New Webkinz in Stock!

Love the giraffe!/

Webkinz Sale!

Thursday, Friday and Saturday ONLY!

Buy 2 Webkinz,
Get 1 FREE!

Happy Halloween!

*Free Webkinz must be of equal or lesser value. Some styles excluded.

Kitchen Sale!

Save on great gift ideas for the holiday season at the Kitchen Sale, including appliances, accessories and everything you need to entertain friends and family.

Visit our national site and click on eflyer or the logo (as above) to view the flyer!
Savings available until Oct 31, 2009.

Bear Paws

Back by popular demand! Keep warm and cozy on a cold winter day. Our Warm Buddy Bear Paw Mitts are available in two colour options: brown and black. One size fits all. A portion of sales from our Bear Paw Mitts helps rehabilitate orphaned bear cubs. These Mitts are NOT to be heated.

Happy Birthday Big Sis!

Tasha is 30 today! Here is a list of other things Tasha is:
-Thoughtful
-Sensitive
-Creative
-A great writer!
-Funny
-Pretty
-Awesome, beautiful, funny -"her baby's cute" (Nick)
-Magnificent, intuitive, sensitive (David)
-A great mom, intelligent, caring (aunty coleen)
-A great friend and a great sister
-organized, sensible, sensitive (mom and dad)
-excellent cook (bronte) cautious
-adventurous, brave
-stylish
-not 29 anymore! ;)

We miss you! Hope you had a fantastic day
Xxoo
Your family
:)

Warm Buddy Spa Products

The Warm Buddy Body Heat Wrap is a dream. Simply heat in the microwave or cool in the freezer. Covers are available in the most luxurious chenille fabrics. The ultra body heat wrap contains natural grains & lavender flowers. It has LONG HEAT HOLDING ability of 1 hour or longer. Makes a very effective cold pack (place in freezer 1-2 hours). Use to comfort sore backs, shoulders, hips, stomachs, during labor, for aches and pains or warming up the bed. Packaged for travel, and washable cover. (10" x 20") All Warm Buddy heat packs are proudly made in Canada.

The ultimate shoulder wrap! A perfect combination of moist heat, aromatherapy and acupressure relaxes shoulder, neck and back muscles. Contains WB signature anti-stress aromatherapy blend of lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, cloves and rosemary.

Used by massage therapists and spa practitioners for relaxation and therapeutic effects. Excellent for home and office use. Bring the spa experience home with you! Makes an excellent stress relieving gift.

Cold feet? Our cozy washable warming booties are the answer! Relax and enjoy soothing, long lasting heat from their removable inner heat packs. Cool in the freezer for tired and achy feet. Microwaveable inserts. Great for pedicures. One size fits 6 - 10 ladies.

Coming Soon...

Our Stonz Booties were so popular, we are expanding our offering! Coming soon: reversible hats, pointed hats and mittz! See above for further details (double click to enlarge diagrams). You can also look forward to a few new styles of Stonz arriving with the new shipment. Want more info on the booties? Click here.

Another great recipe from the Breast Friends

Learn more about the Breast Friends Here

CHOCOLATE BANANA CAKE
(Great combination!)

2/3 cup buttermilk 2 cups flour

½ cup canola oil ¾ cup cocoa

1 cup sugar 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

2 eggs 1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla ¾ teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cups bananas, mashed

Cream together; oil, sugar and eggs. Stir in bananas and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix together; flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Divide batter between two greased 9 inch round cake pans. Bake at 350º F. For 40-45 minutes. Cool. Ice with Chocolate Banana Frosting.

Warm Buddy Sleepy Time Bear

I Love love love the new Warm Buddy SleepyTime Bear. He is baby safe and can be used as a puppet (remove the heatpack from his bottom). He comes with a removable inner heat pack that can be warmed in the microwave for 30 seconds. So cuddly, so soft, and so nice for baby on a chilly night!

Get a $25 Home Giftcard!

From now until Nov 7, 2009, purchase $150 worth of Owens Corning Pink Fiberglas insulation and Home will give you a $25 HH giftcard! Did you know that insulation also qualifies for the Home Renovation Tax Credit?

Interested in other Home renovation rebates? Visit Show Me the Green and click on your province to see what you may qualify for. You'll also find easy-to-access, free information on government grants and rebates for home improvements and valuable how-to guides on saving money while making your home more environmentally-friendly.

Dream Kitchen Makeover

Enter to win a Dream $50,000 makeover for your kitchen! Click here to enter!

New shipments on the way!

New Robeez booties are on their way. If we're missing your size, it will be here shortly! Also on the way: more Robeez soft sole shoes & mini shoes, Stonz booties and accessories (watch for post later this week), Roughrider Baby Gear, Paca Paws Sweaters, new Webkinz (cute!) and Cloud b!

Awww

We're not the only ones in love with Warm Buddy!

The new Red Panda Bear at the Valley Zoo in Edmonton, Sha-lei, loves her cozy Warm Buddy stuffed animal. The rare mammal, born in the spring, enjoys the softness and warmth of her Canadian-made comfort-creature. Made by the Warm Buddy Company, the stuffed animals contain removable packs of herbs and natural grains which can be heated to sooth babies - and adults - to sleep. In fact, the product has been used by the zoo for years to comfort newborns, orphans and injured animals.

