What could be more Canadian than a cup of Tim Hortons coffee warming your hands while you sit on the bleachers of your kid’s minor league hockey game? I know I spent many a nights in high school using Tim Hortons hot chocolates to keep body from dropping to an unhealthy temperature, so seeing this Canada 150th anniversary cup on Tim Hortons’ Twitter, which will be released this week, really tugged at my heart strings.

The cup features a number of iconic Canadian animals and experiences, including, of course, an animation of a cup of Tim Hortons coffee. There’s also a beaver, a VIA rail train, a maple leaf, an inukshuk, as well as a box of Timbits!

This limited edition cup doesn’t have a firm deadline for when they’ll stop serving coffee in them, but I know I’m going to be saving at least one cup as a souvenir!

Click here to find the nearest Tim Hortons Canada.

This may be a publicity stunt to detract attention away from Subway Canada’s previous reputation with ‘transparency’, but it sure is a delicious sounding one if that be the case. Subway is introducing four new paninis to their menu, which are being described as gourmet sandwiches as they will feature the freshest vegetables, quality meats and melted cheese.

The sandwiches will include:

• Chipotle Steak & Cheese: 100 per cent Canadian steak, green peppers, red onions and cheddar cheese on the new ciabatta bread
• Triple Cheese: Cheddar, Swiss and Monterey cheeses, baby spinach, red tomatoes and crunchy red onions
• Chicken Cordon Bleu: Canadian ham, grilled white meat chicken strips, Swiss cheese, baby spinach and tomatoes drizzled with creamy honey mustard
• Italian B.M.T. Melt: Genoa salami, pepperoni, ham, cheddar cheese, spinach, tomato and red onion drizzled with house sandwich sauce

This is all part of a rebranding strategy that Subway Canada’s Senior Marketing Director described as “a declaration of our commitment to the sandwich.” She described how there are a number of “exciting” changes coming to Subway’s across Canada, including new packaging and uniforms in their sandwich shops.

The gourmet paninis will be touring across Canada in a truck called the Panini Express. Beginning in Toronto and making their way east to Charlottetown, and then back west to Vancouver, the paninis will be showcased in a one-of-its-kind transparent food truck so that customers can see how the sandwiches are prepared from start to finish.

You can follow the Panini Express tour on Subway Canada’s Twitter and Facebook pages.

Click here to learn more about the paninis from Subway Canada.

Gamers listen up; Sony Entertainment Network PlayStation Store Canada is having a major sale right now on a massive number of EA Sports games where you can save up to 70% off on select games.

EA Games has been making games under the NHL banner for about 25 years now, and their latest instalment, NHL ’17, does not disappoint. The game is normally sold for $79.99 but can be bought right now for just $39.99; plus, if you’re a PS Plus member, you can save an extra 17% 0ff.

Another popular sports franchise game that’s been significantly reduced is Madden NFL ’17, now only $34.39 though it’s regularly sold for $79.99.

Click here to begin shopping at Sony Entertainment Network PlayStation Store Canada.

Did you know that one out of every three bites of food consumed is made possible by none other than the honey bee? Canadian farmers and the entire Canadian agriculture industry recognize the importance of keeping this unique pollinator alive so that future generations of Canadians can continue to benefit from the role they play in protecting our ecosystem from collapse. That is why the two groups have partnered to create Bees Matter, a program that seeks to educate and promote awareness about the increasing problem of colony collapse disorder within the Canadian environment.

Part of the group’s initiative is to provide Canadians with the supplies to build their own pollinator gardens, but what’s really great about this initiative is that it will cost you nothing!

You can sign up online to receive a free packet of seeds to plant yourself a garden that will ideally measure about 5 sq. ft. (or .45 square metres).

Click here to sign up for your free seeds to help Bees Matter Canada.

Lululemon Canada’s We Made Too Much Sale is one of my favourite deals to shop online, as I normally can’t justify spending $100+ on a sports bra or workout tee, but at the We Made Too Much Sale, Lululemon does the rare thing of dropping their usually very high prices to a bracket that is a bit more palatable for those of us who prefer to spend our money more wisely.

What’s even better about this sale, is that right now when you’re shopping at Lululemon Canada, they’ll cover your shipping and your returns – for free.

