• hallmark_puzzles
    family

    On Mindfulness Tools and Month One of Living Mindfully #LoveHallmarkCA

    February 8, 2017 - By 

    This year, I decided 2017 would be my year of living mindfully. Mindfulness was, and still is, my own personal goal. I challenged myself to stop, take stock daily and be present. Be Mindful. So here’s where I am at one month after starting this mindfulness experiment. In fact, I thought mindfulness would be easier than this, so I am looking to build in some new relaxation and mindfulness tools to help get there. This morning, walking alone, on a beautiful winter day, it was easy to close my eyes, block out jobs, tasks, To Do Lists, and reflect on the…

  • star_wars_valentines
    family

    20 Printable Star Wars Valentines

    February 6, 2017 - By 

    Is there anything cuter than Star Wars Valentines? I can’t think of much, unless it’s a newborn baby with all of their precious newborn smells. This is the year my kids are all grown up and no longer showing interest in giving out Valentine’s cards. That makes me a little bit sad. But, I know many of you have younger children than I do so I thought you could use this printable Star Wars Valentine’s guide. Yoda best Valentine! Some of these adorable printable Star Wars Valentines have me laughing out loud. There’s really no end to the puns you can…

  • family

    Valentine’s Day Bouquets – The Classic “I Love You”

    February 3, 2017 - By 

    Valentine’s Day bouquets are the classic “I love you” gift. They’re a wonderful way to show someone how much you care. The wonderful scents. The beautiful blooms. The colours. Flowers, especially Valentine’s Day bouquets, are the most romantic thing in the world to me. They’re so classic, and they have this way of making me feel appreciated, loved and cheerful. Sigh… I love them. The Best Valentine’s Day Bouquets If you’re going to give a bouquet as a Valentine’s Day gift – and you should – make sure you get the best of the best. I love Teleflora bouquets. Their…

  • early_retirement
    family

    How to Plan for an Early Retirement

    February 2, 2017 - By 

    Rather than waiting to turn 65 many people are planning for early retirement by making smart financial decisions early in life. The key to early retirement is knowing that you have enough money to live on, and set aside for emergencies once you retire. How to Plan for an Early Retirement Save, save, save! That might sound simple but it’s truly the first step. Not only do you need to save money, you need to make sure that your savings are in high interest accounts, or GICs, and RRSPs. Stashing cash in your mattress only gives you the money that…

  • cherry_red_velvet_valentines_day_cupcakes
    family - Food

    Must Make – Cherry Red Velvet Valentine’s Day Cupcakes

    February 2, 2017 - By 

    February is such a great month. There’s Family Day and Valentine’s Day and frankly love and family abound. This month you need to make these Cherry Red Velvet Valentine’s Day Cupcakes. Could anything be sweeter for your sweetheart than red velvet and cupcakes combined? I have been craving a good cupcake recipe for months here and who can say No to red velvet? My kids also love red velvet so I know these will be well received this month. The sweetest Cherry Red Velvet Valentine's Day Cupcakes [tweetthis]You need these cherry red velvet Valentine’s Day Cupcakes in your life. [/tweetthis]…

  • heart
    family - Health

    Happy Heart Health Month – Facts About This Vital Organ #ad

    February 1, 2017 - By 

    This post has been generously sponsored by Bayer.  Heart Health is incredibly important to me. Why is that? Well, a few years ago I had a high blood pressure reading, followed by another one and so on until I was worried I’d need regular high blood pressure medication. I narrowly turned that around with lifestyle changes and my wireless home blood pressure monitor, but I still monitor it. But heart health remains top of mind for me daily. This month everyone has hearts and love on their mind. Every single store is full of heart shaped chocolates and pillows and candies.…

  • healthy_habits
    family - Health

    Healthy Habits to Get You Through the Winter #ChurchandDwight

    January 30, 2017 - By 

    Healthy habits are important all year long, but I have to say, they’re even more important during the winter. Winter is when all the worst germs come out to play. By now everyone I know has had the colds, the flu bugs and even pink eye (TWICE in my case). However, if you practice healthy habits, you can help stave off the onslaught of all those nasty bugs and feel as good as possible all season long. Simple Healthy Habits You can Start Today These healthy habits can be started immediately and can help you feel better now and later. When…

  • homemade_granola_recipes
    family - Food

    25 Healthy Homemade Granola Recipes

    January 26, 2017 - By 

    I am not a crunchy granola Mom, but I do like to have options. And I really love having different healthy homemade breakfast and lunch recipes available to my family. Each of the members of my family love granola. So, I occasionally try to add it to their meals, or create something new for them with this great ingredient. These are 25 of my favourite healthy homemade granola recipes. The top of this list os Peanut Butter Granola from Bunny’s Warm Oven. My youngest daughter is the world’s biggest peanut butter fan. Combining peanut butter and granola will make her…

  • cruise_wreckers
    active family travel - family - Travel

    6 Cruise Wreckers – Things That Can Ruin Travel Plans

    January 24, 2017 - By 

    This post may contain affiliate links as a service to my readers. If you make a purchase as a result I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.   Cruise wreckers can jeopardize your entire trip. Don’t let that happen. There are numerous things you should know before you cruise, and I have written about many tips and tricks. But cruise wreckers can make or break a cruise for you. For instance, if you do this one thing wrong then you might miss your sailing entirely and that would be the worst possible way to begin a vacation.…

  • family - parenting

    Empower Kids with These Two Great Books

    January 23, 2017 - By 

    It’s important to empower kids. As parents and adults in general, it’s our job to help today’s youth grow up to be confident, well-adjusted members of society. One of the ways we do that is to empower kids by nurturing creativity and self esteem. I’m a big believer in this, and recently a couple of books that do just that caught my eye. Empower Kids with Learning and Creativity Although these books are quite different, their outcome is the same. They empower kids to use their minds and teach them that any goal that they set for themselves is achievable.…