When my friends at Hill and Knowlton asked me if I’d be interested in sponsoring a Loblaws / President’s Choice holiday giveaway, I was torn. I have a very intense relationship with Loblaws, even though I’m pretty sure Loblaws doesn’t even know I exist. (Seems alarmingly like most of my high school relationships, now that I think of it.)
See, on the one hand, I love Loblaws. I shop there or at the Independent across the street every single week, and I love their stuff. I especially love the Insider’s Report, and I’m absurdly and perhaps unhealthily excited when new products come out. On the other hand, Loblaws does occasionally make me so crazy that I want to divorce them and run away with Sobey’s. On the other other hand, you know I love Hill and Knowlton and the fun projects they bring to us. And when I accepted their offer of a bunch of new products from the Insiders Report based on a caveat that we could also put together a giveaway for you guys, they didn’t blink an eye. Really, I got on board this bloggy giveaway as much because of H&K as because of Loblaws.
So I knew I would be getting a big box of samples to try, and I knew we’d set up a giveaway for you to share in the bounty. What I did not expect was this:
I mean, that’s a REALLY big box. And do you know what was inside? I so love this! They had individually wrapped and labeled 25 packages with the numbers one through 25. The box arrived on December 1st. Yes, they mailed me a giant grocery advent calendar full of President’s Choice products from the Holiday Insider’s Report. How awesome is that?
The boys were beside themselves with excitement at this amazing box of presents, and had a great time lining them all up in numerical order. (Lookit me go, presents + free food + teaching opportunity! What fun!) Then they opened up package number one, which was a bottle of PC Mulled Cider (I looked, but couldn’t find a link. Another thing that makes me squirrelly about PC – the search engine is questionable at best). The boys don’t really like pop, but they asked for a sample of this with dinner and both agreed it was a sparkly twist on plain old cider.
The December 2 package contained a shiny (ooo, shiny!) new PC Cake Server. I’m not sure if I can be patient enough to keep opening just one package per day when I know there are some really yummy treats in there, but so far we’re having a lot of fun with this.
(As you’ll see in the background of the photographs, we’re in the middle of transitioning from carpet to laminate, and finding a place to put 25 23 individually-wrapped grocery items is proving to be a lot more of a challenge than it might have posed on an ordinary week, since everything from the living room and dining room has been moved elsewhere in the house, including my overstuffed and oversized love seat and sofa taking up the entire kitchen. Currently, most of the treats from Loblaws are stacked in the front hall closet!)
So while this has been an unexpectedly delightful bloggy event (can we pause again to say how much I love H&K?) on my part, it gets better! Our friends at H&K have put together an amazing gift basket that one of you lucky bloggy peeps will win just in time for holiday entertaining season. (Or, the holiday “go away, it’s MINE, get yer own!” season, depending on how it rolls at your place.)
The gift basket is loaded with some of the best items for the PC Holiday Insiders Report, with holiday entertaining in mind.
The gift basket includes:
- PC Mulled Apple
- PC Raspberry Martini Mocktail
- PC Chocolate Egg Nog
- PC Mini (6รขโฌย) holiday crackers
- Belgian chocolate cookie tin
- PC gingerbread bites
- PC Scottish Shortbread
- PC Apple Pecan Gourmet Topper
- PC Holiday Chocolate Figurines
And lookit how they packaged it all up in a reuseable PC Green Bin tote for you. Awesome, eh? So here’s the details:
The contest is open from now through noon on Monday, December 7, 2009. There are three ways you can earn a ballot to enter this contest:
- Leave a comment below and tell me one treat you look forward to during the holiday season. Grandma’s shortbread? Your special-recipe stuffing? Swiss Chalet’s Festive Special? What taste tells you it’s holiday time?
- Write about the contest on your blog, linking to this post, and come back and leave me a comment with the URL to let me know about it.
- Tweet the contest on twitter using hashtag #PC_Holiday and linking to this blog post, and leave me a comment with a link to your status update. (You can create a direct link to your Twitter update by clicking on the time of the update and saving that link.) You can use tinyurl http://tinyurl.com/ye6ayq2
The fine print: this contest is open to Canadian residents only. One winner will be chosen by using the random number generator at random.org, selected from all eligible entries. The winner will be announced the afternoon or evening of December 7, 2009. You must be willing to share your mailing address with me, and I will share it with Hill and Knowlton Canada, who will ship the prize directly to the winner.
