• beauty products - parenting

    When Back to School Means Skin Breakouts: Two Chances to Win #Giveaway

    August 27, 2013 - By 

    Nothing screams back to school like a skin breakout. It happens every time your child, or even you, have a special event scheduled and the anticipation plus the erratic eating leading up to the event paints your skin an angry mess of acne, blackheads, pimples and stress. So what to do? From the time I was a teenager, Oxy and Phisoderm, were routine fixtures in our bathroom. Phisoderm was a great tool for daily face washing and skin maintenance as soon as I hit the teen years. Back then the packaging looked a lot different than it does now, but…

  • Giveaways

    Bella and Harry: Book Series #Giveaway (US only)

    August 27, 2013 - By 

    We get a lot of adorable books here and several are reviewed over on thriftymommasbrainfood, my books blog, but this is one that’s distinctive. Picture a children’s picture books series narrated by a cute pair of dogs who travel the world. Bella and Harry are adorable chihuahuas who travel and share their adventures in each new destination. The detail in each travel destination feature book is educational and interesting. My youngest enjoyed hearing about clan flags, kilts and coats of armour in the Bella and Harry go to Edinburgh book. I enjoyed Bella and Harry in Rome, tripping through the…

  • american_girl_event
    family

    American Girl’s First Ever Blogger Event #BittyBaby

    August 26, 2013 - By 

    The years are brief, in which girls play with dolls. Blink your eyes and they are almost done. Even shorter, if you have a sporty girl who had no interest in anything girly until very recently. So colour me happy and a wee bit shocked too when this one – who has been christened sporty spice, bug, two foot tornado and Hurricane Ainsley at various points in her short nine years – decided she was a doll girl. She is prone to these whiplash about turn moments now as a young almost tween. So, when I was invited to an…

  • infertility - Parenting

    Conceivable Dreams First Ever Picnic #ohip4ivf #onpoli

    August 25, 2013 - By 

    If you are near Toronto and struggling with infertility, or suspected infertility, then you won’t want to miss this opportunity. Conceivable Dreams, the provincial patient group advocating for public funding for in vitro fertilization is hosting their first ever picnic on Sept. 15th at Earl Bales Park in Toronto. The event will start at 11 a.m. and run through 3 p.m. All family members and supporters welcome. The picnic features door prizes and entertainment.  “This picnic is extremely important to raise awareness and show the many faces of infertility.  Not only to bring together a community, who suffers in silence, but…

  • FASD - Health - special needs

    Back to School Shopping with Sears #SearsBTS

    August 23, 2013 - By 

    Five outfits. Two girls. Just over $100.  I Love the math this year!! Yesterday was Back To School Day. We started the day with martial arts day camp, because it is a very busy work week for me, but I pulled my youngest out for a quick school visit to familiarize her with the building and the classroom again. It’s one of those necessary events that happen most years in late August. The visit went really well and it was funny seeing the school so empty and messy still. (Lots of work to do there before Sept. 3rd) Ainsley met…

  • Giveaways - Health

    My Cue Streamer #Giveaway – Open to Canada and US.

    August 22, 2013 - By 

    If you are a new parent, there is nothing more important than your precious little one. You would do pretty much anything to protect your child and make sure they grow strong and healthy. Parenting and caregiving is also exhausting work. There is little more tiring than the first year adjusting to a new baby,  infant, toddler. You wake bone weary, but excited to see your little one. Life is also busy. There’s work and groceries and life in general. Sometimes you entrust your child to a loved one, a grandparent, a substitute caregiver. You trust them with your heart.…

  • Giveaways

    Staples Canada First Ever Twitter Party #Linkedmoms #GoingBack

    August 22, 2013 - By 

     It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Why is that? We’re having a twitter party for Back to School. LinkedMoms and Staples Canada have partnered to bring you all the 2013 trends, must haves and technological tools to make your child’s year brilliant. Have you got this year’s backpacks yet? What about your notebooks? Laptop computers? This is your official invitation. We have some great Staples Canada gift card prizes to give away. Who: Linked Moms Twitter PartyWhen: August 28th at 8 p.m. EST.Please follow our sponsor @StaplesCanada and our hosts @inkscrblr @linkedmoms and  @downshiftingpro You must be Canadian…

  • Health - parenting - special needs

    Why I am Relieved: On Autism, #Special Needs and Hate

    August 21, 2013 - By 

    Sometimes I wonder how does hate help anyone? It is a horrible vile and debilitating feeling to carry around as a human being. And it doesn’t help anyone in a minority community, not that hateful people consider that. How is hate allowed to fester? Of that, I have no clue, but it is in fact more prevalent in neighbourhoods and institutions than you’d ever believe. This week we saw that with this horrendous letter that circulated on the news and on line. My daughter last year. Sometimes this is what special needs looks like. By now you have all heard…

  • Uncategorized

    From the Top of Chantry Island Lighthouse #WordlessWednesday #travel #explorethebruce

    August 21, 2013 - By 

    We spent last week at the beach in Southampton with my brother and his family. It was a great week and a whole lot of fun. But there were moments that were challenging knowing my Mom was not with us to enjoy each day. Leaving would have been hard even if I hadn’t driven by the old cottage one last time. This day here was the first day at the beach, when we climbed the lighthouse on Chantry Island. A moment just for me and my girls. 

  • Travel

    Bruce County Travel – Exploring the Bruce

    August 19, 2013 - By 

      All the summers of my childhood were spent with my Mom and brother on the beaches along the Bruce Peninsula. They were leisurely Bruce County summers spent sunning ourselves, swimming, growing.   Exploring Bruce County Travel Attractions  From the time my kids were little, we maintained the Bruce County summer tradition. This year, before we headed up to the beach for a week at a rented cottage I checked out a few web sites to see what was new and what we might add to our week. Tweens are fun to travel with and mine have been visiting the…