands-on fun. I hope you get a chance to visit the museum. My kids liked digging for artifacts in Spud Quest best.

Have you visited the Adventures of Mr. Potato Head Yet? We're so sure you'll love it, we're giving away a family pass for the exhibit! Just tell us what you loved about Mr. Potato Head as a kid in the comments below and you're entered! Contest ends June 27th!

Kamerine is mom to 3 year old Little J and 2 year old  Little K.  She documents her life with two toddlers, a husband and a cat at The Life of K.

Giveaway Closed: Go Green with terra20

While some of you (lots of you, hopefully) have already heard of Canada’s first eco-friendly department store, we’re hoping that in the very near future many more will recognize the name terra20 and will want to experience the strength of their commitment to both the consumer and the environment.

These days, many of us are trying to live a bit more mindfully and shop a little greener. That means thinking about where the products we use come from, how they impact the environment and whether the products support fair trade initiatives by sourcing products made with fair trade ingredients. Living mindfully means thinking about where to shop and how and what to buy in order to leave the world in a bit better shape for our children and grandchildren. That’s where terra20 comes in.

Upon entering their store, you’ll be amazed by their warm and welcoming layout, with easy to understand logos and labels on all of their products to let you know what you are getting from an item. But even more than that, you’ll be wowed by their friendly and knowledgeable staff who are more than willing to answer any question you may have, no matter how basic it is.  You can chat with their resident eco-parenting blogger, stay for in-store demonstrations and take a visit to their huge eco-bar.  In fact, we’re so sure that your experience will be a great one that the folks at terra20 are giving two lucky Kids in the Capital readers a $50 gift card to help them start making more eco-friendly choices in their daily lives.

Giveaway Guidelines

In order for your entry to qualify you must answer the following questions in the comments below:

• Have you ever experienced terra20? If yes, what brought you into the store?
• If you haven't visited terra20 yet, why not and what would encourage you to do so?

One entry per household please. We want lots of families to have the opportunity to win. The winner must pick up the gift card at terra20 in a timely fashion. If it’s not picked up within 14 days we will draw again and choose a new winner.  The winner will be drawn randomly on Friday, May 30th, 2013