• Health - Parenting - special needs

    If This Child Were Blind #specialneeds

    April 4, 2013 - By 

    Photo from Today’s Parent, this was an article I wrote for them that was published in 2008. This is Ainsley. Some of you know her well. Others have never met her and that’s okay. You just need to know she has multiple disabilities, aka special needs. That’s the sad fact of prenatal alcohol and poly-substance exposure. It hurts your brain, in fact it can often cause brain damage when you are in utero. (before you are born). I have seen children with FASD, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, whose brains are essentially mapped with holes in places where another child would…

  • Giveaways - Health - special needs

    La Roche-Posay Itch Free Day Drawing Contest #100families

    March 25, 2013 - By 

    My daughter Ainsley doesn’t have eczema, but she does have extremely sensitive skin. That’s part and parcel for a child living with sensory processing disorder. She is easily irritated by many things and synthetic fabrics make her even itchier. Her skin is extremely dry also, so we use cream often.  When Ainsley was little we experimented with many cosmetic options and lotions. But lotions that are overly greasy or scented also irritated her. It took us months and a whole lot of trial and error to figure out what worked. Lipikar Baume AP is one product that is gentle enough…

  • Health - infertility

    Silly #Infertility Myths #ohip4ivf #onpoli

    March 16, 2013 - By 

    I found this on Pinterest the other night and just had to share. It’s cute graphically, but really a wee bit sad that some people still think some of these things true. Like infertility is just a woman’s issue. In fact 40 % of infertility is male factor infertility. Reminds me also of the myth that if you want it bad enough it will happen. Well, no amount of wishing, hoping or praying can fix a genuine medical condition. But what can help sometimes, when medically recommended, is in vitro fertilization. People need help sometimes getting pregnant and that’s where…

  • Health - homes - parenting

    Trick out your #Lysolhandsoapcontest

    March 15, 2013 - By 

    I have girls. Enough said. They like the bling. They like crafting. They like to drive me bonkers. Wait, did I say that out loud?  Lysol No Touch Hand soap, the soap dispenser built for the kid who touches everything, is also made for my girls who like to bling up everything. If your kids are like mine at all, or even if they just want to craft, go pick up the Lysol Hand Soap dispenser and take photos of it all fancied up. You could win a mini iPad right now.  For a limited time, visit the Lysol Canada…

  • family - Health - special needs - Travel

    Five Ways to Save Money on Summer Camp #MuskokaWoods

    March 13, 2013 - By 

    Dear Mom: Remember last month when I reminded you all about how we needed to book my summer camps now! Well, I am really hoping you did that Mom. I want to get into the same overnight summer camp I did last year with my BFF. It was the most fun event of my entire summer. Oh I enjoyed Canada’s Wonderland too, but nothing will ever top staying up late, crafting all week long, singing songs and making my own dolls and then swimming in a lake and sleeping on bunks away from home. My counsellors were incredible. In fact,…

  • Health - Parenting

    This was Eight – #WordlessWednesday

    March 13, 2013 - By 

    This was eight. The year you got your junior black belt. The year you got a teacher that really truly liked and got you. The year your friends became really big in your world. The year you made laser webs from yarn and spun them through your room. The year you fought with your sister, and then fell asleep in her bed. The year you wondered why Grandma had to get Alzheimer’s and then simply quietly helped her – often and without being asked. The year you got an appliance for your teeth. The year you won three trophies. The…

  • Health - infertility

    Endometriosis Awareness Month #ivf4bc #bcpoli

    March 11, 2013 - By 

    March marks Endometriosis Awareness Month and because I write often about infertility, adoption and health I wanted to take this post to tell you about endometriosis. Endometriosis is a painful chronic disease impacting 1 in 10 women. It is linked to infertility and is often difficult to diagnose. Many readers here know that I have some health issues. I write about Crohn’s Disease sometimes, but until now I have never written about the endometriosis I used to struggle with as well. Despite my frankness with many other issues and topics, talking about periods, menstruation and even some fertility issues, is difficult.…

  • Health

    Good Health Care Policy Includes #OHIP4IVF #onpoli

    March 7, 2013 - By 

    By now my readers know I am community manager for a group called Conceivable Dreams. I believe strongly, just as the World Health Organization does, that infertility is a health issue impacting many areas of society on a human and economic level. I wrote about the reasons why Ohip funding for in vitro fertilization makes sense last September here on thriftymommastips. I have also interviewed many people struggling with infertility here in Ontario, Alberta and B.C. I have spoken with many Ontarian’s who have spent as much as $50,000 trying to build a family through IVF. Currently in Canada, the…

  • beauty products - Giveaways - Health

    Tria Beauty Series Post 4: At Home Hair Removal

    March 4, 2013 - By 

    Tria at Home Hair removal laser has been a regular part of my daily routine now for several weeks. This is post number four about the device which promises to remove hair permanently from legs, underarms and other areas of the body where unwanted hair grows. At the end of this series I get to give a device away (worth $449) and the giveaway will be open to Canada and the U.S. I have been faithfully using the Tria for several weeks, and have seen it easily integrate into the morning beauty routine here. It works best after a shower…

  • Health

    My #WordlessWednesday Winner Linky

    February 27, 2013 - By 

    Does she look tired? Well, she should after five hours of waiting and one hour of performing and then three trophies, including two firsts and one third. My martial artist. My family is martial arts nutty. We owe a lot to martial arts for framing this child’s energy into something that is a big positive in her life. So cheers to Ainsley and kudos to Modern Martial Arts in London where we spend all our time and money and it’s worth it.