• parenting

    Summer Lessons 2026: You Don’t Need to Earn Rest

    September 16, 2026 - By 

    This summer I was driving to the beach to go camping when one of my young adult kids hit me with a life update that sent me reeling and made me incredibly angry. Like cartoon plumes of smoke coming out my ears mad.  Parenting Young Adults is Also Hard When your kids are newborns you think this is the hardest stage, the most enjoyable but also the hardest. Then they turn one and you think wow I did it and the next hard thing occurs and the toddler stage is a challenge but the threes will be simple, right? AND…

  • young girl with red hair looking at the camera and smiling with black sweater on and rocks across the horizon as the sunsets behind her on a Rocky point and green evergreens across the horizon
    family - parenting - Travel

    The Ultimate Camping Gear Guide: Things We Can’t Live Without

    September 14, 2026 - By 

    We just wrapped our fourth camping trip of the season. And while I also love Fall camping and have an entire post about the merits of camping through September, we are not likely to do that this year. At the end of the season we clean and put all of our camping gear away. It’s a good time for us to assess what we have and what we want or need next year. Post contains affiliate links as a service to readers. Any purchases made via qualifying links equal a small commission for me so that I can keep the…

  • parenting

    All Canadian Games to Play on a Rainy Day

    September 10, 2026 - By 

    This August and September so far has seen its fair share of rainy days. You know where it is not fun to be when it is rainy? The cottage! Generally speaking a cottage is a smallish space where you share bedrooms. Unless you are super wealthy and have one of those McMansion cottages that celebrities are always renting in Muskoka, your space is at a premium. The goal is to be outside. Unless you are sleeping, you are outside enjoying the gorgeous beaches, trails and forests. So what do you do if it rains for hours or even days at…

  • parenting

    Comfortable Lightweight Shoes for Everyday Moments

    September 8, 2026 - By 

    We are loving all of the new lightweight shoes in stores lately. Why is that? Well summer and fall are active seasons for our shoes. These days, we are out walking, hiking and camping and in fact we generally just live outside as much as possible. Lightweight shoes that are easy on and easy off make a difference to how fast we get outside and they are just so much easier in general. I received product for consideration here. My opinion is all my own and it is truthful. Post may contain affiliate links as well. I mean we are…

  • family

    Going The Distance with KURU’s New Wide Runners

    August 7, 2026 - By 

    My husband Jim is gearing up for a massive martial arts grading later this year. After years of practice and competitions and trying to eat right, this last stretch is near, but it is also the hardest. Now he needs to level up, start running occasionally and continue with a minimum of three big workouts a week. We were gifted KURU ATOM 2 extra wide sneakers for consideration here. I genuinely love this brand so much that I wanted to share our experience as a service to readers. My opinion is my own and it is honest. So, we’ve been…

  • summer at the lake. blue lake and mountains in the background
    family - Printables

    Summer Survival Activity Pack

    June 11, 2026 - By 

    Summer vacation is right around the corner for many of you and might have already started for some depending on where you live. Boredom Busters Now that summer has officially arrived, it won’t be long before the kids are bellowing for something to do. I’m bored. Amuse me. I mean I am paraphrasing here but you know exactly what I mean. While we all cherish those long, sunny days and the break from the school-day hustle, every parent knows the boredom bug usually makes its appearance within the first week. So what’s a mom or dad to do? Well, maybe…

  • family

    My New KURU Summer Sandals

    April 23, 2026 - By 

    Summer is right around the corner and that means after a brief spring cleaning stint, I am now fishing out all of my summer attire. And taking stock of my shoes too. I am a firm believer that good shoes matter. I wasn’t always that way and couldn’t always afford good quality footwear. This season, summer 2026, is all about these pain free Kuru summer sandals. I received product for consideration on Thrifty Mommas Tips. My opinion is all my own and it is truthful. When I was younger there was nothing I loved more than high heels with a…

  • brown haired boy in blue and grey striped sweater looking thoughtful and holding his face in one hand. Looks worried
    parenting

    Pause the Panic Card Deck to Help with Anxiety

    April 20, 2026 - By 

    Watching your child navigate the world with a heavy heart can be one of the toughest parts of parenting. Eventually they all hit an age where life stops being all about playgrounds and starts being about performance. That shift can be jarring. For many families often, and indeed for ours, age nine seems to be a significant turning point. This is the point often when little kid worries transform into something more complex, often peaking during those high-pressure teenage years. This was definitely the case in our family. I’ve written about our struggle with childhood anxiety before here several times.…

  • parenting

    Still Life: Ten Crime Stories

    April 13, 2026 - By 

    I received gifted product for consideration here. Post contains affiliate links as a service to readers. Listen, I am a fan of escapist fiction. Thrillers, romance, mystery, psychological thrillers – these are my go to. It has been a while since I picked up a book of short stories. So, when Still Life: Ten Crime Stories arrived for consideration, I was excited to pick up this collection of stories. After all, short stories are the perfect length before bed or for a quick read in the middle of the day. And who doesn’t love crime stories? There’s an art to…

  • suede slippers
    family

    Why Dream Pairs Boots Are My New Obsession

    December 31, 2025 - By 

    Is there anything more “Canadian” than the eternal struggle of finding shoes or boots that actually look cute but won’t leave you sliding across a frozen Tim Horton’s parking lot? I’ve spent years cycling through boots that are either “industrial-tundra-chic” or “fashionable-but-frozen.” Product was provided for consideration and affiliate links are included as a service to readers. I make a small commission via qualifying purchases. The last pair I had were great and a well known brand, don’t get me wrong, but sexy they were not. Fashionable, NO. Functional only and I feel like there’s space for both function and…