• Health

    The Best Seat in the Pool – SwimWays Spring Float

    June 30, 2014 - By 

    You might have heard – we bought a new house with a pool a few months ago. This is our first summer enjoying our pool and we are still on a learning curve. We have a few pool toys, such as the usual pool noodles and inflatable rafts, but we didn’t have any super pool recliners until this week when SwimWays sent a Spring Float pool float for us to test out. The Canada Day weekend weather has been perfect and we unpackaged the Spring Float recliner chair so we could throw our first ever pool party here. Now, the…

  • FASD - Health - Parenting - special needs

    What Pride Looks Like: On Report Cards, Respect and #specialneeds

    June 27, 2014 - By 

    Think they don’t care much about what is written on report cards? Think that little people are oblivious to how the teacher sees them and feels about them? Words matter, and never more so than when someone is assessing a child with special needs after a year of school. This is our first experience with a really accepting and lovely teacher who clearly understood and liked my youngest daughter. I am driving both my kids to Build-A-Bear to celebrate their last day of school when the little one cracks open her report card and starts reading it word for word.…

  • Health

    Skindinavia Makeup Primer Spray Review

    June 20, 2014 - By 

    Skindinavia Makeup Primer spray is the perfect solution to summer beauty. Easy to pack and lightweight, this primer spray will solve your summer skin problems. One of my absolute favourite parts of summer is the simple fact that the lovely warm temperatures mean I can wear little to no makeup some days. Skin is almost always slightly flushed and glowing and my hair can be tamed with a hat or sunglasses. I love that. I’d take it any day over the constant attention needed in the winter. Winter brings dry skin needing moisture daily. Summer is quite the opposite. A…

  • Health

    Helping Your Daughter Prepare for her Period

    June 17, 2014 - By 

    If you are the parent of a daughter over the age of 9 then you need to be having some period conversations regularly so she knows what to expect. Now there’s a product that can help facilitate the talk, and prepare your daughter for menstruation.     If you are the parent of a tween girl, chances are good you know this familiar scene. One minute she’s the sweet little girl you know and love and the next minute she’s consumed by mood swings, dramatic shrieks and slamming doors. It’s enough to make your head spin. I’ve come to view these tempestuous mood…

  • Male infertility
    Health - infertility

    Male Infertility Infographic #abhc4ivf #abpoli

    June 15, 2014 - By 

    One in six couples of reproductive age will experience infertility. Infertility can  be a devastating diagnosis, financially, emotionally and physically. Male infertility makes up about 40 % of all infertility cases. But somehow male infertility seems to have less awareness than female infertility. In fact the split between the genders and infertility rates is close to equal at 40 % each. There are many causes of infertility from cancer to Crohn’s Disease. A prior sexually transmitted disease can mean you might be at high risk for infertility. There are a few myths and facts here I wanted to share about…

  • get_involved
    Health

    Five Ways to Get Involved with the election #voteON #ohip4ivf #onpoli

    May 26, 2014 - By 

    If you know me at all then you know very well that I get involved with causes I care about. And getting involved with an election is very much something I am passionate about too. If you don’t have time to vote or get up to speed on the issues then don’t complain to me about politics at all.   Five Ways to Get Involved with The Election 1. Get to know all the candidates in your riding. Ask them where they stand on the issues that are important to you. Follow them on twitter and Facebook. Check to see if…

  • Health - infertility

    Fertility Facts – Canadian Infertility Awareness Week

    May 22, 2014 - By 

    It’s almost time for Canadian Infertility Awareness Week. Why does that matter? Well, in Canada 1 in 6 people of reproductive age struggles with infertility. In the US the figure is 1 in 8. Canadian Infertility Awareness Week is a chance to remind people again why we advocate. It’s a chance to tell your stories too. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls infertility a public health crisis and it’s time to recognize that we need awareness and advocacy to help address this issue. All about Canadian Infertility Awareness Week This coming week May 24 to 31st is 2014 Canadian Infertility…

  • Food - Health

    The Honest Company Kitchen Products

    May 16, 2014 - By 

    Recently I was introduced to The Honest Company Kitchen Products and happily tested them out in my home. Here’s what I found out…. Let’s start with the name. The Honest Company. That’s genius. I want to buy honest products from honest people. The word itself is heavily weighted in emotional appeal. So I heart that branding. The packaging is adorable and this company gave every Mom 2.0 summit attendee a great bundle of their products. But do The Honest Company cleaning products live up to their name? [tweetthis]Do The Honest Company cleaning products work? Here’s what I found. [/tweetthis] It’s…

  • Health - infertility - Parenting

    Five Reasons Why Public Funding for IVF Matters to Maternal Health

    May 13, 2014 - By 

    Five Reasons Why Public Funding for In Vitro Fertilization Matters to Maternal Health:   1. The emotional and physical stress of infertility is magnified by the financial stress of having to figure out how to pay for in vitro fertilization. Infertile people often have to find $10,000 or more to pay for IVF. In many provinces in Canada IVF is not covered by provincial health care plans. In fact Quebec is the only province in which full funding for IVF exists. The impact of health care stress, compounded by financial stress, is devastating for the entire family. [tweetthis]Infertile people often…

  • the two week wait IVF
    family - Health - infertility - Parenting

    Five Ways to Pass the Two Week Wait IVF #infertility

    May 5, 2014 - By 

    The two week wait. Cue ominous music. In infertility terms the two week wait is a suspenseful, frustrating, stressful time. It’s the two week wait IVF or IUI. After what is often months, and sometimes years of treatment the two week wait is one of the final hurdles and it can be a frustrating time. Here are some ideas to pass that time without going stir crazy. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock Anyone who has struggled to conceive and undergone fertility or infertility treatment such as IVF or IUI knows the torture of the two week wait. The two week wait…