• family

    Great Chocolate Treats: Friendships and Fixing Bad Days #KinderMOM

    October 30, 2012 - By 

    My kids have clearly hit the October/November blahs at school. They leave in the morning a bit slower than they did in September and they have been coming home a lot less cheery than when the sun was out in full force. My one daughter is having some challenges with getting there again and she is upset often on returning home. There have been some issues with some other kids in class that are not easy to solve at all. This weighs heavily on a sensitive anxious child. The other day a big box of Kindersurprises arrived and I was…

  • infertility - Parenting - parenting

    Infertility Story – An Interview and Guest Post #OHIP4IVF #Onpoli

    October 29, 2012 - By 

    Ultrasound picture courtesy of Wiki images This is a piece that has been written by a friend of mine who lives in Ontario and went through in vitro fertilization (IVF) after infertility. I asked her to write it as a guest post for me here on thriftymommastips.com because she has always been extremely supportive of the Conceivable Dreams goal to grow awareness of the human and financial impact of infertility in Ontario. She supports the campaign to get OHIP funding for in vitro fertilization. Jane, and her husband, never told their parents about their battle with infertility and the arduous process…

  • Food

    Best Apple Cinnamon Butternut Squash Soup

    October 25, 2012 - By 

    If it’s autumn here it’s all about the squash. I don’t like much about autumn transitions, but the food is amazing. Butternut squash and apples and corn and pumpkin pie are some seasonal favourites. So when I found this recipe for Apple Cinnamon Butternut Squash Soup on Life Made Delicious I was keen to try it. Now, the kids didn’t help much with this one because they were at school when I made it, but Thursday is my Cooking With Kids segment and soups and stews are always a hit with my kids. I anticipate they will give this a…

  • Giveaways

    Win Smashbox Beautiful Eye Makeup #Halloweenhoppin #giveaway

    October 25, 2012 - By 

    Welcome to Hoppin’ Halloween Giveaway Hop hosted by MamaNYC! Thriftymommastips.com is taking part in this party and bloghop offering you a crack at over 90 prizes. There is also one special Smashbox prize. This year I tested out the Smashbox Photofinish Undereye Primer and I can’t stress how special and unique this product it. I love all Smashbox products. I am never sure what the secret is exactly but the shades of colours that are mixed for this undereye primer somehow eliminate magically all the bags and circles and shades of grey that dull down your gorgeous eyes. We all…

  • Uncategorized

    Go Big or Go Home – Five Things I Learned from Kate White of Cosmo Fame

    October 24, 2012 - By 

      Kate White, editor in chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, one of the world’s sexiest women’s magazines for many decades, was one of the greatest highlights of my conference experience and women’s networking sessions this past weekend.   White left her position as editor in chief just last month. She has since hit the book tour and speaking circuit with her new book, I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This: Success Secrets Every Gutsy Girl Should Know. This past weekend she gave a keynote address at She’s Connected in Toronto, a conference where brands and bloggers meet. It was, for me, one…

  • parenting

    Mary Tyler Moore Moment–#WordlessWednesday #fashion

    October 23, 2012 - By 

    Hats. My girl loves hats. I adore that she has strong fashion sense already and frankly this little picture was her Mary Tyler Moore moment. I couldn’t resist snapping. For several years I could have sworn this child was fashion dyslexic, but lately she has turned that theory on its head. So Hats off to you! Tiny fashionista. Wordless Wednesday is a hop and a photography meme. Link up at one of the many sites that host the #WW linkys.

  • Health - infertility

    Poland Next In Line To Fund In Vitro Fertilization #OHIP4IVF #ONPOLI

    October 23, 2012 - By 

     Culture In Vitro – wikipedia images Poland is expected to be the latest country to agree to fund in vitro fertilization for couples in  need. Polish Prime Minister Donald Trusk announced Monday his plans to finance in vitro fertilization for couples needing help to conceive. This summer, Poland is expected to fund three rounds of IVF for couples needing assisted reproduction technology. The announcement is generating a lot of buzz already and, is the second such commitment in the country by a politician interested in change. The Prime Minister`s announcement has come after Mayor Krzysztof Matyjaszczyk, the 38-year-old mayor of Czestochowa, also…

  • Giveaways - Health

    Health Warrior Chia Bars: Energy Bar Review and #giveaway (US only)

    October 22, 2012 - By 

    So what exactly is a Health Warrior Chia seed Bar and how can it keep your exercise, fitness and health regimen on track this holiday season? Chia is an ancient seed once used by the Tarahumara Indians to fuel their bodies. Legend has it they ran barefoot for miles all day long fuelled by Chia seeds. It is a seed that was once important to Aztec and Mayan diets and medicine. A powerful antioxidant, Chia has more Omega 3 fatty acids than salmon, more fibre than oatmeal, more calcium than milk, more protein than tofu and more magnesium than broccoli.…

  • Uncategorized

    Why the PTPA Seal of Approval is Brandtastic–#PTPAinsider

    October 19, 2012 - By 

    What’s in a seal? When shopping do you really need to look for awards? Seals? Endorsements? Shouldn’t a toy, or children’s product sell itself? Why do I need to look for awards or reviews or even The Parent Tested Parent Approved seal of approval? Why would a brand want or need to  submit their toy to the scrutiny of the PTPA testing panel of parents across North America?To answer this question I took a hard look at how I shop as a parent. From the moment I became a parent 11 years ago I was suddenly a savvier consumer than…

  • family

    Cooking With Kids – Yummiest Peanut Butter Cups

    October 18, 2012 - By 

    I couldn’t resist this Pinterest inspired recipe for my youngest child’s favourite treat in the entire world – well, other than pizza – Homemade Peanut Butter Cups with sea salt.These are so easy but first let me state clearly that this is a Pinterest recipe. It is not mine originally, but now I am so adding this to me on line recipe box. We duplicated all the details and took our photos and ended up with this. The original recipe comes http://www.blueeyedbakers.com/You don’t even have to cook it or bake it, just melt stuff and let it harden. Super easy…