• family

    Business Blogging Part 2: Why Like Us on Facebook is Not a Social Media Strategy

    July 18, 2013 - By 

    Like Us on Facebook is not a Social Media Strategy for Business. There’s a sweet little spa down around the corner from my house that I frequent from time to time. I enjoy it there. It’s quiet. The owner is calm and the atmosphere soothing. Business trickles in and out and it is never overbooked. When I get a paraffin pedicure I can relax because it is so quiet. Recently, I noticed their sign out front was changed to read: TRIPLE A Spa (not its name) Like Us on Facebook. I have driven by it daily and walked by it…

  • infertility

    The Pfeiffer’s In Vitro Fertilization Success Story #abhc4ivf #abpoli

    July 17, 2013 - By 

      Tammy and Matt Pfeiffer have their hard-earned miracle family.  But it was a long route to parenthood for the Stony Plain, Alberta couple. And it was a long time arriving at their In Vitro Fertilization Success Story. The Pfeiffers began trying to conceive just before they were married. At 32, Tammy had irregular periods and tests resulted in a diagnosis of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome.) After several months of trying, their doctor put Tammy on oral fertility medications. But still, the couple had no luck conceiving. Tests revealed Matt had male factor infertility on multiple levels, low count, slow motility…

  • family - parenting

    Science Girl #WordlessWednesday Linky

    July 17, 2013 - By 

    This is Payton. She loves science. She is also a trained observer and a very intense sensitive kid. She hollered the other night when we were putting dishes away from dinner. “Come quick! You have to see this!” Sometimes she drives us all the tiniest bit nutty with her dreamy creative side that means she is always drawing or reading when she should perhaps be listening or cleaning her room. This time it was worth it. The cicada seen here was shedding its exoskeleton right in front of our eyes. This morning it was gone.  This is a wordless wednesday…

  • parenting

    Learning Toys Summer -Spark Story Starters Review

    July 15, 2013 - By 

    My kids are storytellers. Sometimes that’s good. Sometimes it leads to some confusion here at the Schuck casa. You know those moments when you go is that a real event or was that completely fictional? No matter. This is a review of a great summer vacation tool I have found to keep my girls engaged and creative. I won these Spark Story Starters one year ago and we played with them last summer a lot and we take them with us sometimes when we travel. We also pick them up randomly as I did on the weekend and use them…

  • Giveaways

    Printcopia Gorgeous Personalized Art #giveaway

    July 11, 2013 - By 

    I have so many digital photos and lasting memories of all the trips my family has taken together. But, as is often the case, with Moms, I am rarely in any of those shots. I am all too often behind the lens. Luckily, on our last trip to the Dominican, I was able to ask another tourist on our last day to capture a shot of my whole family. I was toying with the idea of putting this on our Christmas card when Printcopia asked if I wanted to do a review and offer my readers a giveaway. If you…

  • Travel

    Blue Mountain Resorts Summer Activity

    July 8, 2013 - By 

    Skiing, snowboarding, skating. Blue Mountain Resorts and winter go hand in hand, but what do you know about summer at Blue Mountain Resorts? What can there possibly be to do in the summer? Turns out there’s activity around every corner at Blue Mountain these days. My kids are nothing if not active, so when Blue Mountain Resorts invited us to stay with them in June and test drive some of their great activities, well giddy up I said. Bring it on. What Can You Do in Summer at Blue Mountain Resort? We arrived on a Wednesday in a spell of…

  • Giveaways - Travel

    Global Resort Homes Great #Giveaway #GRHCanadaNow

    July 5, 2013 - By 

    Follow my blog with Bloglovin Imagine a place where the pool never closes. Just close enough to all the major Orlando theme parks. Your own private home with kitchen and as much privacy as you wish. Thriftymommastips.com is sharing this epic giveaway opportunity with you. Here’s hoping one of my lucky readers hits the jackpot.I hope to be able to visit this hotspot myself some time this year. Several friends have been to Global Resort Homes and have nothing but excellent memories of their stay.  Kidsumers has been there twice now and has a great post on what to expect…

  • FASD - Health - parenting

    One Good Thing Today #specialneeds

    July 4, 2013 - By 

    If today were a golf game I would ask for a mulligan. Not that I know golf, or anything else much today. It is summer and I love the hot weather. I can’t get enough of it in fact. It is my favourite time of year. We had a fantastic weekend followed by one child’s birthday and a day to sleep in. Perfect, right? Not so today and yesterday. I have done two full summers now with scheduling my kids solidly almost every minute out of necessity. Their special needs, plus caring for my Mom and needing to be available…

  • active family travel - Parenting - parenting

    How Do You Measure Eleven?

    July 2, 2013 - By 

    This was 11. This was 11. The year you grew maybe an inch in height. Not so much really compared to all the years that came before, but then again who really measures growth in inches? Eleven was the year you faced camp, for the first time on your own. A week with friends and it was glorious, or so I am told daily as the camp countdown begins another year. This was the year you finished grade six. The year I had to pull you out of school for two whole weeks because of a terrible fit between you…