For more information and pictures, click here!

Closed for Thanksgiving

Home Hardware Building Centre will be
CLOSED
Monday, October 12
For Thanksgiving

Wishing everyone a lovely and relaxing weekend with family and friends!

Featured Vendor--Warm Buddy

Warm Buddy is a Canadian Company with Made-in-Canada products designed to comfort & soothe you. Many of the products are microwaveable, or contain a micorwaveable pack, to warm them up for heat therapy for tired muscles, or just something warm and cozy to cuddle with.

Beary Bear is available in cream, chocolate and black. This microwaveable teddy bear comes with a removable inner heat pack that can be warmed in the microwave or cooled in the freezer. All Warm Buddy stuffed plush animals have this warm-up feature. Add aromatherapy oils for added enjoyment.

Beary was inspired by the Spirit Bear of British Columbia.

Warm Buddy Company is proud to support bear rehabilitation centres with the proceeds from the sale of all our Beary the Bears. To learn more visit the Bear Matters section of their website.

Customer Testimonial:

"My son received a warm buddy bear as a baby shower gift and it became a fast favorite. It was the one thing that got him to sleep through the night on his very own. We had tried everything and were getting very desperate to find the one thing that would work for him. The first night he was fussy, we warmed up the little pouch, placed the bear in the bassinet with him and he snuggled right up to the bear and settled down to sleep. The bear is now his most favorite item and we can't go anywhere to sleep over without it. "

Purse Party a Huge Success!

The Purse Party was a hit! The first 200 ladies were treated to a swag bag containing some of our favorite items: a sample tea from two leaves and a bud or Therapy tea, a delicious dip mix from Gourmet Village , a Fruits & Passion sample, a Colonial Candle tealight or two, a soft and smooth lip balm (our favorite!) from Moody Bee, a pen, notebook and a $5.00 coupon to the store! Total value, over $15--Sweet!

Guests were treated to delicious pink-iced mini cupcakes, homemade hummus and other dips, Prairie Berry Jams and Zinter Brown Jellies and tasty pink drinks!

Altogether we raised almost $600 to the Lloydminster Hospital's Mammography Program--well done!

Thank you to our excellent team for running the event tonight and Thank You to our fabulous customers for attending--we hope you had a great night!

Missed it? Don't miss our next event, Come Home for Christmas, November 26th! Stay tuned for more details!

Purse Party TONIGHT!

You are cordially invited to our first
Purse Party & Ladies Night
In support of Breast Cancer Awareness
and the Mammography Program at the Lloydminster Hospital

Thursday, October 8th
6:30-8:30 PM

Join us for a fun night with the ladies and see all of our
HOT NEW FALL PURSES & HANDBAGS
and other new arrivals--
clothing, jewelry, baby, candles,
gourmet, personal & home expressions

Only the front half of the store will be open for this special event
Mocktails & Tasty Treats
Door Prizes
Wear Pink and receive a Swag Bag!


Pick your Party Favor and Reveal your Special Deal --
Save 15-60% off your entire purchase


Invite your friends! See you there!

Bless their Little Soles...

Coming Soon, Little Soles Squeaky Shoes!
These shoes are designed in Calgary and have a little removeable squeaker in the shoe--this helps encourage floundering walkers and also helps Mom and Dad hear if baby is on the run! Click here to see a preview of the shoes or for more information on the company or visit here to see why these shoes are an iparenting award winner!

Features and Benefits of Little Soles ™ Squeaky Shoes collection:

Free from harmful dyes and toxins

• Premium materials are sourced specifically to surpass the standards in footwear safety set by Health
• Canada or the CPSC(US)
• All inner and outer materials along with the outsole are tested for the following;
  • European Council directive 2002/62/EC testing for AZO colourants or Dyes
  • Formaldehyde content
  • 7 Toxic elements (Lead, Arsenic, Antimony, Barium, Mercury, Cadmium, Selenium)
• Full leather upper, inside and out, allows for optimal comfort and breathability
• Our soft, flexible outsole is ideally suited to pre-walking and early walking
• Heel counters offer additional support
• The padded ankle collar improves overall fit and comfort
• The cushioned heel enhances comfort while reducing heel impact
• Little Soles Inc. is socially responsible and environmentally aware of the impact of our company and its products on the Earth.

PS-- Thanks to Haley Ross for introducing me to these shoes. Have a product you'd like us to carry? Send me a message and we'll look into it!

Tea of the Month

Earl Grey Organic Full-Leaf Ceylon Tea & Bergamot

Our Earl Grey starts with a great quality, organic large leaf, sweet black tea (not "blending teas") from Ceylon (Sri Lanka). We add just a hint of pure bergamot oil to create the famous Earl Grey taste.There are many legends of how Earl Grey came into being. Our favorite is that the Earl had a shipment of tea that also picked up bergamot oranges. Tea absorbs flavors and odors and this shipment did just that. It was a huge success on the market and... a legend was born.

