• Travel

    Don’t Miss – Prohibited Items Banned From Cruises

    Prohibited items on a cruise ship can land you in hot water if you forget to check what’s allowed and what is not. SO, don’t forget to check the specifics of your cruise line before you head to port. Some cruise ship prohibited items are completely obvious to most of us. I mean logically most people know not to bring any sort of weapon, however there are some items that might surprise you. When traveling, knowledge is power, and it’s just as important to know what not to bring on board a cruise ship as it is to know what…

  • Food

    Getting Rid of Fruit Flies – 6 Natural Approaches

    Getting rid of fruit flies. If you have a kitchen, then chances are, you’ve Googled this. These pesky little critters can come into your home via a bad piece of fruit you got at the store or even just follow you in when you open the door. Fear not! Getting rid of fruit flies is easier than you think. 6 Tips on Getting Rid of Fruit Flies Getting rid of fruit flies naturally is better for you, your family, and the environment Rather than putting out baits, trying sprays, or calling a pest control service, simply follow these tips, and…

  • Food

    Easy Gooey Homemade Smores Cookies

    Homemade Smores cookies are my latest easy family treat. OH MY, is there anything much that is yummier than melted chocolate and ooey gooey marshmallow? I can’t think of much else that is as melt in your mouth tasty as this little chocolate flavour punch. Nothing evokes a camping state of mind faster than a mention of homemade campfire smores. But, let’s be honest it’s not always super simple to set up a campfire and start roasting those smores. So what’s a sweet tooth to do? Well, how about smores cookies? Homemade Smores Cookies What’s your favourite camping memory? We…

  • family

    How to Avoid Skunks When Camping

    Last year we discovered that we love camping. You might recall that we took an RV Trip which was amazing! We were new to camping. For sure we had done camping many times and stayed in a yurt before too. Because we were newbies we did some research on wildlife and camping tips and tricks. One of the things we read about was avoiding bears when camping in Ontario’s Parks and what to do if you encounter one. And, of course, we also read about how to avoid skunks. If you are camping around forests, wooded areas, rivers or streams,…

  • family

    Inexpensive Business Cards with Basic Invite

    Inexpensive business cards are always on my short list of things I need to refresh as a business. Business cards in general are extremely useful tools when you are an entrepreneur. But keeping your costs down without sacrificing quality is important too. As we head straight into conference season it’s important to plan ahead and have some business cards at the ready. You never know who might want to connect for any number of reasons, and having business cards on hand is the first step in making a connection when I’m out and about. That philosophy has served me well…

  • family

    7 Common Camping Mistakes Beginners Make

    We have been cottagers all my life and we have done many memorable glamping trips, including this one to Norfolk County where we stayed in a gorgeous safari tent. But camping, well that was one we came to later in life. Seems to be our way. Late bloomers perhaps? I mean I only learned how to ski in my forties with my family and I banished my fear of heights in my mid 40s too. Finally, I realized we were missing a lot of opportunities to travel affordably by out ruling camping all of the time. So, now we camp…

  • Travel

    The Harmony of the Seas – Epic Fun Cruising

    Updated with more details in April 2019 This year, we took a family cruise on the Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas. The biggest cruise ship on the water at the time. As most cruisers know the biggest is only the biggest for a season, if that. But we didn’t choose The Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas for its size. We bought in this time for the laundry list of amazing activities on board and the ports of call. Cruising with teens needs to be fun, which means you need to opt for a cruise ship with a lot…

  • Travel

    Vermont Family Resorts – All The Pretty Things At Okemo Mountain Ski Resort

    With bountiful pristine snow-covered deciduous trees, sprawling Green Mountain views, long, wide, memorable alpine trails and a tiny, quirky, local downtown area, Okemo is one of the prettiest of all Vermont Family resorts we have visited yet. Located in Ludlow, Vermont, Okemo rewards visitors for braving the cold and embracing an outdoor lifestyle. A few weeks ago we set off on an epic family road trip. First stop was Okemo Mountain Ski Resort, in South-Central Vermont, where we stayed at Jackson Gore Inn. Vermont is always a spectacular choice for families, hardcore skiers and snowboarders. There are so many great…

  • Health

    Best Environmentally Safe Ways to Keep Pests out of your Garden

    Your garden can be a calming, relaxing, and rewarding experience. You get to grow your own food and know that your food is coming from a healthier place than what you might find in your local grocery store. When it comes to having your own garden there are pests that can arrive to threaten your crop. If you have pests hanging around your garden and you are searching for some of the best environmentally safe ways to keep them out, then you’ve come to the right place. Check out my list of the best environmentally safe options to keep those…

  • Health

    How To Treat Aggressive Behaviour in an OCD Child

    Aggressive behaviour is hard to deal with for anyone. But, if you have an OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) Child, or a child diagnosed with a challenging mental heath disorder, the frustration and sadness they feel often spills over into hostility and aggression. As hard as that is to watch and to manage as a parent, it’s important to try to remember behavioural outbursts are typically even harder for a child. An OCD child, or a child with any childhood mental health disorder doesn’t have tools to handle all of the big emotions that go hand in hand with complex mental…