• family

    Five Lessons Learned from #BlissdomCa 2013

    October 7, 2013 - By 

    Snapshots of my Blissdom experience 2013 Blissdom last year in 2012 Three years ago I attended my first ever Blissdom Canada conference. It was a leap of faith. I was a newbie. I had newbie nerves. I’d been writing for years at that point in mainstream media and had a lot of bylines that accumulated over the years. I had a small blog. It was a growing blog, but still something wasn’t quite yet clicking. Jennifer Reynolds from Canadian Family threw down a challenge during a writing and publishing workshop. Write about finding your bliss. I knew I’d do it,…

  • Christmas_gift_guides
    family

    Thriftymommastips Holiday Gift Guide #Xmas2013

    September 25, 2013 - By 

    This is the unveiling of a very special opportunity for brands to connect with readers here on thriftymommastips.com during the Christmas buying season. Welcome to Thrifty Mommas Tips Gift Guide 2013. If you are a brand, or have a product you’d like featured, please write to inkscrblr@rogers.com. I am accepting all family friendly submissions. You have 3 months to go before Christmas. Now is the time to start the buzz. Get your product featured in this Christmas gift guide and have it seen by thousands. Millions of impressions monthly across my social media channels. Feel free to request mote info if you want…

  • family

    End Canadian Postal Pain – My US.com

    September 23, 2013 - By 

    Got a Canadian address? Like to shop? Then you know all too well this shopping drama. It goes a little something like this.  While perusing Amazon or Coolestnewshoppingsite.com I found the best deal on the sweetest little motorcycle jacket in leather. Sized perfect and priced right so I flash my credit card or Paypal and get ready to bring that bad boy home when FAIL! Address screen pops up and I am in Canada. Now every Canadian on line shopper knows this one. Sometimes you might have spent hours finding that amazing deal and the perfect item and yet by…

  • family - infertility - Parenting

    I Am An IVF Soldier: An Infertility Success Story – Interview #abhc4vf #abpoli #ohip4ivf #onpoli

    September 20, 2013 - By 

    This is an American infertility story. The couple featured are from the US. I interviewed Kathy this summer and wanted to share her story, because it is an infertility success story. Sometimes the themes of struggle and health care battles and difficult journeys to create family transcend borders of province and country. Infertility impacts 1 in 6 people. Infertility patients struggle with this complex health issue regardless of where they live. But some patients, in some areas of the world like Ontario, have an added financial burden of paying for in vitro fertilization which can cost easily $10,000 a cycle.…

  • family

    Mastermind Toys #Ldnont Grand Opening Weekend

    September 19, 2013 - By 

    Welcome to south London, Mastermind Toys! This weekend, if you are in London at all, you will want to take some time to visit London’s newest gem, the brand new location of Mastermind Toys. Grand opening celebrations take place at both London stores from September 19th to the 22nd. The fresh, light, open and fun new space for Mastermind is in south London at 3120 Wonderland Road South (near Adventures on Wonderland). Drop in and see the 25 foot Lego Man, or go buy this season’s hottest toy,Rainbow Loom which my Aunt Pat bought my girls 2-3 weeks ago. We…

  • family - Health

    Five Things NOT to Say When a Friend is Grieving

    September 10, 2013 - By 

    GRIEVING Four months ago my mother passed away unexpectedly fast. Hearts broken, we moved through our days barely breathing at times, bursting into tears at the cemetery as we chose our mother’s plot, falling asleep spent. The words “Beloved Mother” on a spray of roses and every childhood memory unravelled at my feet. Sobbing, we set foot inside a flower shop to buy the last flowers we might ever gift her with and hope the florist weighs how much we loved her, translates it into colours. In the last few weeks, tears have come and gone, sometimes with clear triggers…

  • family

    Disney Super Buddies Review

    September 7, 2013 - By 

    My kids are big fans of the Buddies series of movies from Disney and we are rarely disappointed when a new release arrives in the mail for review. So, the arrival of Disney Super Buddies this past week was met with squeals of joy from the girls.  We sat down last Saturday night and had family movie night on the long weekend. Family movie night is always a great chance to connect and cuddle and occasionally shut down all the work projects I have on the go.  Disney Buddies are the cutest little dogs. Santa Buddies, Snow Buddies and Space…

  • family

    Time for #LinkedMoms #GoingBack Party – $100 Gift Card

    August 28, 2013 - By 

    It’s time for a party. #LinkedMoms and Staples Canada are throwing a Back to School Twitter Party and this is your chance to win. We Have five great chances to win a gift card for Staples Canada products.  4 prizes of $25 and one grand prize of $100  What could you buy with a $100 Staples Canada gift card? Well, I think I would start with this:  Because my kids are in love with YTV and these are very hot commodities advertised on Next Star, our favourite show. And they look fun. (I secretly want one to play with myself…

  • american_girl_event
    family

    American Girl’s First Ever Blogger Event #BittyBaby

    August 26, 2013 - By 

    The years are brief, in which girls play with dolls. Blink your eyes and they are almost done. Even shorter, if you have a sporty girl who had no interest in anything girly until very recently. So colour me happy and a wee bit shocked too when this one – who has been christened sporty spice, bug, two foot tornado and Hurricane Ainsley at various points in her short nine years – decided she was a doll girl. She is prone to these whiplash about turn moments now as a young almost tween. So, when I was invited to an…