• family

    Virtual Politics Pre-Budget Consultations: Numbers Talk

    March 23, 2011 - By 

     Picture courtesy of Wiki Images  Love it or hate it – virtual politics is all about the numbers. 100,000 to be precise. This week Londoners took part in an experiment, a virtual telphone townhall that was part of Ontario’s pre-budget consultations. There have been several of these townhalls across the province and they began in February. Telephone townhalls have taken place in Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and Kitchener already as well as a few other areas. Last week the consultation process took to Ottawa. The virtual stop in London was the most successful so far with 20,000 people…

  • Uncategorized

    Virtual Politics with a Side Dish of Social Media

    March 22, 2011 - By 

    A virtual townhall tour came to London Monday night and a whopping 20,000 local voters took part. The townhall run jointly with Health Minister Deb Matthews, Attorney General Chris Bentley, London MPP Khalil Ramal and the big cheese Ontario’s Liberal Finance Minister Dwight Duncan was a bit shaky at the start. This night was one of a series of stops throughout Ontario as the Liberal government tries something new – virtual politics with a side dish of social media. I was called on the weekend by Minister Matthews. I am a consituent and I often end up writing her or talking…

  • family

    The Good, the Bad and the Not So Wonderful: Affiliates and Ads

    March 21, 2011 - By 

    I have been blogging now for close 18-20 months and I have learned a few tricks along the way. Some are easy to pass on and the results are quick. Like always be true to yourself and your voice. Readers love authenticity. Other lessons are a bit trial and error. Like how do you earn money on a blog? Well there are a few ideas out there and a few revenue streams. Some bloggers run ads and sell privately. For about one year I tried Project Wonderful, but that wasn’t really that lucrative for me so I cut my ties…

  • family

    A Canadian Bloghop

    March 21, 2011 - By 

    Some amazing friends of mine in the Canadian blog world have started this hop for Canucks only and so I am giving it a whirl. Join in if you blog and find a friend or two..

  • family

    Boost Your Blog and A Deal or Two

    March 18, 2011 - By 

    Hey there. I love this lady over at Design It Chic. She’s a savvy blogger. So today come and join in this bloghop and find a few new friends and don’t forget to leave a comment that you are following so your friend can send you their undying love and support, or whatever! So this weekend Gymboree is still 30 % off everything in the fill a bag sale.Sears Outlet code is 30 % off if you purchase on line and use your Sears credit card. Use this for the code: 941612257.Canadian Tire still has excellent upto 75 % off…

  • family

    Fisher Price Kid Tough Binoculars: A Review

    March 16, 2011 - By 

    I am a huge fan of Fisher Price products and I have been since I was a child. Their brand is one I trust. Their products are durable and safe and affordable and innovative as well. We have the Fisher Price kids digital camera and the Fisher Price Kid Tough MP3 player, dubbed the FP3, has been a great hit for my daughter. We sought this product, the FP3 out when she was very small because she has sensory processing disorder and FASD -fetal alcohol spectrum disorder – and she has always been hypersensitive to auditory input. We found early on that…

  • family travel

    March Break Madness

    March 13, 2011 - By 

    Don’t be sad to be in town this March break, there is so much to do in and around the London area, that I am having trouble picking out the best events to hit with the kids on the cheap, of course. I aim to spend less than $100 all week on activities for March break and I am betting this thriftymomma can do it. First off March Break means Sugar bush. There are several around this area. The Kinsmen Fanshawe Sugar Bush is fun with guided tours and pancakes. They have a hotline to check conditions and etc. 519-461-1073Also rumour…

  • family

    Friday Finds For March Break!

    March 11, 2011 - By 

    Wow! Can I just say Wow? Apparently retailers everywhere are certain there will be shopping going on this week during the March Break when children are home and Moms are routinely, either: 1. overwrought by being home all day with the children and tired of hearing “I’m bored!” 9,000 times an hour or 2. thrillled they don’t have to get up and shuttle the kids all out the door, lunch in hand and backpack jammed with completed homework. Which one are you? I probably will straddle both categories over the course of the week. I like not making lunches every night and…

  • family - family travel

    Vancouver’s Coast Plaza

    March 10, 2011 - By 

    The View From My Window in Vancouver’s Coast Plaza Hotel Downtown near the shore in Vancouver I discovered this gem by accident really and I was very fortunate, so I wanted to pass it on to my readers. While in Vancouver on business at a conference last week I had the good fortune to stay at the Coast Plaza Hotel on Comox Street, near Denman Plaza. The prices were excellent and the variety of rooms plentiful. I understand there are some folks who live here year round inside the Coast Plaza and therefore some of the rooms are the size…

  • beauty products

    L’Oreal Youth Code Review

    March 10, 2011 - By 

    L’Oreal Canada is one of my go to cosmetic companies for affordable, gentle and quality products. Their facial products work well for my dry and sensitive skin. From time to time I have also used L’Oreal products and the Procalcium moisturizer has been useful for me in the last year or so, as my skin has started to show signs of aging and the stress of life, the environment and the job of being a parent. About one month ago I read on Facebook about this new system Youth Code by L’Oreal. I applied to test it out and was sent…