• family

    Grief Finds You in the Card Aisle

    It hit me hard in the card aisle. Grief. Such a sneaky emotion. Tricking you and then hiding behind obstacles in the open. Like a thief hiding behind doors and in alleys waiting to pounce out and holler. Friday was my Mom’s birthday. The first birthday we haven’t spent together and also the first birthday since she passed away. It rained a lot here and it was, without doubt, the hardest day I have had since she left us. Way harder than Christmas. Grief Finds You in the Card Aisle One week ago I was standing in the grocery store…

  • family

    Midnight Castle Sweepstakes – Win an iPad Mini

    Midnight Castle game is family friendly and pretty enjoyable for all. My 12-year-old has been using her iPad mini obsessively since she got it last summer. This past week my oldest daughter and I both discovered Midnight Castle game and we have been playing together ever since. Head over to the Midnight Castle Facebook page to learn more.  Up until now, when daughter wasn’t using iPad for homework or building a Prezi presentation for some assignment, she was glued to games that drive me mad. Most of her current games in rotation on the iPad are wholesome enough but vapid.…

  • family

    Four Reasons I am Attending Mompreneur Conference

    This weekend I am heading to the Mompreneur conference in Toronto. As you all know this is not my first conference. I attend about 6 social media workshops and conferences throughout the year. But this one is different. First of all, it’s a business focus. In particular, a women in business focus. Why is that important? Simply put, I am a business. And I am a woman. I run a social media strategy and marketing business in addition to the health blogging and marketing that I do here at Thrifty Momma’s Tips. Business has grown and I know full well…

  • family

    #DisneyLive at Budweiser Gardens #ldnont Review

    All roads lead to Disney lately at our house. This entire March break was filled with song and dance and theatre. Oldest daughter was Tinkerbell in an Original Kids Theatre troupe production of Peter Pan. Before that we saw Disney on Ice featuring Peter Pan and then at the end of March break we ran into half a dozen families we know at Disney Live. That, in itself, was a hoot.  I never ever mind time spent enjoying Disney movies, shows, books, toys. There is something to be said about the quality of time spent together as a family. Disney…

  • family

    Available Today: Disney’s Frozen on Blu-Ray and DVD

    This Disney’s Frozen post contains affiliate links. I received product for consideration here. If I had to pick a runaway hit of the year, Disney’s Frozen would be it. Today, it’s available on Blu-Ray and regular DVD. Amazon.ca and Amazon.com are both selling copies now. I am an Amazon affiliate so if you click through to this Frozen DVD on Blu-Ray https://amzn.to/2VTRdC4 now you can purchase a copy fast. The music was fantastic and my kids have downloaded the entire soundtrack from iTunes. But the story of two sisters who become solely reliant on themselves after their parents die, is one that…

  • family

    Barbie My Dreams Express Your Style Contest

    I asked my kids if they wanted me to post some more stories about Barbies. They hollered great whoops of joy. “Wait, what’s that? You girls still like Barbies?” “YES!!!!!” They hollered loudly and in unison. Such are the conversations in my house.    I make no excuses ever for our unabashed love of all things Barbie. There was a time I thought my girls would be tough sporty girls (and they are). They would never like pink. (My Mom bought one exclusively pink clothing for the first 6 years of her life and it still remains a favourite colour…

  • family

    Sign The Pledge with Your Teen and Make Roads Safer

    If you are a parent of a child about to start driving then you want to hear about this pledge to make roads safer.     Driving is one of the biggest rites of passage for a young adult. Getting your driver’s license is an epic event, one children begin fantasizing about from the time they are small. Little boys practice driving their imaginary cars almost as soon as their brains are capable of creative play. Girls too. My oldest daughter just last year pulled her iPhone out at the beach and warned me she was only 1598 days away…

  • family - Giveaways

    Win Family Passes to #DisneyLive Mickey’s Rockin’ Road Show #Ldnont #giveaway

    My friends know well of my love for all things Disney. Disney Live! Skating shows are always welcome here. I have taken my kids consistently to Disney Live events ever since they were tiny toddlers soaking it all in. There’s something about the live skating show that always makes me feel happy to be a parent. It’s a nice way to take a break and enjoy time together too. This March 16th, Disney Live Mickey’s Rockin’ Road Show will skate on over to Budweiser Gardens. We can’t wait to see it ourselves. I also have set of four tickets to…

  • family - Health - infertility

    Five Creative Advocacy Ideas For Non Profits – #ivf4on #onpoli

    My regular readers know I have been working with numerous non profits and charities to build their profiles on social media. I am community manager for Conceivable Dreams, the Ontario patient group advocating for better awareness and access to fertility treatments, and for Generations of Hope in Calgary. Conceivable Dreams has had some brilliant ideas over the last two years and their name/ brand as a non profit is extremely well known now, especially on social media. I am proud to have been part of their team. When we started we had about 50 followers on Twitter and we have…

  • family

    Great Games for Kids – Monopoly Junior

    Remember how fun regular Monopoly used to be when you were a kid? I do. I used to love playing Monopoly by the hour with my Mom and my brother. It was a childhood favourite. We were super competitive and we played it many Sunday afternoons. Park Place and Board Walk were battled over in fierce territorial disputes. I loved that game, even well before I recognized that it was made by Hasbro, a respected and enduring brand. So when I heard there was a Monopoly Junior in stores I was super interested in seeing how different it was. A…