• family - parenting

    Alone at Home Overnight – When is it Okay for Teens to Man the Fort

    September 6, 2017 - By 

    Alone at home. The ultimate test for a teenager. Mom and dad are gone overnight. The house is theirs. How will they handle it? Will mom and dad come back to a home just as they left it. Will they discover a beer bottle under the couch from the wild party that 16 year old Jessie had. Or will they simply return to discover too many dishes in the sink from too many hours on the PS4? These questions and more go through all of our minds when the day finally comes to leave the kids alone at home. But when…

  • id_bracelets
    family

    Chamilia ID Bangles – A New Twist on a Classic Look

    September 4, 2017 - By 

    Chamilia ID Bangles are storming the jewelry scene with their modern twist on an old favorite – ID bangles. Their new Spoken by Chamilia collection is an effort by Chamilia, a Swarovski Company, to bring it’s charm-based jewelry to a wider audience. The new Chamilia ID Bangles are hand-crafted in 100% sterling silver, and some styles are also available in 14 karat yellow gold or 14 karat rose gold electroplating.   New Chamilia ID Bangles – Modern Sensibilities in a Classic Look Chamilia has released one new traditional silhouette ID bangle, and six new ID bangles to help match the…

  • victory_lap
    family - Parenting - parenting

    The Victory Lap in Ontario – Why Take the Extra Year?

    August 31, 2017 - By 

    The victory lap is what we call an extra year of high school in Ontario. It’s also known as grade 13. Today, high school is only four years long, but when I was a kid, it was a five year process. That means that kids today will be entering university at 18 rather than 19. I know how challenging university was for me as a 19 year old, so I can only imagine how hard it must be for an individual just on the cusp of adulthood. In many cases, it’s better for the child to attend that fifth year of…

  • WillLand_outdoors
    family

    WillLand Outdoors Backpacks for Back to School #BackToBackpacks

    August 28, 2017 - By 

    WillLand Outdoor Backpacks make back to school easier and stylish. My high school student is starting the new school year with the Delisioza. Her last one was just a bit too small for the bigger books that come with going into grade 11. We also can’t wait to use Luminosa Forte Freedom for all the traveling, hiking, and skiing that we do. We love WillLand Outdoors backpacks because they’re high-quality and make it easy to carry everything you need. WillLand Outdoors Backpacks From School to the Outdoors WillLand Outdoors backpacks are designed to work hard, and that’s important to me. Whether…

  • family - Printables

    Common Sight Words Printable – Kindergarten to Grade One

    August 24, 2017 - By 

    If your children are about to start school, or are working towards entering grade one soon then this post is for you. Sight words are the most frequently printed and written words in the English language. They are generally simple words, ranging from Little to TO, to Down, THE, and of course AND. There are several of these sight words and the sooner children grasp and recognize them the easier it is to read. I think I mentioned this before here once or twice. My younger child had some trouble figuring out reading. The decoding didn’t come easy for them…

  • family - Giveaways - parenting

    University Student Care Package Essentials #ChurchandDwight #Giveaway

    August 20, 2017 - By 

    With one daughter well into high school it won’t be long before we are preparing to launch her to university or college. Like many parents we want the best for our kids. And no matter how old your kids get, you never stop being their mom or dad. So naturally, when that bittersweet milestone finally becomes a reality we will be sure to equip her with several essentials and a student care package to help everyone here sleep better at night. After all it takes more than books and money to succeed as a young adult living independently. There are…

  • family

    Limeapple Back to School Packs on Sale

    August 17, 2017 - By 

    My girls are active girls. If yours are at all like mine then you know that the quest to find good quality, age appropriate athletic wear is a challenging one. Finding affordable athletic wear for girls is almost like spotting a LIVE unicorn flying over a rainbow. But, it doesn’t have to be quite so impossible with Limeapple’s Back to School sale. Affordable and adorable high performance girl’s clothing is available now, for two days this week only Friday August 18 and Saturday August 19 at Limeapple.com. I have shared posts previously about Limeapple and why I love their clothing for…

  • solar_eclipse
    family

    Five Things You Need to Know About A Solar Eclipse

    August 17, 2017 - By 

    A Solar Eclipse happens on August 21, 2017, and people are abuzz! While a solar eclipse is not an uncommon event, we won’t see another over Canada, the continental United States, and North America until 2024, so that’s a big deal.   TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE FACTS: If you’ve never experienced a total eclipse, there are things you’ll see and feel that may be a bit unsettling. Understanding what’s happening and why will make viewing the solar eclipse all the more interesting. Anxious children might benefit from knowing what to expect in advance.   The sky may look like it has…

  • sharpie
    Back To School - family - Giveaways - special needs

    Getting on Track with Sharpie and Paper Mate #SpreadJoy #Giveaway

    August 16, 2017 - By 

    I have partnered with YMC and Sharpie/Paper Mate and have received compensation for this post. All opinions in the post are my own. Getting on track for the school year is especially important when the kids hit junior high and high school. Every year is important, but it seems like time is starting to run out when your kids hit high school. Grades, volunteering, extracurriculars – are all incredibly important for college and university admission. This year it’s crucial the kids have everything they need to stay on task. Sharpie and Paper Mate offer tools that make getting on track and staying…

  • dinosaur_word_search
    family

    Cute Kid’s Dinosaur Word Search

    August 12, 2017 - By 

    Make way for a dinosaur word search! Dinosaurs provide such rich learning opportunities. Our dinosaur library of books has been large since my kids were toddlers. Diplodocus. Ankylosaurus. T-REX, and Pterodactyls!! How can you resist? Kids of all ages love Dinosaurs. There’s so much history and so many facts to be learned from dinosaurs. When my kids were small they would read endlessly about dinosaurs. There’s something about dinosaurs that captivates people even still and sparks the imagination. Do your kids love dinosaurs as much as mine did? Then they might enjoy this fun free dinosaur word search. Words puzzles…