They sure are sweet when they are sleeping. But try to get them to wake up and watch the fun! I am taking tweens and teens of course. And they rarely jump for joy when the alarm goes off. But here are a few ways I help wake up my tween and teen. Oh, we all joke that when they are sleeping they are angels, right? But, wake up time? Well, that’s a whole other ball game. My youngest daughter has always been the kind that springs out of bed bouncing with so much energy I wish I could market…
Beauty products for women were represented well at #Blogher13 this year. Skin care products for women were a highlight of the brand expo hall for me, because at least 8 out of ten posts here at thriftymommastips.com are health and wellness related. I left Chicago stoked about several new beauty products. And happily I have several items to try out and review over the coming months. This Aveeno Clear Complexion BB Cream tops my list already. I have been a fan of Aveeno products for a few years now. Their Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizing Cream is a staple of my…
My daughter is not a Barbie. She will never fit into skinny jeans. She is my first born. My heart. A talented, kind-hearted, perfectionist who rocks pretty much everything she does. (with exception of ballet, which she could never get the hang of, and one tiny area of math called measurement ) She is not a Barbie. She is not standard issue. She is a beautiful, smart, healthy, athletic kid. Payton swims like a fish, just got third place at a dive meet in town, sings soprano with an acting troupe. She loves science and drawing and collects other kids…
Sending kids with special needs to camp is never simple. You have to vet camps hard to find one that might be capable of handling your children. Oh I know most make mention of inclusive policies and such. But, I have seen how this works in practice sometimes and it doesn’t. So, forgive me while I hold my breath and pray that this camp works this time. This morning, I woke fingers crossed and holding my breath. Today I have both kids at camp. No fires to put out. No demands beyond work. No calls from the camp stating: “What…
If today were a golf game I would ask for a mulligan. Not that I know golf, or anything else much today. It is summer and I love the hot weather. I can’t get enough of it in fact. It is my favourite time of year. We had a fantastic weekend followed by one child’s birthday and a day to sleep in. Perfect, right? Not so today and yesterday. I have done two full summers now with scheduling my kids solidly almost every minute out of necessity. Their special needs, plus caring for my Mom and needing to be available…
The June instalment of Dear Mom #muskokawoods camp seriesHow do you Prepare Your Special Needs Child for Camp? Dear Mom: Just 29 days!!!! The countdown is on. I am going to pack my new swimsuit, sunscreen, a sketchbook, markers, shoes, a brush, no scratch that two swimsuits, Cutie, one blanket, my favourite Aeropostale sweater, one pair of jeans, seven books, underwear and a sleeping bag. I love you and it’s so awesome to be going with Ainsley this year!! It’s going to be amaze balls! Love: Payton Alright, alright. Those of you who have been following this sponsored series in…
Kiara Szabo is 10 and a cancer warrior. Two years ago the London girl was diagnosed with leukaemia and began the hardest battle of her childhood. With support of an amazing team of child cancer experts, her family, and Children’s Hospital of Western Ontario she is now in remission and on her way back to being a typical kid. But along the way, during a painful challenging fight no child should have to face, she found strength through martial arts. Szabo was one of three children demonstrating a program, Kids Kicking Cancer at London Health Sciences Centre. London’s Children’s Hospital…
Ashley and Brandon Powell Ashley Powell is 29, diagnosed with PCOS and she has exhausted most of her options trying to get pregnant. Ashley ’s infertility story starts back at puberty. She had her first period at 13. But it took a full year before her next period arrived. Her menstrual cycles have always been erratic and painful. Powell typically had only 4-8 periods each year and they were extremely painful. In college she was diagnosed with Polycystic ovarian syndrome and referred to a gynecologist. The doctor told her she might have trouble conceiving and that has been proven repeatedly.…
One of our amazing motivated Generations of Hope community members has taken the petition challenge to heart and filled three full pages with signatures already. So, based on her experience and my history of advocating for others I thought we’d share some of the incredible tips we know work well for collecting signatures on a petition. Here is the original Alberta Generations of Hope petition challenge post I shared June 1st. We know 1 in 6 people (or couples) struggle with infertility. We also know infertility is a complex health condition as recognized by the World Health Organization. Want more…