You can buy President’s Choice products at Loblaws, Independent, Extra Foods, No Frills, Superstore, Fortinos, ValuMart, Zehrs, Maxi, Provigo, SaveEasy and Dominion — here’s an online store locator!
Thanks to Loblaws and Hill and Knowlton for another fun giveaway. Good luck to all!
I look forward to my mom’s cherry cake!
I’ve tweeted!
Mom’s buttertarts! So yummy!
That basket looks awesome!! I agree on the love-hate with Loblaws (aka Superstore on the West Coast). I love the PC products, but hate with a passion their actual stores. Every time we go in there we run into some kind of problem and end up yelling at some poor hapless customer service rep, then feeling guilty afterwards.
Anyway, would LOVE to win the giveaway! My favourite holiday treat is almond roca, by far! We use the recipe from Best of Bridge – super easy, almost fail-proof (if you have a candy thermometer), and completely delicious.
That is such a great prize! And it’s making me hungry ๐
I look forward to making Martha Stewarts Rosemary Pine nut cookies every year. I’d make them all year round if I had my way, but my waistline doesn’t appreciate that!
My mom passed away in September after a battle with Brain Cancer. Every year she would bake me a Cherry Cake and a Gum Drop cake.. this is the first year that I won’t be getting my care package..
Love you Mom!!
Today’s Tweet:
http://twitter.com/Luvschweetheart/statuses/6370128035
Luvschweetheart AT gmail.com
I love sitting and having a coffee on Christmas morning – just enjoying that quiet time before the craziness of the day begins. ๐
One treat? ummm… it’s too hard to choose only one! I’m all about the Christmas baking. Crinkly gingersnaps, shortbread, eggs-and-bacon (really, white chocolate, pretzel sticks and yellow smarties), and all the other holiday treats really say Christmas to me. These are things I only make at Christmas time to keep them special.
Oh, and eggnog. Christmas wouldn’t be the same without it!
I blogged at
http://emilyisland.blogspot.com/2009/12/dress-troubles-and-blogger-sellout.html
๐
as good as shortbread cookies are, i absolutely cherish the time off work,
time to sleep in, time to spend with family and friends…
I look forward to the Christmas braid my mom makes for Christmas breakfast every year. That is the way I know it’s Christmas!
Egg nog! I love egg nog… egg nog doesn’t love me and I’ll get sick as heck, but it’s sooooooo worth it!
I blogged your contest! http://www.cancontests.com/2009/12/contests-from-elsewhere-win-pc-products.html
Thank you!
Tweeted! ๐ http://twitter.com/antispamgirl/statuses/6384916488
Thank you!
homemade shortbread cookies
Christmas seems to be the only time I have mincemeat.
Tweet! http://twitter.com/bcgirll/status/6386587236
I always look forwward to butter tarts at Christmas.
I am SUCH a whore for giveaways!
My favourite holiday treat has to my mom’s fudge. Old fashioned brown sugar fudge. Y-U-M
My girlfiend’s homemade cherryball cookies ( marishino cherries wrapped with a delicious shortbread cookie dough mmmmmmmmm ! Oh yes, and there’s the coffee and bailey’s on Christmas morning (as long as I’m not driving anywhere)!
tweeted:
http://twitter.com/tianadargent/status/6387864482
Also, my favorite treat is fresh baked cinnamon rolls on x-mas morning.
Also tweeted you too http://tinyurl.com/ye6ayq2
So, just in case two things was not within the rules..Here’s the # 1 thing I love at Christmas: my girlfriends homemade cherryball cookies made with merishino cherries and shortbread cookie dough! mmmmmmmm
I look forward to eggnog. And to telling my husband how unhealthy it is, and how we shouldn’t have any. And then drinking it anyway.
The best treat I can have for christmas is my family around the table and kids making a havoc of the appartment.
But if we’re taking food, it’s my uncle’s cheese straws. It’s probably the only thing that has been on the table since I was a kid. Made of butter and cheese and some flour, crispy and satly and oily. They have to be eaten on the spot, because they get softish after a day or two. But anyway, no worry about that, it’s the first thing that disapears from the table. Every single year.
