• Cheesy stuffed pasta
    family - Food - parenting

    Family Favourite Cheesy Stuffed Pasta #GayLeaMom

    January 23, 2015 - By 

    Cheesy stuffed pasta I love manicotti and I love cannelloni too. I remember making these both as a teenager. I still love a tasty cheesy pasta dish and so does my family. So sometimes we combine the two ideas of cannelloni and manicotti and make our own version of cheesy stuffed pasta with a little help from Nordica cottage cheese. The ingredients aren’t expensive and this should make enough for the entire family, and then some. When we made this scrumptious and nutritious dinner last week, we actually made enough for two nights. The kids ended up taking some for…

  • Technology

    Ring Ring Pick Up the Phone – Cell Phones and Teens – The Sequel

    January 23, 2015 - By 

    Remember this post? Remember when I posted this week about the $400 strange data charge on our Rogers bill? Remember how thrilled I was when I realized it was my darling daughter’s phone which doesn’t even have data that rang up a huge data bill? Yes, I was livid and I confiscated the phone and the iPad. And I was peeved at Rogers, because I told them when I hooked said phone up that it was for calling. We had talk and text only. And yet a $400 data bill arrived. How does that happen? I queried how this happened…

  • Disney on Ice
    family - family travel

    Disney on Ice Worlds of Fantasy #Giveaway #ldnont

    January 22, 2015 - By 

    It’s that time of year again!! Disney on Ice is coming here again! Alright I promise that’s the end of the rhyming for this post. Nothing makes me happier than a mid-winter break at Budweiser Gardens to see Disney On Ice. We attend almost every year and have been doing so since the girls were very small. I will never ever forget the look of awe on Payton’s face the first time I took her to see the amazing skating show. She was a bit over two years old and she was mesmerized by all the glorious activity. As magical…

  • Travel Costa Maya
    active family travel - family - parenting - Travel

    Travel Tuesday Linky – Hair in Costa Maya, Mexico

    January 20, 2015 - By 

    Remember how I told you we went on a cruise? (I might have mentioned it once or twice.) Our first port was Costa Maya, Mexico. We have been to Mexico several times. Most recently I was there with my older daughter visiting Puerto Vallarta back in June for a media trip. This time we parachuted in so to speak on a short time frame. We just had the day, really. It was our first stop out of four. I mentioned Roatan here last week. We left the United States from Tampa and travelled for a full day getting used to…

  • Mike The Knight on Tour
    family

    Mike The Knight On Tour in 45 Cities!

    January 20, 2015 - By 

    When my girls were small I loved taking them to events and live shows. The look of excitement on their faces was priceless. Watching a beloved character come to life on stage just feet away from where they sat or stood dancing, well it almost had them vibrating with glee. We have seen many shows over the years and know how fun these live theatrical productions can be. That’s why I am happy to share Mike The Knight with all my readers. Mike The Knight is embarking on a 45-city national tour starting this month! A highlight for readers here…

  • How to Make Painting Easier
    family - Giveaways - homes

    How do you Make Painting Easier? #Giveaway

    January 19, 2015 - By 

    My husband is a handy guy. Thank goodness for that. He paints and builds and fixes. That saves a lot of money over time. Sadly we don’t always have the time for him to do the big picture projects, or even the emergency plumbing kinds of things, but he is the go to guy for helping. He lends himself to friends and family for wallpaper and painting and general fixit carpentry kinds of things. He is also very good at painting. He has a really old painting and wallpapering tray and kit and it sits in our garage waiting for someone…

  • adoption and tweens - Parenting

    Ring Ring Pick up the Phone… ERRRR Don’t: Hard Life Lessons for Digital Kids

    January 19, 2015 - By 

    Kids are the best. Except when they are giving me grey hairs. Which was the weekend. Oh I still love them madly and to the moon and back. But opening a Rogers bill to find out someone had added data packs on their own to their relatively newly connected phone supposed to be used for emergencies only, and then having my eyeballs pop out of my head, was not on the schedule for today. And yet there it was $400 worth of added data. So what happened? Well, I picked my eyeballs up off my laptop and then I spent…

  • baby being anointed as he is christened and two men looking on. Priest holding a large book in front of him. It could be a bible but is blurred out of focus
    family - Food - parenting

    How to Plan a Christening Celebration Party

    January 18, 2015 - By 

    Easy steps to planning a Christening celebration party   How to Plan a Christening Celebration Party A Christening or baptism is a special day for a loved one and those attending the event. The party following the ceremony is a wonderful chance for family and friends to gather in celebration. While planning the accompanying Christening reception party, keep in mind the reverence and sacredness of the day while also allowing for opportunities for friends and family to visit and socialize. To help make the day go more smoothly, Jennifer Carver of Spaceships and Laser Beams has put together a simple checklist…

  • family

    Happy Valentine’s Day Word Search Printable

    January 17, 2015 - By 

    This is my first ever word search hosted on Thrifty Momma’s Tips. If you folks like it then I will decide if I should run more or not. In the mean time here is a quick freebie to keep the kids busy for Valentine’s Day. Happy searching! Why Word Searches? Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and we love word searches so I thought I would put together a speedy Valentines Day Word Search for readers to enjoy. I have been a fan of word searches ever since I was a kid. I used to take them to doctor’s appointments and I…

  • Target Canada
    family - parenting

    Target Canada Closing – What Went Wrong? – Interview with Retail Expert

    January 16, 2015 - By 

    Target Canada made headlines across the country this week announcing they will close all 133 Canadian stores opened under two years ago. Target trended on Twitter all week, but this time it wasn’t for a twitter party or a social media marketing event. It was bad news for many. I interviewed retail expert John Winter of John Winter and Associates today on what went wrong. I used to  talk with John Winter often when I wrote daily news columns for business sections of the news. I still remember interviewing him when Walmart set up shop in Canada in the 90s. That was…