That time we ran out of batteries (sponsored post)

It happens to the best of us. We’ve all gone to reach into our trusty battery repository in the far corners of our homes to grab a set of double-As, and – nada.

Your fingers hunt in the dark. Nothing. So you turn on the light to broaden your search: flashlight, check; screwdriver with the little “x” on it, check; those little pads for the feet of your furniture, check; random hooks to hang 13 different sizes of picture frames, check. But batteries? Zilch.

I don’t know about you, but batteries don’t often make it onto my weekly grocery list. I tend to buy a huge pack once we’re out, shove them into storage and reach in for a couple here and there when we need them. I don’t keep track.

But there are times when this strategy doesn’t work out so well. Like when your kid gets something so brand new and shiny and exciting that they can barely refrain from peeing their pants, despite being potty trained for three years.

And that’s precisely when it happened to us. The K Man had been given the opportunity to test drive a new Skylanders game (and basically fainted when he opened the courier box). So we unboxed it as quickly as possible, slid the DVD into our Wii console, picked up the controller, turned everything on and tried to start the game. We didn’t get very far. It was one of those slow-motion moments when you can see the train wreck that’s about to happen, but are keenly aware that you can do nothing to stop it.

As soon as we figured out that the wireless controller’s batteries were on their last legs, Big B raced upstairs to retrieve replacements. But when he reached for those two magical cylinders of joy, he was met with the sad realization that we were completely out.

You know what happened next, right? The crying. The devastation that can only come from a (then) five-year-old whose entire world is brightened and crushed inside of five minutes.

Oh, don’t worry…we weren’t total jerks. We ran out, grabbed some fresh batteries from the corner store and tried again. Successfully.

But maybe if we’d had the new Energizer^® EcoAdvanced^tm  batteries, we could have squeezed a bit more life out of that controller and avoided the corner store entirely that day. (Because I truly hate shopping at corner stores.)

I love that they’re the world’s first battery made with recycled batteries; it’s four per cent, but it’s a start. And if Energizer is telling you that it’s the longest-lasting alkaline battery they’ve ever made, that’s saying something. I mean, they’ve got that pink bunny who just keeps going, and going, and going, and…

Lucky for you, if you need to put batteries on your grocery list this week and you grab yourself a package of Energizer^® EcoAdvanced^tm, you get to visit energizerwinsmart.com where, now until March 16, you can enter your UPC and be entered  to win a smart fortwo vehicle (worth an incredible $26,000!). OK, OK – so there’s only one of those up for grabs but you could also win one of ten $100 President’s Choice gift cards, too. (Just think of all the batteries you could buy with that sucker.)

Just make sure you shop at one of these Loblaw banner stores to qualify: Loblaws, Maxi, Maxi & Cie, Atlantic Superstore, Real Canadian Superstore, Zehrs or Dominion.

And since we’re talking giveaways, let’s do one here, too! Enter HERE to win an Energizer^® EcoAdvanced^tm prize pack, with some fancy new batteries, an Energizer flashlight and a Loblaw’s gift card valued at $25.

DISCLAIMER: Energizer compensated me for this post, but my personal story and opinions are my own. Loblaw Companies Ltd. is one of my firm’s clients, and I am in no way beholden to promote brands or companies with whom we work. Unless I really, really want to…and if you see it on my page, you can trust that I wanted to.