Bringing our your inner prankster!

April Fools Day. The favorite holiday for pranksters everywhere. I love having fun and being silly so April Fools Day is usually a great excuse for me to bring out my inner joker. Unfortunately, I may just be the worst liar ever. So while I have the enthusiasm for the holiday, I don’t quite have the skills required to pull off a successful prank. When I was younger I’d have to hide behind a closed door giggling behind my hand trying to pull whatever prank I had devised. Needless to say no one ever took me very seriously. So, I relied on the not-to-creative but trusty water nozzle trick. If you have a sink that has a water nozzles attached to a hose that is activated by squeezing the handle, simply tie a rubber band around the nozzle so when the unexpected person turns on the water they get soaked. Maybe not the nicest prank in the book, but it was definitely a childhood favorite of mine.

Another classic is, while your friend/family member/significant other is away at work or the grocery store fill their bedroom up with blow up ballons. This is a popular dorm room prank but can work anywhere.

I like to keep my pranks simple, silly, and harmless. I have three rules

1) Don’t mess with my hair

2) Don’t make me late for work or an appointment (aka. don't even try to pull the alarm trick)

3) Whatever you do to me, you better expect to be done right back! Vengeance is sweet my friends!

So here’s a few popular pranks that you can pull off tomorrow:

Do you use soap bars in your house? If you do, paint one with clear nail polish. Let it dry overnight and then set it out in the bathroom. No matter how hard a person tried to get some soap they won’t be able to. Watch their confusion and get ready to run when they figure out what you’ve done (no one likes getting hit with a projectile soap bar!).

This one is an oldie but a goodie. All you need is a carton of eggs (doesn’t need to be completely full). Take all the eggs in the carton and hard boil them. Then carefully put them back into the carton so they look identical to how they were before. Then, when in the morning, your friend/family member/lover tries to make themselves some fried eggs they’ll get a fun surprise! They may try to crack all the other eggs in the carton so be prepared to eat some egg salad for lunch.

Do you have three way calling on your phone? Set up a 3 way between yourself and two friends who don’t know each other. Then, once you’ve dialed their numbers keep quiet and listen in and they try to figure out how they got on the phone with each other. “You called me!” “no you called me!”. This is even funnier with friends who you know don’t have caller id. They’ll never know it was you (unless you choose to tell them).

This one is a bit obscure and maybe better for around Christmas. But it definitely made me chuckle. If you know someone who eats walnuts carefully crack a few walnut shells and place funny objects inside of them in place of the walnuts. A funny note like “I am a walnut picker in the jungle and I am being held against my will. Please save me” or a different nut like an almond is a good option. Then, carefully, using superglue, fuse the shell back together and wait until it gets cracked open!

Do you have any great practical jokes you’ve played on April Fools? Have you ever had a not-so-funny trick played on you?

Brushing Buddies!

Parent’s have a stash of secret tricks for getting kids to eat vegetables, wash behind their ears, brush their teeth, and make their beds. Pureed vegetables like carrots and spinach can be hidden inside of kiddie favorites like pizza sauce or mac and cheese (carrots or butternut squash are orange too so they won’t notice). My parents used the gold star/sticker system to get me to make my bed. If I collected enough at the end of the week I was allowed to go to the dollar store and pick out anything I wanted. It was always the highlight of my week!

But getting kids to keep themselves properly groomed can be a chore all in itself. No matter how hard you try they always seem to be covered in mud. And even when you hide the candy, those pesky cavities seem to pop up. They key is to make their grooming routine fun! Fact: kids love robots (see transformers) and animals (see ½ the kids movies ever made). So why not integrate the things they love into teeth-brushing!

