• adoption and tweens - family - Parenting - parenting

    This Reality Show Called Adoption Life

    “I’m thinking about adopting.” At least once a week I read a message like this from someone wanting information about adoption. I am open. I talk and write about adoption here often. Friends know I will always answer. And I do. I find them resources, or answer their questions about why, or how long, or where do I go? Sometimes I simply let them know that the wait is worth it. I answer the questions one by one and hope others will follow through and discover all that I love about adoption. There are many roads to parenthood. BOTTOM LINE. There…

  • family - Health

    Prepare for a Healthy Baby Now – When Genetic Screening Makes Sense

    “I don’t care if this baby is a boy or a girl. I just hope he or she is healthy.” Almost every parent, or parent to be has uttered out loud, or thought to themselves, some version of this sentiment. Healthy baby first. Gender second. So what would you do to stack the deck in favour of having a healthy child? Eat better, exercise? Some of these changes are a no brainer. But what about genetic screening before you get pregnant? When does that make sense? Most of us know there are many things you do to help grow a…

  • active family travel - family - parenting - Travel

    Flying Alone – How Will You Know When Your Child Is Ready? #travel

    Flying alone is a big step for any child. It’s a big step for a child’s parents, too! It can be a terrifying proposition. After all, the operative word in flying alone is ALONE. Your child will be out in the world, flying and checking in/being picked up on their own far, far away from you. Terrifying. So how do you know when your child is ready to take that step? Flying Alone – A Litmus Test to See if Your Child is Ready Sending a child out into the world is more about their ability to interact safely in…

  • family

    50 Fun Children’s Halloween Movies

    Are you up for a little Halloween fun before the main event? Looking to spend a night in cuddling with your little ones. How about a Halloween movie? There’s sure to be one for every child in your family here in this list of 50 Children’s Halloween Movies. From chilling to pure sweet family fun there’s a movie that will meet your criteria in this group of movies here. So go pop the popcorn and curl up. Maybe flip the switch and put the fireplace on too. Movie nights are a lot of fun for everyone. When my girls were…

  • family - Technology

    New Family Friendly Titles COMING SOON From XBOX One #X16CA

    Recently we were invited to the XBOX One Media Showcase in Toronto’s Distillery District. It was the second year I attended and spent some time getting to know which new family friendly XBOX One games are coming soon. There are a few surefire hits on the way to stores soon. You’ll want to put them on your list for the holidays if not before. This year as always there were dozens of exciting new games at the XBOX One Media Showcase. From the Minecraft games set up inside the showcase room to the thrill seeking extreme winter sports game Steep, which…

  • active family travel - family

    Family Memories – Preserve Them in a Unique Way

    Family memories are something we usually preserve with tons of photos. Whether they’re action or candid shots at a party or family portraits, we document our lives with photos. But very often they stay on our phones, our Facebook or Instagram feeds. But what if we could take our photographed family memories and do something really unique with them? Actually, with Canvas N Decor you can. Family Memories in a Memorable Way My family loves to travel. For us travel is one of the greatest ways to make and build shared memories. We take a lot of pictures when we…

  • family

    The 2016 Holiday Gift Guide #TMMGG16

    It was the first of September when I got my first seasonal Christmas pitch here at Thrifty Momma’s Tips. So, I knew it was time to get thinking about holiday gift guides and considering what I want that to look like this year. I have done these for a few years now and readers enjoy them so today I am launching my 2016 Holiday Gift Guide with a call for submissions. For those who read this blog – you will soon be able to visit and check out all the trending toys for kids and tweens and teens. There might…

  • family - Food

    Fresh Family Meals From Chef’s Plate

    There’s no Mom, or Dad for that matter, who isn’t familiar with the dinner hour panic that goes a little something like this. Work all day, busy putting out fires, then suddenly you look at the clock and realize it’s 4:30 or 5 p.m. and you didn’t plan dinner. You didn’t thaw any meat or protein and you have nothing planned. Around here that’s a regular kind of feeling and it’s not much fun. So when Chef’s Plate contacted me with some fresh family meal ideas delivered straight to my home I was excited to check the service out. There are…

  • family

    Bus Safety for Parents and Kids #BTS

    Bus safety is something both parents and children need to be cognizant of. As we get back in to the school year, there will be lots of bus trips. Many of our kids will take the bus to and from school every day. There will be field trips. There will be parental chaperones on those trips. That’s why it’s important for both kids and parents to recognize how important bus safety is. Bus Safety Tips for Both Parents and Their Children As a parent, bus safety concerns me. Buses are gigantic, massive vehicles and they transport children every day. It’s…

  • family - parenting

    Social Media Issues – How Ontario Teachers Navigate the Waters

    Social media issues can be challenging. It’s a field that is in a constant state of flux. Facebook changes its algorithm. Twitter offers a new feed. One network wanes while another jets off into the stratosphere. And just when you think you have it all figured out, suddenly your high schooler comes home talking about some new chat service that nobody over the age of 20 has EVER heard of before. Social media issues can be a real danger to both children and the teachers responsible for their education. Teachers are the people who spend 5 to 6 hours a day with…