My mom makes a delicious Italian Ricotta Cake during the holidays. Yum, yum. Can’t wait…
I think the thing we have every year that it wouldn’t be Christmas without is the shortbread that I make from a recipe I got from the Toronto Star back in the 80’s. Shortbread was not a Christmas tradition for me growing up, but it has certainly made its way into my heart since.
Too many treats to mention. So I’ll stick with eggnog too as I’d only ever drink that in December. Whereas I’d happily eat turkey and all the trimmings, oh, about once a month if I could.
Tweeted: my status update http://twitter.com/ewiller/status/6390297254
Pumpkin chiffon pie is how I know it’s the holiday season! YUM! My mother-in-law makes it every year and it is a light fluffy version of pumpkin pie of course topped with whipped cream! Can’t wait!
hether78(at)gmail(dot)com
I look forward to the yule logs that are made by Vachon. I haven’t found them yet this year, but have been looking. I know they are calorie-laden logs of sugar but I can’t help but eat an outrageous number of slices each year.
I don’t really have a specific treat for the holiday, but Swiss Chalet does have fun specials during this time ๐ My family’s favorite spot to eat
For me, it’s decorating cookies at my mom’s with various nieces and nephews, toddlers to teens and with Reid. Sometimes I eat a cookie or two but mostly I laugh at the stained faces that prove the kids have been sampling their work.
Today’s Tweet: http://twitter.com/Luvschweetheart/statuses/6399885563
Luvschweetheart AT gmail.com
A few years ago, we created a new tradition in our family. Waffles on Christmas Eve. So now, we all look forward it decadent waffles with all the trimmings every Christmas!
I tweeted the giveaway using the hashtag and linking it back to this blog post!
hether78(at)gmail(dot)com
A Terry’s Chocolate Orange (Whack and Unwrap!) tells me it’s the Holiday Season!
My mother’s tortiere is totally totally awesome. When I smell it or taste it, I know that Christmas has arrived.
Also tweeted
tinyurl http://tinyurl.com/ye6ayq2
I totally look forward to my Mom’s peanut butter marshmellow squares – they are THE BEST! And so easy to make, but yet I don’t – I just wait every year for Christmas to get my fill of them!
Great contest Dani!!
Growing up in Australia where it is often 40 degees C on Christmas Day, I am like a little kid wishing for a White Christmas! And also turkey dinner!
I love PC products! How cool to have received such a great box of stuff! I also get excited to crack opn the Insider’s Report! Please add me name to the draw!
want to win a box of #PC_Holiday goodies? visit Postcards from the Mothership to enter! http://tinyurl.com/ye6ayq2 (CANADIANS ONLY?)
I look forward to all my mom’s great cooking
RT @antispamgirl: NEW Win an awesome gift basket of PC Products! (Canada ONLY) http://danigirl.ca/blog/2009/12/03/loblaws-holiday-giveaway
tinyurl http://tinyurl.com/ye6ayq2
Hmmm
So many favorites!
Would have to be Peanut Butter Balls
My favourite treat is peppermint bark — this will be the third year I’ve made it with the kids and they love it! It’s delicious but it’s also a good family baking event. ๐
I’m embarrassed to admit this, but for me Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a box of Kellog’s poptarts. When I was a kid my parents never buy them for me, no matter how much I begged. But every Christmas morning there would be a box of them wrapped up in my stocking. I was allowed to open one stocking stuffer before Grandma and Grandpa arrived at the door on Christmas morning. Every year I felt around for that poptart box and had my own private, early morning feast. To this day, I always treat myself to a box — it’s my special gift to myself.
I look forward to the chocolate cherry cookies my friend makes.
I look forward to my sisters homemade cookies. She has that special touch when it comes to baking.
A real favourite treat of mine is a special boiled pudding (“boiled pudding you say?). They are a popular Newfoundland tradition of various combitions that are cooked in a cloth bag in a large pot of boiled water. I continue to do every year here in our house. Keeps me connected to family Christrmas’ past on the Rock
Wow! What an awesome gift from PC I had to tweet about it… I would have to say that Ginger is the flavour that I associate with holidays. I love my Aunt’s Ginger Loaf and she only makes it at this time of year. I am sure it takes her longer to make it than it does for us to eat it.