Bacteria watch out. These little guys are your worst nightmare! This cool gadget will make kids actually excited to brush their teeth (it’s a miracle!). The cute little robots and animals have a handy suction cup that will attach itself to the wall. Then, when your child goes to pull their toothbrush out of the holder or put it back in, it will automatically snap open and free the brush from its grasp. This innovative feature keeps bacteria from gathering on the brush bristles. It uses Hygienilac -- an organic, non-toxic and FDA approved anti-bacterial that has been shown to kill 99.9% of bacteria within 24 hours. Now your little one will have their very own toothbrushing mascot!

And fun isn’t only for kids! The robot holder is perfect for anyone who loves to be sci-fi chic. Whether you love Walle, iRobot, Transformers, AI, or a little Bruce Willis action in Surrogates, if you’re a robot fan you’ll love this fun little addition to your brushing routine!

How do you keep your kids healthy and clean? Do you have any secret tips to share?

Creating Memorable Shower Gifts!

So many baby showers, so little time! And the hardest part is trying to come up with creative gift ideas for every one. I guess you could just walk to the baby section of the kids clothing store and buy 5 sets of the same outfit, but everyone knows girls talk too much and word about your bulk gifts might get out. And while your intentions may have been good, others might not see it quite the same way. So, I’m going to help you search for the perfect shower gift that is:

a)     thoughtful

b)    creative

c)     time-efficient

d)    won’t break the bank

Before you start getting together a gift check if the mom to be has registered somewhere. This can make your shopping easier and will ensure that your gift is perfect for the mom. You can still get creative with the wrapping to add your own personal touch. Is there a theme for the shower? You can even design a gift around the theme

First, one of my favorite ideas, executed by Orangefish’s very own founder Janet Lewis! This diaper cake is totally fun, unique, and a perfect way to add a little personality to the usual shower gift. The diapers that make up the cake shape are obviously practical and the mom-to-be will certainly be using them! Then, put some other toys inside the top of the cake peeking out.

This youtube video gives some great style ideas for designing diaper cakes. I love how they’ve rolled washcloths to look like small roses and picked stylish and fun blankets to cover the outside of the cake. Top it with an adorable stuffed animal and you’ve got a grade A shower gift!

Another great creative yet practical gift idea is a mommy-survival bag. Find a cute tote or weekender bag and fill it with all the essentials for a trip to the hospital when the mom-to-be goes into labour. Include her favorite novel or crossword puzzle book, slippers, fuzzy socks, lip gloss, deodorant, and anything else you can think of.

This hilarious dad to be toolkit makes me laugh every time

I also love the idea of making a onesie cupcakes. Just roll a onesie in a ball making sure the top is smooth. Then put it into a colourful muffin wrapper and place a decorative ornament on top. I love the ones on this website. It’s a special treat for the mom-to be!

I also love these stuffed animals from Orangefish. They are so fun and colourful and 100% cuddly. They’ll make a great decoration for the baby’s room and a friend to cuddle when the baby turns into a toddler. Check out the little rascals page on the site for even more ideas!

Do you have any great baby shower gift ideas to share?

Cleaning Up After Baby

Looks like March is shaping up to be mom appreciation month! Last week we showed you Buggy Guard, a product to keep your stroller safe and stylish. This week, we’re looking at how to make cleaning, everyone least favorite part of the day, a little easier for mom’s.

Sometimes, when you’re sleep deprived and frustrated the smallest improvements can make a big difference in your life. For example, have you ever tried to balance baby bottles in a regular dish drying rack. Did they fall all over the place? Well, that’s because those racks are designed to hold plates not bottles. I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this. Yes, Orangefish is featuring this super cool bottle drying rack this week! It holds at least eight-bottle sin an upright position. They’ll never topple over, and will dry in record time! But of course, as important as efficiency is, you also spent days decorating your kitchen and coordinating everything from the dishtowels to the soap dish. So not only is this rack practical but its fun and stylish! So you can have the best of both worlds wrapped up in one neat little package.

Fort those moms who prefer the dishwasher, I’m sure you’ve encountered a time when you lost one of the bottle tops or sippy straws in the bottom of the dishwasher. This special dishwasher caddy is the perfect solution. Its design ensures that all your baby products get cleaned thoroughly and won’t melt or break.

