• making_stem_fun
    Giveaways

    Making STEM Fun This Summer

    June 20, 2018 - By 

    Making STEM fun for kids pays off in the longterm. With our ever-changing world focusing heavily on technology, it’s important for children to learn to love Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM). It’s the future for them, and they need to be on the forefront. That’s why I’m always trying to find new ways to keep my kids excited about STEM. I found three cool books from DK Canada that are making STEM fun for kids, and I think your kids will love them, too. A couple of these are going straight to my second youngest nephew for his birthday.…

  • saguenay_lac_st_jean
    Travel

    All the Best Things to Do in Saguenay Lac Saint Jean

    June 19, 2018 - By 

    Saguenay Lac Saint Jean was a complete mystery to me when we arrived there after touring Quebec Maritime and Quebec City this spring. I didn’t really know what to expect and I had never been before. Sometimes those adventures are the best. Having no preconceived notion of what to expect allowed me to let my imagination run wild. I’d say the sky is the limit when you take that kind of trip but it’s only half true in Saguenay Lac Saint Jean. The sky, the lake, the mountains and fjord are really the only limits. Boasting some stunning natural vistas,…

  • summer_fun
    Health

    Bring on The Sun, Summer Fun Awaits!

    June 18, 2018 - By 

    Summer fun is right around the corner. The sun is out, the temperatures are finally where they should be. It’s time to get out and enjoy the warmer months. I am a July baby. So is my oldest daughter. We seem to come by our love of summer naturally. It’s a happy, calm sort of season that breeds a feeling of contentment. We love to take road trips and hit the beach when the weather turns warm. And we have a pool, so as soon as the pool opens we are in summer fun mode. Pool parties, beaches and family…

  • Giveaways

    10 Great Gifts to Delight Dads and Grads

    June 16, 2018 - By 

    It’s all about dads and grads today. Father’s Day weekend is here, AND my daughter is graduating from junior high to high school. Those are two really big events that I’ll be celebrating with my family. You know what that means – shopping. I’ve been searching for the best gifts I can find for dads and grads, and of course, as always I found a seclection of adorable keepsake gifts at Hallmark. They have a ton of great gifts for the dad or grad in your life. I know I’ve found exactly what I need for both of mine. Here’s…

  • life_or_death
    Health

    How My Word of The Year Became a Matter of Life or Death

    June 13, 2018 - By 

    “I wish Dad was younger,” my daughter said driving home from a play rehearsal the other night. “If you think about it he could be 70 when I am in my 20s.” Math is not usually our conversation on the drive home. Neither is life or death. But here we are. Often I have to wonder how their minds work. “I wish you were younger too. I mean if you think about it you could both be dead before I’m 40.” Oh my god my head hurts some days keeping up with this kid. But I get it. It’s a…

  • tadoussac_whale_watching
    Travel

    Whale Watching in Tadoussac For the First Time

    June 12, 2018 - By 

    I am on a 3-hour Tadoussac whale watching tour on a cold Monday in May. For years I have imagined going whale watching. Didn’t know where or when, simply that it had to happen. So here I am searching for whales breaching, whales dotting the horizon, whale tails…anything and everything whale. “I’m not leaving until I see whales,” I have told my travel companions on a Tadoussac whale watching tour. At the start of the day after a home cooked breakfast in Auberge La Sainte Paix, a bed and breakfast where we stayed overnight, I warned the three travel bloggers…

  • angelman_syndrome
    parenting

    Special Challenges With a Special Child – Angelman Syndrome

    June 11, 2018 - By 

    THIS IS A GUEST POST about Angelman Syndrome and part of what I hope will be a series here for parents of children with disabilities and special needs. Have an idea for a guest post that might help another parent? Please email inkscrblr7@gmail.com I used to think my family was among the less-than-lucky few gifted with big challenges. We have Anna, a 17-year-old toddler with Angelman Syndrome, who was “disruptive” long before the term became popular.   Special Challenges With a Special Child and How We Survive Them However, as I listen carefully to everyone around me I find that the…

  • maple_bacon_cupcakes
    Food

    Best Ever Canadian Maple Bacon Cupcakes

    June 8, 2018 - By 

    Well, could there be a more Canadian cupcake than these Maple Bacon Cupcakes? I don’t think so, but if you have an idea send it to me and I will try to find it or try to make it. For one, I love maple. It’s such a great way to add flavour to so many desserts and main courses too. And it’s so very Canadian. Right now I have a cranberry maple salad dressing here that is to die for. Brought it back from Quebec when we were on a food and market tour of Ile D’Orleans there recently. So…

  • stem_education
    family

    STEM Camp – Summer Day Camps Building Curiosity

    June 7, 2018 - By 

    Imagine a camp where you build your own space suit, or monitor weather in space. A camp where your children explore the world around them, ask questions and create experiments. Building curiosity and engaging young people all summer long is the name of the game at STEM Camp. I couldn’t be happier to share Stem Camp with you. STEM Camp is one of my favourite children’s STEM summer day camps. You already know STEM is the future and maybe you wonder how to nurture that interest. Maybe you worry your kids don’t get enough STEM in school. Well, STEM Camp is…

  • gut_health
    Health

    How We Improve Gut Health with Align

    June 6, 2018 - By 

    I created this post as a paid ambassador for Align® Probiotic. All opinions and advice are my own. I only work with companies I genuinely love and have used prior to being contacted.    A lot of people look forward to spring. I have a bit of a different take. For some reason every single Spring I notice dramatic changes in my gut health. It’s not pure science or anything but it is my experience over more than a decade. The weather gets a bit warmer, slowly, and my gut goes haywire.   So how do I cope with that?…