• family

    Handmade Snowy #DIY Simple Christmas Ornament

    December 17, 2013 - By 

    Are you a fan of simple DIY Christmas ornaments the kids can make with you using inexpensive materials? Well, here’s one of the easiest ornaments I have found yet. It requires paint, an ornament and your child’s handprint. Trust me this will become a cherished Christmas ornament from here on in.   Looking for a few Simple DIY Christmas Ornament ideas? Then I have a Do it Yourself ornament idea for you. DIY Easy Christmas Ornament Normally this time of year we have a big beautiful real tree, decorated to match our living room, spreading pine scented love throughout the…

  • family

    Five Great Toys for Toddlers

    December 16, 2013 - By 

    Hunting for the perfect toy for your niece or nephew? One of my favourite things to do as an aunt is toy shop for the most current, educational and affordable toys. With two toddlers on my list this year I have some fun shopping to do and I already have some toddler toys picked out. Classic Brands I enjoy buying some classics like the Fisher Price corn popper – which has been around forever. (In fact I had one as a child) and Fisher Price Little People toys too. These are classic toddler toys on my books and they are…

  • family - Food - Health

    Cuisinart Sparkling Beverage Maker Review

    December 9, 2013 - By 

    This past mont, I have been cataloguing my recommendations in Thriftymommastips Gift Guide. Many have been toys and a great number of the gifts have been specifically for girls and tween girls. Today’s idea is a beverage maker for adults. The Cuisinart Sparkling Beverage Maker is a toy for adults. And it is perfect for this season. The New Beverage Maker Makes a Great Gift The Cuisinart Sparkling Beverage Maker is a gift that begs to be opened early. Entertaining at all this year? Then this Cuisinart gem will add the sparkle and fizz to any occasion. Shop.CA sent this…

  • family

    Amazing Superhero Gifts for Boys #TMMGG2013

    December 9, 2013 - By 

    Iron Man and Hulk: Heroes United (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) Marvel Iron Man and Hulk Heroes United special edition DVD and Blu-Ray arrived here last week from Disney. Actually, although this movie is listed here under superhero gifts for boys and is the latest edition in my gift guide, my daughter has always been a massive superhero fan. She has a cool Iron Man costume and mask and frequently wears them with a dress. She’s quirky like that. So, I was excited to see what she thought of the Hulk portion of this new animated video. It’s been…

  • family

    My Top Five Family Christmas Movies

    December 5, 2013 - By 

    This time of year we love to take the afternoon or evening and watch Family Christmas movies together. Are you the same way? There’s something super festive about watching Christmas movies together as a family. If your family is at all like mine, then Christmas is a great opportunity to snuggle, take a break, pop some popcorn, and plan a movie night. Who wants to go out after eating all that turkey? I’d much rather cuddle and watch something fun before Christmas too. Wrapping presents and decorating the tree is always a good time to share a special movie. In…

  • family

    Best Gifts for Girls – Bitty Twins #TMMGG2013

    December 1, 2013 - By 

    No secret here that we love American Girl dolls, accessories and outfits. As a child I would have been all over these sweet twin dolls. It was this summer at Blogher 13 when this Canadian Mama first experienced American Girl on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago. American Girl gave us a party experience to remember with pretty American Girl foods and the shopping experience too. I fully anticipate bringing my girls to this amazing store one day soon. Maybe 2014 will be the year for them to experience Chicago.  The American Girl craftsmanship here is exquisite and the lovely thing…

  • family

    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Anything #TMMGG2013

    November 29, 2013 - By 

    Who knew that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles which were hot years ago would end up staging a huge comeback in 2013? We received these back in the summer when I went to the toy show Sweet Suite at Blogher 13 in Chicago. My girls, who do martial arts, had already been watching the movies and the TV shows for weeks at that point. So these guys, TMNT Flingers were a crazy hit. I knew I couldn’t hold them back until Christmas. Now, listen up because these guys are all the rage and will be hot this Christmas. Donatello and Teenage…

  • family

    Saving Money and Energy: Four Simple Tips

    November 28, 2013 - By 

      This is a sponsored post on behalf of E.ON. It is extremely relevant to my readers in the UK. There are tips throughout about ways to save energy applicable to all my readers regardless of their location.   Winter is here to stay and with it comes potentially high heat and energy bills. Shorter days mean more lights and less access to outdoor activity means more time spent surfing Youtube, or parked on a sofa playing video games. It’s easy to see how lights stay on longer. You fall into a pattern of staying warm and cocooning for the…

  • family

    GoldieBlox is Perfect for Girls #TMMGG2013

    November 25, 2013 - By 

    It’s time for another entry in my 2013 Best Toys of the season gift guide!!                                       My kids are super lucky. That’s all I can say. My girls are fortunate to have access to some of the coolest toys around and they get to try them out almost as soon as they hit the stores. Goldie Blox and The Spinning Machineis a building toy for girls that I had my eye on way back when I heard of the kickstarter project that…