The whale pail is a handy and totally adorable gadget that helps make bath time cleanup easy. Just scoop all you child’s bath toys into the whale’s big mouth. Then, with the help of suction cups, the pail can attach to the bathtub wall and keep all the toys organized and accessible.

Bath time is a special time with your child. Together you can play with all their bath toys and make memories together. But whoever designed bathroom floors did not have moms in mind. They’re hard and can leave you with extremely sore knees. The tub kneeling mat is a clever solution to this common problem. Its water resistant so you don’t have to worry about getting that gross damp smell. Store it behind the bathroom door or in the cupboard and take it out whenever your knees need a little relief.

Even the simple tub drain stopper can be improved. This new one is made from soft silicone so it will create a water tight seal. Then, you can use the suction cup to stick it to the wall when you’re finished. You’ll never have to search around the bathroom for that gross ol’ drain stopper again! The bright blue colour is a fun accent too!

Check out all these newly hooked products at Orangefish.ca

Bachelor Finale Gossip Sesh.

Every year, a day comes when women everywhere gather around their tv screens, gorge themselves on chocolate ice cream and cosmos, and emit a chorus of ‘awwww’s that rival even the cutest baby shower. Yes, ladies. Its Bachelor finale time!

This season was a particularly interesting one, with past Bachelor Bram Womack back again for a second shot at love. While at first, I was wary about him, I have to admit by the finale he had totally grown on me and I was 100% team Brad. Speaking about teams, I had been a proud member of team Emily since day one. Sure, she could be a little boring sometimes, but at least she didn’t punch herself in the face, break out into jealous crying fits, or sport vampire fangs. I thought it was entirely hilarious how Brad went right back to acting like a crushing teenage boy every time she was around. It was probably the most adorable thing and was reminiscent of Allie when she was around Roberto last Bachelorette season. Poor Chantel never had a chance.

As a big admirer of all types of bling, I found myself drooling at the gorgeous Neil Lane diamond ring Brad picked out for Emily. I think if I ever tried to swim wearing that thing, I’d sink like a rock! It was absolutely stunning with all the sparkling diamonds around the band. If I ever hit oil, find a treasure chest, or win the lottery some day, I may have to get myself one of those rings!

I have a slightly embarrassing confession to make. I totally almost cried when Brad proposed to Emily. It was perhaps one of the sweetest moments I’ve seen in any Bachelor season. Sure, I felt bad for Chantel after seeing her so surprised and upset over her breakup with Brad. But who could argue against the fact that Brad and Emily were an adorable match (at least the way they were portrayed in the show itself). I found myself joining the chorus of “awwww”s when Brad was explaining how he would protect Emily and her daughter. So of course, I was so excited to watch the After the Final Rose show and see them still completely in love. Little did I know….

The After the Rose show burst my little deluded reality show bubble. Of course they still weren’t the perfect couple I’d seen on the finale. Brad was as adorable as usual. He does not function very smoothly in awkward situations at all, and it’s quite endearing. I can’t help but chuckle when he starts pulling at the neck of his tightly buttoned shirt. Emily had clearly picked up on the fact that the editing of the show made her appear extremely poised (good), but also a bit boring (not so good). But, I personally found her to be much more likeable on the show than during the final rose special. Maybe its because I was still digesting the fact that they weren’t the perfectly in love couple I saw on the finale. She seemed to be more unhappy with the relationship than Brad who I think was still in shock that he’d managed to grab a girl like Emily. 

Overall though, definitely an exciting season. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens with Brad and Emily. Do you think they’ll last? Who has been your favorite Bachelor couple so far?

If you love it, lock it!

