• family - Health

    My Worry Box – A PTPA Winner for Children #Giveaway

    April 17, 2012 - By 

    Does your child worry? Chances are good, if they are preschoolers on up, there are times their little minds won’t turn off the busy actions of the day. Or times their thoughts are racing. Sensitive children, gifted children, children with special needs, perfectionists, or simply children who spend a lot of time thinking. All children at one time or another handle worry, or anxiety. That’s just part of life. These days, worry and anxiety seems to be more prevalent among children than ever before. Healthy adults handle worries and anxieties every day. But most healthy adults have a toolkit of…

  • Health - special needs

    Teethease Necklaces and Teething Jewelry – Interview with the Inventor

    March 9, 2012 - By 

    My daughter Ainsley chewing on her newest tool for Sensory Processing Disorder, the Teethease Necklaces. Sensory Processing and Special Needs We are way too old for teethers in our house. Our youngest child is seven, but when the option to review this fabulous product line called Teethease Necklaces came to my attention, I was thrilled, because I like having options and I adore having BPA and lead-free items. For people who don’t understand, a lot of children with sensory processing disorder, or autism, need oral input. They chew a lot on sleeves, fingers, jewelry, even toys. It is an organizing…

  • Health - special needs

    Jury Duty, the Tori Stafford murder and Trials

    March 6, 2012 - By 

    The last time I set foot in a courthouse it was for Happy Court. The term we use to describe the day when you finalize your child’s adoption. Yesterday, inside the same London courthouse the mood was as far removed as possible as the murder trial of Michael Rafferty began. Today I am just happy to be here, working at home. Yesterday my number was up. Well, almost. On the first day of the Rafferty murder trial in London, when our local courthouse turned into a very busy hub of activity and media from all over Ontario descended into the centre…

  • Health

    Who Makes You Smile? Teeth Whitening Makeover Contest

    February 20, 2012 - By 

    This is a sponsored post for Top Dentists.  Who Makes You Smile? That’s a no brainer for me. My kids make me smile. The funny,quirky things they do, make me spontaneously burst into laughter. My husband occasionally is a joker. My nephew with his sweet little attempts at learning language and the way he runs from room to room. My Mom lately can make me smile too. At home, my family takes me as I am, but I am a bit more self conscious with the smiles in public. I know I am not alone and if in fact a…

  • Health

    Bliss Explained #writing #BlissdomCa

    February 13, 2012 - By 

    In the fall I attended Blissdom Canada. It was a conference I was fortunate to attend given that I didn’t intend to go originally. I stumbled upon a sell off ticket while attending She’s Connected, another fabulous blogging conference for digital women. I really can’t say enough about either one of the conferences. Both distinct and both worthwhile. But for me, Blissdom Canada represented a huge commitment. A leap of faith, an investment in me and a vote to keep moving forward. A turning point. The summer of 2011 had been a challenging one. My mother deteriorated rapidly in the…

  • Adoption Awareness Month
    family - Health - parenting - Parenting

    National Adoption Awareness Month – Our Story Part Three

    November 21, 2011 - By 

    This is the picture of the day we met our daughter over ten years ago now. People often ask me how the process was and when they hear we adopted domestically they are astonished. I often say: Have you seen our beautiful girls? I could never complain about either one of our adoptions. We got two gorgeous daughters, we got to be parents and we found a great community of friends in the process over the last decade and we have found a passion advocating for other families. Part 3: This is part three of my series in honour of…

  • Health

    Me – On Being Thankful and Cancer Scares

    October 10, 2011 - By 

    It is Canadian Thanksgiving and this year I have even more than usual to be thankful for, especially after my experience on Friday. This past year has been challenging – even more so than usual. My mother was ill over the summer and in and out of hospital. We moved her closer to us and have been directing her health care from here. That is both a challenge and a blessing. Some of you readers know we have a child with special needs and that means each and every day carries with it more challenges. There are also more grace notes too.…

  • family - Health - Parenting

    Hands Off My Child’s Weight – For The Last Time

    September 15, 2011 - By 

    A lot of people followed my story of scales in schools. Last Friday I posted about my daughter, 10, in grade five and an insensitive assignment in which a scale was in her class and kids were weighed. My daughter went first. She was picked to go first and comments were made by others about her size and weight. She came home very upset. Anyways part of my weekend was then spent trying to fix that problem and get to the root of what happened. The issue was resolved yesterday morning when the teacher, whom I believe to be a…

  • Health

    Hiding in the Bathroom

    August 4, 2011 - By 

    I am hiding in the bathroom. And now I am writing a post about hiding in the bathroom. Because I have three girls in my living room, each one gorgeous and smart and related to me and therefore giving me back everything I ever dished out as a child. And yes, I love them madly, my niece included, but the 7, 10, and 11 year old girls in my house are giving me grief and I probably deserve it. But holy crapbuckets of all that is sweet and holy I am very unprepared for the coming teenage years and I…

  • FASD - Health

    Dr. Bloom’s Chewable Teething Jewelry and Sensory Tools

    July 18, 2011 - By 

    Most Moms like choices. I am no different that way: I am all about choices and options and being able to make the best and smartest products and brands available to my family and to me extended family of friends here on Twitter, Blogger and Facebook. When I find a product I like I have to share. Dr. Bloom’s chewable jewels are worth sharing. Most who know me also know that I have a daughter with sensory issues and some special needs. This is my daughter Ainsley (seen above). She has sensory processing disorder and a number of other assets…