• parenting

    Win My Pretty Playhouse: 100 % Recyclable Playhouse for Children

    October 15, 2012 - By 

    How do you turn this into… My Pretty Playhouse?Well, you may have a chance to learn for yourself if you enter the giveaway portion of this blog post. First, you should know my kids totally screamed like the girly girls they are: “It’s like Christmas in October!” as I revealed this package from Boutique Cascades. The cool kid’s cardboard playhouse was unexpected. See, every Friday night at our house my daughter has a black belt training program she attends and then we eat dinner and it’s time for another person in my home to head off to martial arts and…

  • family

    My First Bylines – Private Schools in Ontario Bloghop Expo #OKSchoolMem

    October 14, 2012 - By 

    It was grade two when I found my calling as a writer. No joke. Over the years, I vacillated a lot. I was on a path towards becoming an accountant in university when I remembered my grade school epiphany – and the fact that I stink at math. Oh, go ahead and laugh if you wish; I was many things in my head and my daydreams over the years. I was a professional dancer, a lawyer, a doctor, an artist, a veterinarian. But every time push came to shove, the pen hit the paper or the old commodore 64 was…

  • Uncategorized

    Cooking With Kids: Halloween Recipes and a #giveaway

    October 12, 2012 - By 

    True story. In university I pretty much existed on Rice Krispies. Rice Krispies treats and cookies were my staple foods and – coffee of course. Canada Dry Gingerale too. I ate them for breakfast, snack, lunch and dinner too. I was poor and I was busy working three jobs and juggling school and studying. Anyways Rice Krispies treats are easy and fun and tasty too. Yesterday when this Halloween kit from Kelloggs arrived, well I knew my kids and I would have fun after school building early Halloween memories and some super fun snacks too. I am almost embarrassed to tell…

  • family

    Teethease Review – Save your Hair, Get a Teethease Necklace

    October 11, 2012 - By 

    By Brooke Berry This is my teeny 4 pound baby when he first got home from the hospital.  He LOVES to grab things, mostly my hair.  Or earrings, or necklace.  I love the kid, but I like my hair too.   Have you seen these really cute necklaces?  Not only are they adorable but they are soft for teething kids.  My boys like to hold on to them (and thankfully let go of me) when they are cuddling with me.  Now that they are teething, this necklace has literally been a life saver.  Their lives.  Just kidding…  (kinda). I also…

  • family

    Conference Craziness and #LinkedMoms chat #giveaway

    October 10, 2012 - By 

    Conferences. Conferences. Conferences. Everywhere you look right now, if you blog, or run a brand, or host any kind of digital site/website, there are conferences. Blissdom? Blogher? She’s Connected. Tweetstock? Just to name a few. GOALS: So which conferences are you going to? When and where and why? And what will you be taking? Can you share any special details or pins or lists with us? Are you sharing a room with friends? Are you parachuting in and flying out fast on Saturday night? Are you coming all the way and staying for a little extra sight-seeing?  This will be…

  • parenting

    #WordlessWednesday –

    October 10, 2012 - By 

    Happy Thanksgiving – this is my daughter Payton, my niece Hannami and me enjoying a moment together on Thanksgiving Sunday. Wordless Wednesday is a photography meme. I like to link up here at Tara’s View of the World.

  • Giveaways

    Paperblanks notebook journal #giveaway

    October 9, 2012 - By 

    Once upon a time my husband worked at a place that sold piles upon piles of office type supplies and stationery. That was many moons ago. But I recall at one point when we were both studying to get through university, a lady I knew absolutely swooning over the stationery at said Waterloo business place. I frankly thought her odd at that time for swooning over paper. I failed to get it. Of course now that I am – ahem- cultured and sophisticated too (note: I did not say old.) I adore stationery as much or more than she did.…

  • halloween vampires
    Uncategorized

    Tips for Creating A Not So Toxic Halloween and DIY Halloween Makeup

    October 8, 2012 - By 

    The other day my kids, getting in the spirit of Halloween, grabbed a tube of fake blood and bright colored eye makeup when we popped into the dollar store nearby. I have a natural distrust of $1 makeup. So I refuse to buy it. But this year, even more so than others, I have been reading a lot about the toxic nature of some commercial makeups. It’s hard not to be worried when reading about parabens lately in the news. So how can you keep your kids safe and your Halloween from being toxic? Well, I consulted with the Environmental…

  • Travel

    The Lure of a Great Travel Deal Now

    October 6, 2012 - By 

    I like to think I am a very savvy travel shopper by now. My family of four loves to travel, but it can be expensive. So, now here’s the thing….I know how to hunt for and negotiate a great travel deal because I have to be able to do that if we want to get away ever. Jamaica – one of our hotspot favorite vacation destinations   This time of year, when the leaves start to fall from the trees, and the temperatures start dropping, when I find myself reaching for winter coats and wondering where the mittens are, I…

  • Uncategorized

    Oliver’s Labels Room-eez Review

    October 4, 2012 - By 

    This is the finished result with Oliver’s Labels Roomeez Personalized Wall decals My child is a funny one. When she was tiny I had an elaborate beautiful hand-painted mural that I had painstakingly drawn all over her walls. There was Arthur and the ABCs and multiple Disney characters and Blue’s Clues ( remember them) and Toy Story Buzz Lightyear and so on. It was Fa-a-a-ncy. But then we realized our daughter had special needs and was having a lot of trouble with sleep. In fact there was a really long time where she never slept day or night (a side…