Everyone seems to be jumping on the mom bandwagon. Celebs like Jessica Alba and Natalie Portman are expecting their babies and retailers are responding to the need for more stylish yet functional gadgets. Taking care of your child understandably comes first on your priority list. But it’s also important to retain some of your own unique personality or style. You can be a great mom and be totally stylin’ too! I love this adorable photo of Jennifer Garner and her daughter having a girly day together.

Daily mom and baby excursions can be tons of fun. All the ohhs and ahhs over how adorable your little bundle of joy is, enjoying ice cream on the boardwalk, and window shopping for new adorable baby outfits. But sometimes it can be a hassle to navigate your stroller around. Ever wanted to leave your stroller somewhere as you and your child poke into an inaccessible store, or hop onto the merry-go-round at a fair? We all know that where there are bicycle thieves, there are stroller thieves too. But you shouldn’t have to miss out on life’s spontaneous experiences. Enter, “Buggy Guard”. This handy (and stylish) gadget will keep your expensive stroller locked up while you have fun with your child. They come in the shapes of adorable colourful animals. Whether your child likes Hippos, Monkeys, Pandas, or Piggys, they’ll be able to pick the comforting animal that will keep mommy’s buggy safe and sound. But of course, this isn’t your typical lock. This one even comes with accessories! Who says a pig or a monkey doesn’t like to accessorize too. Each lock comes with 3 different coloured bow ties to suit your (or your child’s) mood. Now, whether your stroller is an oldsmobile or a shiny new model, you can be sure its always safe (and looking totally cute).

Pushing a stroller is already hard work without having to also drag that heavy diaper bag over your shoulder. If your back or shoulders seem to be screaming at you at the end of a long day of walking, its no secret why. The B-hook, the Buggy-Guards practical cousin is there to help you get those shopping bags and purses off your shoulders. The non-slip grip will suspend the bags from the handle of your stroller. It even contains a locking device to lock any valuable objects to your stroller if you need to step away for a minute. Back pain is not so stylish, and though you may be tempted to drag that bag on the floor after a mile of walking, that’s not so stylish either. Let the B-Hook give you a helping hand so you have more energy to spend with your little one. So put that heating pack and muscle cream back into the closet, and trade up for a sleek B-hook.

You want to spend as much carefree time as you can with your little one without having to struggle with a heavy stroller, or having to worry about it being stolen. The simplest gadgets really can make your life a little easier and sweeter!

Check out the Buggy Guard, the B-Hook and other great baby digs at Orangefish.ca!

Travelling On A Budget and Staying safe

One of my favorite films is “The Holiday”. I remember the first time I watched it, I thought the idea of a house trade was so cool. But its not always quite as glam as in the movies. When you’re planning a vacay, renting a house can sometimes be a great way to save some money. You can get a larger space for a smaller price. So who wouldn’t love that! Well, that’s just the problem. Renting houses instead of staying at hotels has become so popular that scammers have picked up on it.

The NYTimes wrote an article about a man who rented an apartment in London England and ended up realizing, after some detective work, that he had been scammed. Its ever person’s nightmare. Of course we all want to save some money. But whispers of identity theft, credit card fraud, and scams haunt the nightmare of anyone looking for deals. But all is not lost. There are a few ways to make sure your money stays safe and you end up having a fabulous vacation.

First, Google is your friend. Google your little heart out and check out the neighborhood, the seller’s history, the apartment address. Maybe even type some details of the ad into google, or the seller’s email address and make sure no scary websites named “scammers-revealed” or “you-got-scammed.com” come up.

Next, as the NYTimes article states, never use a money transfer. Once that money is gone, it’s gone forever. You’ll be hard pressed to get any of it back. Instead, use a credit card. If for some reason you do get scammed, the credit card company will refund some, if not all of it to you and will do their own investigations.

Though chain hotels are a safer bet, they can sometimes be expensive, and a bit boring. They all look the same, and you don’t get a chance to immerse yourself completely into the unique culture of the place you’re visiting. If you want to rent a house, or choose a room in a smaller hotel or B&B check out reliable online databases and collectives that have plenty of reviews and histories for you to look for. The more research you do, the better you’ll feel.