Within the men’s sale section, you can find everything from workout tanks to fashionable athleisure chino pants. But one of the better offers I found was on this men’s workout tank, which is made of Lycra to help keep your favourite shirt from smelling like your workout. The tank is currently being sold for $77.94.

And if you’re picking up a tank, you should have a pair of shorts to complement your workout ensemble. These lightweight, linerless shorts are designed for keeping you from overheating while getting your pump on, and are currently being sold for just $77.94.

In the women’s ‘We Made Too Much Sale’, you’ll be able to find equally hot deals. For instance, this practical and cute Free to Be bra is currently on sale for $64.50.

And if you’re looking for an equally hot tank top to complete your workout look, this Back at It tank top is being sold for the same price as the sports bra, only $64.50.

Lululemon Canada is offering free shipping on all orders with no minimum purchase required.

Click here to begin shopping at Lululemon Canada.

Hudson’s Bay Canada has an exclusive Elizabeth Arden make-up offer for shoppers where if you spend $40+ on any Elizabeth Arden products, you will qualify for a free 7-piece Elizabeth Arden gift.

The 7-piece gift bag is valued to be worth $150, but you will get it essentially for free when you spend $40 or more. Plus, if you spend a little bit more on Elizabeth Arden products, $80 or more, you will additionally qualify for a free full-size Flawless Start Instant Perfecting Primer (valued to be worth $195).

If you’re just wanting to spend the $40 on makeup products, then this is what will be included in your 7-piece gift bag:

• Luxury Travel Bag
• SUPERSTART Skin Renewal Booster, 5ml
• Elizabeth Arden Lip Protectant Stick SPF 15 , 3.7g
• Beautiful Color Bold Liquid Lipstick in Luscious Rasberry, 2.4ml
• PREVAGE; City Smart Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 50 Lotion, 5ml

And your choice between either:

• Prevage Anti-aging Daily Serum, 5ml
• Prevage Anti-aging Moisture Lotion SPF 30, 15ml

Or…

• ADVANCED Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Serum, 7 capsules
• Ceramide Lift and Firm Day Cream SPF 30, 15ml

This offer will be available for a limited time or while supplies remains in-stock.

The Hudson’s Bay offers free shipping on orders that are $45+ (or $29+ on beauty purchases) when you pay with your Hudson’s Bay credit card, or $99+ (or $49+ on beauty orders) when you pay with any other form of tender.

Click here to begin shopping Elizabeth Arden at the Hudson’s Bay.

Click here to shop at Hudson’s Bay.

Under Armour Canada has decided it’s time to pack away the winter leggings, thermals and coats and jump right in to summer. They’re doing this by offering FREE shipping on all women’s and men’s t-shirts and shorts.

Free shipping at Under Armour is usually only offered on orders that are $75 or more, but if you simply add a t-shirt or a pair of shorts – or a combination of both – you can qualify for free shipping. For the women, that means you could grab an inexpensive pair of shorts like these UA Play 2.0 (only $29.99) or a workout tee, like this UA Locker (only $24.99), and still pay $0 for shipping.

The men have equally good options to choose from in this shorts and tee offer. For instance, this UA Charged Cotton Sportstyle tee is being sold for just $29.99, and these UA Tech Graphic shorts are also only $29.99. Both will qualify for free shipping, together or separately.

Under Armour Canada will be offering this deal for a limited time only.

Click here to begin shopping at Under Armour Canada.

The Body Shop Canada is always a great place to shop for gifts, but this year, when you’re doing your Mother’s Day shopping, The Body Shop is going to be your best option. Why you ask? Well, right now, when you spend $30 or more at the Body Shop, you can pick up the exclusive Mother’s Day tote gift bag – valued to be worth $107 – for just $35.

The bag will include all of the following goodies:

• Drops of Youth Youth Concentrate 30ml
• Coconut Body Butter 200ml
• Satsuma Shower Gel 250ml
• White Bath Lily
• Almond Hand Cream 100ml
• 40% off coupon that can be used on your next in-store purchase

To receive the discounted tote, you will first have to add the tote to your bag (don’t worry, it’ll initially show up in your cart as $107) and then add $30 worth of other products. Once you do this, your Mother’s Day tote will be reduced to $35.

The Body Shop offers FREE shipping on all orders that are $75 or more.

Click here to begin shopping at the Body Shop Canada.