I look forward to eggnog
Tweeted. (amt946)
http://twitter.com/amt946/status/6416839665
I’m looking forward to my MIL’s peanut and pea salad (with bacon!), my mom’s mashed potatoes (with sour cream AND cream cheese), and my mom’s ginger snaps (I can’t duplicate how she makes them no matter how hard I try).
For Christmas I make cookies and hand them out to friends and family- my favorite cookie is called a double almond cookie–the smell and taste of thise remind me of Christmas.
kakihararocks@gmail.com
I always look forward to my Aunts homemade Oatmeal Date Cookies. I love them. They werwe my grandmas recipe.
I blogged here: http://ladylucksabode.blogspot.com/2009/12/pc-holiday-gift-basket-giveaway.html
I blogged about this here: http://ladylucksabode.blogspot.com/2009/12/pc-holiday-gift-basket-giveaway.html
I also blogged about it!
I can only imagine how much fun you must be having with this each day!
http://motherwifeandmore.blogspot.com/2009/12/lots-of-people-doing-25-days.html
This year I’m really looking forward to my Grandma’s buttertarts. Although this year will be different and more sentimental since she passed away this summer and I’ll be baking them using her recipe.
I tweeted too! http://twitter.com/simplyfrugal/status/6421366724
I’m one of those rare people that actually likes fruit cake – I actually love it.
So I look forward to the fruit cake – it is definitely one of my favorite things this season. I’m also posting this on my blog – meandmycanon.blogspot.com
Thank you – and seasons greetings!
Looking forward to nibbling on my Mom’s Peanut Brittle before the huge supper…
I am so looking forward to turkey stuffing and gravy … so delicious and only get it at Christmas time!
Here’s the blog link: http://gohomelaker.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/win-a-basket-from-presidents-choice/
Here’s the tweet: http://twitter.com/gohomelaker
tinyurl http://tinyurl.com/ye6ayq2
HASHTAG #PC_Holiday
tinyurl http://tinyurl.com/ye6ayq2
I like Pumpkin Pie and Gingerbread cookies. My homemade clam chower is great too.
Win a gift basket of PC Products! #PC_Holiday http://tinyurl.com/ye6ayq2
Oh, I’ll play along, too. ๐ My taste of Christmas? A wonderful marzipan-laced Stollen, snowy with powdered sugar, straight from Germany into my watering mouth. Yum!
Stuffing. Definitely stuffing. And Christmas breakfast (which is just a breakfast casserole of egg and sausage).
Much like Rockin’ Robin, I go tweet, tweet: http://twitter.com/DaniGirl/status/6347992471
Canadians – Win a gift basket of full President's Choice Products! http://ow.ly/Jpxu #PC_Holiday
Win a gift basket of PC Products! #PC_Holiday http://tinyurl.com/ye6ayq2
RT @DaniGirl: Did you see the #PC_Holiday gift basket giveaway on my blog? http://tinyurl.com/ye6ayq2
Canadians – Win a gift basket of full President's Choice Products! http://ow.ly/Jpxu #PC_Holiday
I love our special Christmas dessert – sticky date pudding. It doesn’t sound very good but it is heavenly, sweet, sticky, with warm sauce and cold icecream and just a hint of baileys…I can hardly wait!
I look forward to my mom’s awesome butter tarts every Christmas!
Don’t think I’ll get a chance to do a blog post and marketing tweets kinda drive me bonkers so I’m going to skip that method of entry (much as I think your blog and this contest are fab).
Maybe this one little comment will be lucky for me! Cheers!
Sugar Cookies!….(royal_bay@hotmail.com)
I look forward to all the appetizers and finger foods during the holiday season.
For me it’s all about the wonderful smells that originate in the kitchen and waft through the whole house, aided by the oven door being opened to baste the turkey or turn the roast potatoes.
Home made butter tarts!
WOW! Thanks to everyone who entered, the contest is now closed.
I’ll try to have the winner’s name posted later on this afternoon or evening… but with all these entries it’ll take a while to sift through them all!!
Good luck!!
I look forward to my MIL’s snowball cookies and also to Hot Apple Cider.
Happy Holidays to all!
My favourite treat is shortbread cookies! I only make them at Christmas.