Have you had any close calls? Or have you ever used a website that got you a great deal and ended up being totally safe too? Share your travel tips with all us frugal travelers! I’ve rented some beautiful apartments before on vacay in Florida where I had my own elevator and hot tub. Awesome deal! I’ve used vacationrentals.com and vrbo.com before and been successful. But remember, its always about the individual renter!

Safe traveling everyone!

Think Baby Sale!

You know what they say: "April showers bring may flowers". But there's more than one kind of shower taking place in April. You can't forget about baby showers! They’re an excuse to dress up in bright pastel colours, eat cucumber sandwiches, and decorate your friend in a silly bow covered hat.

And then there’s my favorite part of baby showers (other than the pink and blue baby m&ms). I just love having an excuse to shop for adorable tiny baby-sized gear. Its just so much fun! You can’t help but ohh and ahh over the stylish mini baby accessories. But as much fun as shopping is, it can get a bit pricy with all the baby showers coming up in the next few months.

So, drumroll please…orangefish is having a baby sale! We’ve always got your back. We want you to have all the fun of shopping without the empty-wallet syndrome.

We have everything from cozy onesies, and clever baby hats to colourful art. You’re sure to find the perfect shower present, and at a discount too!

Check out our shower sale now!

Oscar fashion hits, misses, and close calls

The Oscars may be a night designed to celebrate great successes in the film industry, but who is kidding who, isn’t it also all about the fashion! I’ll sit through those dreary 2 hour long red carpet specials and watch reporters make total fools of themselves just so I can catch a glimpse of a glamorous gown or handsome tux.

Mila Kunis

I die. This dress is just so gorgeous that no one cares that she didn’t win best supporting actress. The colour, the cut, the fun lace details. Love it! Even though Joan Rivers hated her Golden Globes dress, I have to say that she might just be my best dressed lady of the whole awards season.

image from Moviephone

Natalie Portman

Defbinitely no surprise here. I think that no matter what she wore, I probably would have loved it. She’s just Hollywood’s leading lady right now and you can’t seem to criticize her. I love the dress. The colour and hints of sparkle are gorgeous. I do thin that all her accessories are a little bridesmaid-ish and matchy-matchy. I would have chosen a different colour shoe and handbag but then again who am I to say anything. This is Natalie Portman I’m talking about.

image from ivillage

Hilary Swank

Usually not a huge favorite of mine but Hilary really stepped it up this Oscar season. This dress totally reminds me of Carrie Bradshaw and I love it. The ombre effect softens the feathers, and the mix of sequins adds just the right amount of glam without going too “viva las vegas”.

Image from ivillage

Nicole Kidman

Nicole, Nicole, Nicole. You did so well at the Grammys. Why did you pick the biggest night of the year to wear this hideous dress? Why any girl would ever want to wear a dress that makes their hips look bigger is beyond me (especially when you’ve got a rockin bod like Nicole!). I’m not sure who she stole this tablecloth/bedspread/curtain from but Nicole its not nice to steal and you should really give it back. Plus, everyone knows that curtain fabric will always get you on the worst dressed list.

image from ivillage

I would talk about Helena Bonham Carter, but that would just be too obvious. She knows she’s crazy and she rocks it. Who can really criticize her.

Special shoutout goes to the biebs. Justin Bieber gets my vote for best improved hair. Sure the signature do is gone, but I think this new one is a million times better. Looks like Selena Gomez is doing him some good! Aren't they just adorable, all coordinated?

 Image from Moviephone

Overall I have to say that I was maybe a little let down by this years Oscars fashion. I thought that the Golden Globes really shown with its array of gorgeous dresses, and more people played it safe during the Oscars.

What would you wear if you were on the Oscars red carpet? Would you play it safe or pick something that might cause a little debate but could look totally fabulous?