• 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…

  • Giveaways

    People Like Us Blu-Ray Combo Pack #giveaway Canada only

    October 2, 2012 - By 

    If you are new here, then you may not know that I am passionate about families and the relationships and structure, growth and support of families _ regardless of how they are formed. I haven’t seen this movie People Like Us, starring Elizabeth Banks and Chris Pine as well as Olivia Wilde and Michelle Pfeiffer. But the theme of family and unexpected family relationships intrigues me. I like that this movie People Like Us, explores family. There is a lot of rich territory there to explore – as most of us know. This one is brought to audiences by the…

  • Uncategorized

    Mega Bloks Little Princess Collection – review by Brooke Berry

    October 1, 2012 - By 

    (THIS IS the FIRST POST FROM my new reviewer BROOKE – Please make her feel welcome and leave a comment!) Aren’t little girl parties the most adorable things ever?  It just seems like any toy for a girl is cute, sparkly, has a bow, or princess related.  Being the mother of 3 boys, I see the cute things my sister in law gets to do with her daughter and it makes me giddy, yet filled with jealousy.  Luckily I get to live through her, and do girly things with my niece. This summer brought a fun girl’s princess party.  The…

  • family

    My #Thanksgiving Social Media Gift To You: A Top Ten of How To Do Social Media Well

    October 1, 2012 - By 

    Lately I am doing a fair bit of social media consulting which means I am thinking through the ways in which we connect on line. And more than that, the ways in which connecting builds business. This is a massive area of growth for me that has come after several years of blogging. It is a 24/7 job, like blogging and twitter and social media, period. It is a constant evolution and it is dynamic and challenging and I love every minute of building strategy. It is a great fit for me. When I not monitoring my own social accounts,…

  • family

    Social Media Superstars: Who Won My Third Ever Award

    September 29, 2012 - By 

    Alright, alright! I know what you are thinking. Well it’s been awhile since I dusted this award off and you are right too long perhaps. But I have been busy scouring the nation for social media superstars.  Not really, but I had you for a minute there, didn’t I? Anyways the first ever Social Media Superstars Award went to my amazing bank TD Canada Trust several months ago and the many reasons for that are here in my first social media superstars award post. But this week, this award specifically for rock stars of social media, is for – drumroll…

  • Giveaways

    Cooking With Kids: #ClubhouseRecipeMix Tuscan Chicken

    September 27, 2012 - By 

    This week we tried a fantastic new recipe that will be a staple here for years to come. Tuscan Chicken. So easy and nutritious and the whole family got in on the action. Start with chicken breasts and a bit of flour. The great thing about these Clubhouse Flavourful Recipe Mixes is the whole recipe is right there on the package. So simple for shopping and preparation and execution of a great family meal. Put four spoonfuls of olive oil and heat in sauce pan. Take chicken breasts and coat with flour then sautee in a sauce pan for two…