PS--Have you ever tried a London Fog? It is basically a tea latte, or tea misto, made with Earl Grey Tea, milk and vanilla syrup. It is SO good. And always reminds of this time of year, when my sister and I are normally out in the greenhouses sorting through Christmas ornaments, drinking London Fogs to keep warm.

You can't grow money on trees, but how about eggs?

Jeff's Grandpa, Victor, grew these amazing Easter Egg Ornamental Plants this summer. He planted one up for me but mine unfortunately did not grow any eggs (I blame it on our miserable non-summer). Victor's did quite well, however, and he just sent me these photos of them.

The plant grew from seeds available from McKenzie. The egg is actually a non-edible fruit, that turns yellow as it matures (which you can see here on the seed packet.) Pretty neat hey?

Victor also grows tobacco plants for an interesting garden feature. He grew these beauties from seeds the size of ground pepper (see photo). I think if I ask nicely he may give me some to grow in the garden centre next summer!

Another Recipe from the Breast Friends

Learn more about the Breast Friends in this post!

Donna's Mandarin Orange Salad

1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 head bib lettuce, torn
1/2 head romaine lettuce, torn
1 cup celery, chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1-11 ounce can mandarin oranges, drained

DRESSING
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 table spoons sugar
1 tablespoon parsley, snipped
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper
dash of hot pepper sauce

Cook and stir almonds and sugar in skillet over medium heat until sugar is melted and nuts are coated. Cool on wax paper. Mix dressing with green, celery, and onions 5 minutes before serving. Gently stir in oranges. Sprinkle alomonds on top. Shake dressing ingredients in a tightly covered jar. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

One Purse, Two Purse, Red Purse, Blue Purse...

Purses are spilling out of the stockroom in preparation for our Purse Party this Thursday! All different colors and styles to suit your fancy.

Don't forget, save 15-60% off your ENTIRE PURCHASE. That includes jewelry, baby, home decor, gourmet, you name it. So if purses aren't your thing, no worries, I am sure you will find something you'll like, including our new Fruits & Passion boutique (exclusive to Home Hardware in Lloydminster), new arrivals from Warm Buddy and Colonial Candles.

Only the front half of the store will be open for this special event.

Take a night off and bring your friends! See you there!

Babywearing

Home Hardware is proud to offer 2 options in Babywearing--that is, wearing/carrying your baby in a sling or carrier. Babywearing has many benefits for new parents, including increased bonding and decreased crying. Check out this article from Dr. Sears, or this one from Parenting by Nature for more benefits.

First up is the babyTrekker. Made in Canada, this carrier is organic and machine washable. The babyTrekker means freedom and comfort for parent and baby. The waistband and shoulder straps distribute your infant's weight over your shoulders, back, waist and hips. The padded carrier sides prevent chafing to the baby's limbs. Your little one is free to move their arms and legs, unlike other carriers where the seat extends up to the baby's thighs or wraps that immobilize the baby against your chest or back.

Highlights of this carrier include:

- Baby can face inward
- Baby can face outward
- Backpack position
- Padding under every buckle for comfort
- Easy Nursing
- Head Support
- Wide Straps for comfort
- Extra Front Pocket
- Five wearing positions
- Made in Canada!


Option 2 is the Pippalily Sling.

Pippalily slings are machine washable, hand made and lined with 100% cotton for the baby's comfort. Sizing: Your Pippalily sling size will typically be the size of your fitted t-shirt. For more information on sizing, getting the right fit, and how to wear check this out. Baby can be worn in 4 different positions in the sling, which can be used by a child up to 30 pounds.

A Recipe from the Breast Friends

Recipe from "The Breast of Friends Cookbook".
For more information on the Breast Friends, see our previous post or their website.

THE “BREAST” CHAMPAGNE CHICKEN AND SHRIMP

20-30 shrimp, (tailed and deveined or
precooked shrimp)
2 green onions
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper
1 cup water
¼ cup flour
1 cube chicken bouillon
3 tablespoons butter
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
¾ pound mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup champagne

Shell and de-vein shrimp or if you are using precooked shrimp-thaw. In a medium bowl combine shrimp, green onions (cut diagonally in pieces 1 inch long), lemon juice and salt; set aside. In small bowl combine water, flour, and bouillon; set aside.
Add butter to a large skillet and over medium heat, cook chicken breasts until browned and tender (approx. 10 -12 minutes). Add 1/3 cup champagne to the frying pan and simmer the chicken breasts for another 3-4 minutes.
While chicken is simmering cook mushrooms in another frying pan, until tender. Remove with slotted spoon when done. Drain shrimp and in the mushroom skillet over high heat cook shrimp mixture until shrimp turns pink about 5 to 7 minutes or 1-2 minutes to heat precooked shrimp. Remove chicken to a platter and keep warm. Stir flour mixture (set aside earlier) into chicken skillet until blended. Gradually add cream and champagne. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils; stir in mushrooms; heat thoroughly. Place a few shrimp on each chicken breast and pour sauce over chicken and shrimp. Dish can be prepared ahead and reheated.