La Vie En Rose Canada has done it – they’re finally unleashing their mid-season sale where you’ll be able to save up to 70% off on everything from bras and panties to swimwear and pjs. The mid-season sale will basically go until most of the stock is gone, so it could very well end at any moment, meaning you should act quick if you find a size/style of something that you like, as tomorrow it could be gone.

In the bra sale, you’ll be able to find strapless and push-up bras being sold for as little as $14.99. For instance, this black lace push-up bra is currently being sold for $14.99, though it’s regularly priced at $42.95

If you’re not looking for a new bra, you may be gearing up for swimsuit season and so the swimwear sale may be where you want to head. In this sale, I was able to find this fabulous and flirty basket weave motif push-up bikini top for just $22.99 (reg. $45.95).

La Vie En Rose offers FREE shipping on all orders that are $75 or more.

Click here to begin shopping at La Vie En Rose.

Are you tired of always having to fill out your card information (number, expiry date, address, etc.) every time you make a purchase online? I know I certainly do. Visa Checkout is trying to keep the convenience factor in online shopping by allowing you to fill out your card information once and then simply log into your Visa Checkout account each time you’re making a purchase online.

What’s even better? From April 17 to June 11, when you spend $9.99 or more online at Pizza Pizza or on the Pizza Pizza mobile app (not the iPad app) you can receive a unique voucher code that can be put towards a free pizza on your next visit at Pizza Pizza. To receive this voucher code you will have to use Visa Checkout to pay for your order and there will be a limit of one voucher per account.

Your voucher code for the free pizza will be valid online until June 20th, 2017. These codes will not be allowed to be used in conjunction with any other promotion at Pizza Pizza.

Click here to begin shopping at Pizza Pizza Canada.

Robeez Canada is the place to shop for baby shoes. Having worked in a children’s store that stocked Robeez shoes, I can attest to their popularity with parents, grandparents and friends of mom’s who have just given birth. The shoes can be pretty pricey though, but if you’re interested in shaving a few bucks off these adorable booties and shoes, then you should check out their sale section where styles are being sold for up to 65% off the original price.

One of the biggest discounts was on these cute and quirky Dennis the Dino rainboots, which are being sold for just $14.99. The boots were originally being sold for $46 so that’s a savings of $36.01. They only have sizes left for 3-6 month olds, so I’d suggest only buying these if you know your bundle of joy is coming during the rainy months, otherwise they’ll most likely grow out of them before they can get any use out of them.

Since it is Canada’s 150th anniversary, and before you know it we’ll be bringing out the BBQ’s for the 1st of July, you might want to grab these patriotic O Canada Baby Shoes, which have conveniently been reduced to being just $16.99 (reg. $34).

Robeez offers FREE shipping on all orders that are $50 or more.

Click here to begin shopping at Robeez Canada.

Well.ca is offering a super hot price on the Ionix Paw Patrol Tower Block Set right now. A set that is ordinarily sold for $54.96 at Well.ca, and about $50 at other stores, is currently on sale for just $38.50. That’s a savings of $16.46!

The Ionix Paw Patrol Block Set is designed for a younger group of kiddies, since it is a Jr. collection. The blocks are designed to be bigger so that they’re easier to hold for the smaller and less dextrous hands. When you compare the price of this set being sold at Well.ca with other retailers that commonly sell Paw Patrol products, you really understand how great a deal this is.

At Amazon.ca the same set was being sold for $49.99, and it was being sold for the same price at Toys R Us as well.

Well.ca offers FREE shipping on all orders that are $35 or more, so this order will also qualify for free shipping.

Click here to buy the Ionix Paw Patrol Tower Block Set.

If you’ve never ventured to one of Canada’s most treasured manmade creations (no, I’m not talking about the CN Tower…), then today might be the day to buy yourself tickets to Canada’s Wonderland as they’re having incredible sales on their pre-season tickets.

Usually, a one-day ticket to Canada’s Wonderland would cost you $63.99, but right now, if you buy a pre-season ticket or a gate opening sale one-day ticket, you can save up to $34 on your ticket!

The gate opening sale one-day ticket will only be valid from April 30-May 31, but you’ll still be able to enjoy all of the same great rides and games that regular season ticket holders get to enjoy – just just have an earlier time deadline that you’ll have to use your tickets by. These tickets are currently being sold for just $29.99!

