OH MAN! I have been sitting on this one for a bit so it’s likely to all come out in a big incoherent mess. But here it is. Life as an adoptee, or an adoptive parent at the end of the school year can be a mess of conflicting emotions. I get it. I do. It is hard and sloppy and somehow this is usually where I find my zen because when the kids come completely unhinged I shove aside most things and retreat to inner calm with purpose because they require it. I am not quite there yet this…
5 Handmade Gift Ideas for the Preschool Teacher in Your Life Preschool teachers do so much to help our children grow and learn. They are the educational force that helps prepare our kids for grade school, high school, and beyond. In the context of my younger daughter’s entire education so far, the preschool teachers might have had the greatest impact. My younger daughter, as some of you know, has some special needs. I talk about that here from time to time. When my daughter was very small she had a lot of trouble with socializing, so all of her helpers,…
This is my tween giving me the look. You know the look….this one….Really? After being away at a conference you come back and want to take my picture and hang out with me. Really? Oh Mom. She’s been working on this hairy eyeball look for months. And for the record this is my Wordless Wednesday post. This is my daughter and I only noticed the wacky necklace when I edited the photo. Do you have tweens? What is their favourite phrase or look?
20 Great Gluten Free Muffin Recipes: Gluten free is a way of life for an increasing number of adults and children. Luckily gluten free diets and recipes have grown up a lot over the past 10 to 15 years. There was a time when I was gluten free in my twenties when my Crohn’s Disease was really acute and dietary restrictions were helping me stay out of hospital. I tried many gluten free recipes and very few made me happy back then. But now, because of an increasingly large proportion of people who need to eat gluten free, and because…
What is a Timeshare? Know the Pros and Cons of Investing A couple of weeks ago, I discussed the question, “What is a timeshare?” This time around let’s look at the pros and cons of investing in one of these properties. From time to time I hear people crowing loudly about how awesome their timeshare property is. Lately I have wondered myself whether a timeshare is a good investment for us. We love to travel, so why not? That’s what led me to start this series. The results of this miniseries and this “What is a Timeshare” instalment may be quite different…
I haven’t done one of these in several months. But today I am all ideas and scattered creativity and I can’t seem to focus on what I need to get done, so I felt like reflecting instead. Sometimes getting these things out of my head helps me organize my brain. Anyhoo…I have seen a lot of great outreach this week and that makes me happy. But I wanted to take a minute reflecting on just a select few brands who hit the right note on Mother’s Day. These are my social media wins this week. Carter’s: Sometimes it’s the…
Graduation Trip Safety – Tips to Save Your Sanity Your child is going on a graduation trip without you! AAAAHHH! Of course, you’re going to be nervous, but there are a few ways you can increase the safety factor and feel better about your child being out in the world without you. A Graduation Trip Doesn’t Have to Make Your Hair Fall Out You don’t want to be a nervous wreck while your child is off in the great big world on their graduation trip. You want to feel good about your child having a great time. You don’t want…
This is a spontaneous Spring giveaway. I recently attended a conference and came back overflowing with knowledge, connections and also gifts from brand sponsors. I have numerous new shipments of items to feature here on the blog. My office is once again overflowing and I need to generate a bit more space in my cabinets and cupboards and on my bench too. This lovely embroidered sentiment from Hallmark Canada makes me happy. Isn’t it sweet? It’s just a lovely, light, little decorative thing that would be brilliant for a Mom, or a Grandma. Since I don’t have either of those…
It’s my birthday coming up July 10th. You know what that coincides with? The release of this – The Minions Movie. I think this clearly means that I will be throwing myself a small family party at the movies. Because who doesn’t love Minions? EVERY. Body. Every. Age. Everyone Loves Minions! They are hysterical. I found a new Minions trailer, so here you go. Amuse yourselves this weekend watching Minions and trailers and Minion trailers! MINIONS – In Theaters July 10 The story of Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s Minions begins at the dawn of time. Starting as single-celled yellow organisms, Minions…
Do you have an aspiring bird watcher in your house? In our old house we had a row of cedars and the cedars often attracted blue jays. Many years we had babies hanging about in the cedars. I think I was the one who enjoyed that the most. My front lawn also held a cedar hedge that was home to baby robins every single year. It used to make my kids very happy to step out the front door and peek at them. Sadly a few years the baby robins had some trouble learning to fly and we ended up…