• birthdays
    parenting

    Celebrate Life and all The Little Moments #BirthdaysCount

    August 17, 2015 - By 

    When my children were little we spent many hours celebrating being a family. And every year their birthdays were all consuming but wonderful little landmarks of our lives together. For weeks we would plot guest lists and the themes, building the perfect cake. Planning presents that would make their hearts sing. They were one and two and barely old enough to remember, but I remember every last detail. Every present bought, special invitation, and each special guest that shared their day and held them close. Sometimes I bought their cakes, but very often I tried to bake something special just for…

  • mabel's labels
    family - Giveaways - parenting

    Back to School with Mabel’s Labels Stylish Scholar’s Combo #BTS #Giveaway

    August 16, 2015 - By 

    This is a back to school pun. What gets misplaced, but never lost? Easy peasy. Anything boasting a smart Mabel’s Labels Stylish Scholars Combo. My kids misplace stuff all year long. But they rarely lose it. Why is that? We slap Mabel’s Labels on pretty much everything important. They worked beautifully for camp when we had the camp combo and they work every bit as well for the remainder of the year. We use ours for all the sports equipment and extracurriculars. The other day we started back to school shopping which means it was also time to pull out the…

  • Back to school coloring pages
    Printables

    Back to School Coloring Page Printable

    August 15, 2015 - By 

    It’s almost back to school time so start getting ready. Maybe you already are getting ready. There are a few small things I used to do to help get my little ones ready for back to school season. There’s back to school clothes shopping of course and then there’s back to school preparation such as driving by school to help my littles remember where they are going. They used to need a lot of help transitioning to school. My one daughter had pretty severe separation anxiety and it took her years to get accustomed to the back to school routine.…

  • pepper-boats-appetizer
    family - Food - Health

    Gluten Free Pepper Boats Appetizer – Featuring Fiesta Dinnerware

    August 14, 2015 - By 

    Remember earlier this year when I got a gorgeous batch of sexy new Fiesta dishes in slate? Well, over the summer I have been building my Fiesta collection. It has been such a glorious highlight of the summer. The Fiesta brand is colourful and durable and these dishes make me proud to serve a meal or a special appetizer. That’s what I love about Fiesta. They are traditional with a little hit of fun colour and so much sophistication. Over the summer I was guest pinner on Fiesta’s Pinterest account. And now that I am done that I am here…

  • family - parenting

    My Back to School Fill Ins Printable #BTS

    August 14, 2015 - By 

    Back to school means certain things are soon to be regular daily features of our lives again. Like backpacks and desks and homework. Like the school bus and notebooks and forms. Oh the forms! I dread the forms already. So what, do you enjoy about back to school? Is there anything you are not so fond of? Are you ready yet? How about your little people? Are they ready yet? [tweetthis]Are you ready for Back to School season?[/tweetthis] This month I am rolling out a few free back to school printables just for you. If you aren’t already a regular…

  • Apple Dessert Recipes
    family - Food

    8 Delicious Apple Dessert Recipes

    August 13, 2015 - By 

    Everyone knows apple pie is one of the most loved Apple Dessert Recipes. But what else can you do with your ripe apples? How many different ways are there to cook or bake something tasty with this beloved fruit? Today, I just wanted to share eight new ways of my favourite Apple Dessert Recipes. What’s better than fresh apple picking on the farm in the fall months? Well, maybe cooking with those fresh apples after you pick them. I love apples – all kinds of apples. Happily my kids love them too. One of my favourite places to go every…

  • bunch o balloons water balloons
    family - parenting

    Water Balloons That Work – Bunch O Balloons Water Balloons by Zuru #BBNYC #SweetSuite15

    August 12, 2015 - By 

    One of my children gets something in her head and she’s completely fixated on making it happen. This has been the story of our summer. We went shopping in late June at Sears Outlet in our city and she spied a water balloon device and had to have it, so I bought the thing. We planned a fun afternoon out and kept it for when the older cousins came over and guess what? It didn’t work. Not even close. It was missing a part or something and I was mad and she was frustrated. Dad even tried to fix it (remember…

  • gluten free diet
    family - Food - Health

    Why Did I Start a Gluten Free Diet? – Part 1 of an Ongoing Series

    August 11, 2015 - By 

    It’s not a news flash to anyone here that I have Crohn’s Disease. I talk about that periodically. Some days are brutally painful and some are not. I have been doing this dance since I was 14 so I have some strategies to manage my illness. My one daughter has had strange joint pain and a limp for six months now – that might be juvenile arthritis, or a bone problem or anything at this point. It’s clearly not anything broken though. We are still going through testing and appointments to determine what is going on with her. That same daughter also…

  • back to school matching printable
    family - parenting

    Back to School Matching Printables #BTS

    August 11, 2015 - By 

    It’s August, which means some of you will have kids going back to school soon. Where did the summer go? Are your little people excited about going back soon, or do they want more summer? Have you started your back to school shopping or preparation? I have to admit I like the routine returning to some semblance of normal. BUT I like the summer even more. Now if only summer was less expensive. I am tapped out of money from all the summer camps. I really noticed the cost this year. In the spirit of back to school and saving…

  • getting rid of wasps
    Health - homes

    Getting Rid of Wasps Naturally

    August 9, 2015 - By 

    By now you have probably searched how to get rid of wasps naturally many times this summer. Is there anything more annoying in the summer months than wasps? There’s a point in August where every time I set foot in my outdoor office (i.e.. my deck in the backyard) I am practically swarmed by wasps. That makes me nuts. But at the same time I don’t want to spray harsh chemicals around the yard. I mean we play there all the time and I work there too. So how do you get rid of wasps naturally? Is it even possible,…