The Pre-Season tickets are being sold for $10 more at $39.99, but you will have the flexibility to use your tickets at any point over the season. The only exclusions that apply to this ticket price is that it can’t be used on the Halloween Haunt night. Other than that, you’ll be free to use this ticket whenever suits you this summer.

Click here to begin shopping at Canada’s Wonderland.

Naturalizer Canada is helping you give your spring footwear an overhaul with this excellent promo code where you can save an additional 25% off on already reduced sale items. Though you’d assume that most of the items in this sale would be categorized as ‘winter wear’ shoes, there’s actually a rather decent selection of spring and summer options. To get the discount, use the promo code STOCKUP.

If you’re looking for a flattering pair of flats for the office that are both cute and comfortable, then you may want to check out these Vine taupe flats, which have been discounted by 39% off the retail price of $99, now only $59.99. But, when you add the promo code, STOCKUP, you’ll be able to receive an extra 25% off at checkout, meaning these shoes are just $44.99.

And while the initial discount on these Zahn Mauve Leather Pumps isn’t that significant (only 12% off of an original price of $159), when you add the extra 25% off the savings become much sweeter. These fashionable pumps were previously being sold for $139.99, but with the discount they’ll just be $104.99.

Naturalizer will be offering this discount until 11:59pm ET tonight.

Shipping costs $6.50 for the first item, then $2.00 for each additional item in the order.

Click here to begin shopping at Naturalizer Canada.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is moving to ban all trans fats in the United States, citing the fats as being “a public health concern”. While the U.S. is taking steps to formally remove the artificial fats from their market, Canada still stands steps behind their southern counterpart as they have yet to meet their own 2007 goal of eliminating trans fats from products.

Trans fats can be naturally found in some meats, but the kind we’re talking about is the artificial kind, which are made by making oil into a solid through the addition of hydrogen (hence why they are also known as partially hydrogenated oils). Trans fats are often used to create a softer texture in manufactured goods, like baked treats, breads, deep fried foods, and margarine. They also extend the shelf life of food.

The problem, among many, with trans fats is that they raise your bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein) while lowering your good cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein). These artery cloggers have been linked to a greater risk of stroke, coronary heart disease and sudden cardiac death.

And so, with the U.S. finally making steps to curb the use of these proven heart stoppers, where is Canada’s plan?

To understand Canada’s history with trans fats, you have to go back to 2007, when Health Canada asked the food industry to eliminate or at least reduce the use of trans fats in their products. They were given two years to meet this deadline, and if they did not meet it voluntarily, then the government said they would step in to make regulations that would force them to alter their trans fats usage.

In 2009, even with the voluntary bans in place, trans fats were still found to be in 25 percent of the food consumed by Canadians. And since then very little has been done (officially) to stop trans fats from being put into our food. What’s more harmful is that under food labelling regulations in Canada, if the food product you are consuming has less than half a gram of trans fat per serving, then producers are allowed to list the amount of trans fats as being ‘0’.

This may not seem like a lot, but trans fats are one of those unsaturated fats that any amount is considered bad for you, and those hidden amounts can really add up.

That being said, Health Canada is attempting to follow the steps of our neighbours to the south. On Friday, Heath Canada presented a “Notice of Proposal” which would prohibit the use of industrially produced partially hydrogenated oils. If passed, this shift would be the first major step in completely eliminating trans fats from the Canadian diet.

*Note: In B.C., they decided to take matters into their own hands and removed all artificial trans fats in foods prepared and served in the province in 2009. This included restaurants, schools and health care services.

Until then though, here’s a helpful little list of some of the biggest offenders for containing trans fats that you should be on the look out for (though you should always be checking the nutrition label to be sure your specific brand does or doesn’t have trans fats in it):

• margarine (stick or tub)
• shortening
• microwave popcorn
• deep fried fast foods
• doughnuts
• cream filled candies
• frozen pizza
• pie crust
• pre-packaged frostings and baked goods
• pancake and waffle mixes
• non-dairy creamers
• frozen/pre-packaged biscuits
• frozen treats/creamy drinks (e.g. Dairy Queen blizzards)

This just a cautionary list of places where you could find trans fats. This is by no means an exhaustive list and it also doesn’t mean that because margarine is listed as one of the usual offenders for using trans fats that your specific brand of margarine also has trans fats in it (e.g. Smart Balance is a popular margarine that’s trans fat free).

Happy and healthy shopping!