family
Families are all shapes, sizes and colours. The content here about parenting tries to reflect the various ways that families are built in the 21st century. Whether you are a single parent by choice, a divorced mom or dad, coparenting or a family that struggled with infertility and eventually conceived via IVF, there are a few common threads. We all want the best for our children and our family, no matter how big or small. Parenting is the hardest job yet by far, but it can also be the most rewarding too. Here's what we've learned. We hope it helps on those days when you are contemplating how you can keep going.
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Cost Effective Ways to Winterize Your Home
Post may contain affiliate links as a service to readers. When winter comes, and the chills with it, it is time to winterize your home! That doesn’t mean getting on the phone, calling up the oil company, and turning up the thermostat to 85 degrees! That would burn a wallet-sized hole right through your pocket. There are cheaper ways to winterize your home. Keep more money in your pocket and follow these easy tips to winterize your home instead. Start Here to Winterize Your Home Insulation First things first. Insulation is vital to a warm and energy efficient home. Holes and gaps near your windows and doors will promote heat loss,…
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Feathering Nests and Useful Small Appliances
This post is sponsored by Hamilton Beach and may contain affiliate links. My kids are closing in on adulthood. Scary thought, right? Childhood goes far too fast. Right now I am faced with a whole lot of upcoming change and I’d be a liar if I told you that it doesn’t stress me out. The closer we get to college and university the more stressed I am about having all of our ducks in a row. Finances, grades, courses, preparation. In a few months, my older girl will start applying for university. She hopes and plans to go to school nearby, so the move should be less traumatic for everyone.…
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How to Sleep Well as a Family
Do you wake up most mornings still feeling tired? Are you concerned that your kids might not be getting the rest they need to do well at school? If so, you’re not alone. But don’t panic, here are some top tips on how to get enough downtime at night to keep your family happy and healthy. Sleep Quality and Family Well Being Why is rest important? Sleep helps the brain process information. If it doesn’t get enough, kids and adults might struggle with handling day-to-day tasks as well as they would after a proper night’s rest – both in school, during work and at home. Look at sleep as your…
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No Mess Foam – A New Sensory Toy
I received product for consideration. Post contains affiliate links as a service to my readers. Are you SO over the DIY slime phase? Is it all over your house? Is it contained in a dozen old small margarine tubs in your laundry room? OH I feel your pain. So, why not replace it with a new sensory toy? On the one hand sensory toys are useful for so many reasons and so many kids. But slime has had its day. I think we can all agree on that. But, it is also useful in calming and soothing sensory seeking children and youth. A New and Buzzworthy Sensory Toy If you…
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What Does Your Child Need to Know About Bus Safety?
If your child is starting school soon and they are bused then you need to teach them how to ride the bus safely. Both of my kids rode the bus for years and we know a thing or two about busing. I will never forget how nervous I was that first year my daughter started riding the bus to her French immersion school. Because it was a French immersion school out of our neighbourhood all the kids were bused. I had so many bus safety concerns. Ride the Bus Safely In Junior Kindergarten we walked down the street to the neighbourhood school. But when she was six actually she made…
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10 Easy DIY and Upcycled Crafts to Make
DIY and Upcycled crafts can be so much fun to make together. Or perhaps even on your own. There is no need to toss things in the garbage or the recycling if you can give them a second life. That spares money and materials and is simply better for the planet. One of my kids is a natural at this. She always has been. I think it might actually be a generational thing, as in Generation Z seems to be naturally inclined to care for the environment and reuse things a bit better than we ever did. That might just be my observation. I am curious to know if you…
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Make Your Mark with MOO Premium Printing
I received product for consideration here. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful. It’s closing in on fall conference season and you know what that means, right? Time for new business cards and stationery. Time to take stock and level up on the cute custom printed business tools. True story. My fall and winter are packed with conferences and travel opportunities. I am looking forward to it. The networking part though….oh, I know I need to work on that. Sometimes, business cards are a good bridge to a conversation. Who knows, they might even prompt a relationship. That’s one reason why I needed some new business…
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Six Ways I Make Money Writing Online
This is a sponsored post written by me for QUID. I received compensation for this content. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful. Diversifying income streams has never been more vital for online content marketers, bloggers and writers. Here’s what I am doing this year to stay alive and afloat here. A Dynamic Landscape It’s no secret that content marketing has changed. There are many ways to make money online with both passive and active income. When I started writing here on Thrifty Mommas Tips and sharing our stories, sponsored posts were my bread and butter. In the first few years writing I made a full-time…
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Time is a Slippery Thing – Watching Your Teen Grow Up
“Time is a slippery thing: lose hold of it once and its string might sail out of your hands forever.” – Anthony Doerr This June was a rapid-fire month of change that I am still trying hard to process, or deny, or maybe a bit of both, actually. Watching Your Teen Grow Up In June, my younger daughter and I left for Missouri and we had a fun-filled week of helicopter rides, fishing charters, cycling, exploring and learning to golf. See 24 Hours in Fulton Missouri for a little taste of that. We returned home to the end of the year and all the projects, exams and studying necessary to…
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Famous July Events and Birthdays
What do Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Arnold Schwarzenegger and J.K. Rowling have in common? Hint: it’s all about the month of July. A Little July Trivia July is the seventh month of the year in the internationally-accepted Gregorian Calendar. At one time, July was known as “Augustus” in honor of Julius Caesar who was born in July. Around here it’s my favourite month. Why? Because it’s my birthday month too and my older daughter has a birthday July 2. Of course, Canada Day is always July 1st and that’s one that I love as a Canadian. Canada Day launches the summer for me. School is done and so are…