• 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…

  • infertility - Parenting

    Conceivable Dreams First Ever Picnic #ohip4ivf #onpoli

    August 25, 2013 - By 

    If you are near Toronto and struggling with infertility, or suspected infertility, then you won’t want to miss this opportunity. Conceivable Dreams, the provincial patient group advocating for public funding for in vitro fertilization is hosting their first ever picnic on Sept. 15th at Earl Bales Park in Toronto. The event will start at 11 a.m. and run through 3 p.m. All family members and supporters welcome. The picnic features door prizes and entertainment.  “This picnic is extremely important to raise awareness and show the many faces of infertility.  Not only to bring together a community, who suffers in silence, but…

  • family

    How To Make A Do It Yourself Container Fairy Garden – Ten Easy Steps #DIY

    August 14, 2013 - By 

    My girls are crafty and their imaginations are always on the go especially in the summer months. One summer we spent our days blowing things up and doing science experiments in the yard. That was a lot of fun, but mostly it was hands on learning, structured to keep my kids out of trouble. (My girls are going to blow stuff up anyways, so we might as well do it right.) At the end of the school year my oldest daughter started digging up the lawn grabbing grassy clumps of clod and flowers. She told me she intended to build…

  • family

    #LinkedMoms Hard At Work #Blogher13 #WordlessWednesday

    August 7, 2013 - By 

    This conference circuit is hard work. Just sayin’. Actually, this is me with my good friend Margarita Ibbott, also my business partner at Linked Moms. Who are Linked Moms? We’re the gals chatting every Wednesday night at 8 p.m. EST. Join us weekly. Sometimes we talk about pressing parenting issues, health, special needs, travel or what tickles our fancy. Sometimes, we have guests and sometimes our chats are full scale twitter parties.

  • family - Travel

    Win a Family Trip to Syracuse ARV $950

    July 30, 2013 - By 

    Welcome to the Syracuse Family Getaway Giveaway! This Giveaway is made possible by the Syracuse Tourism Organization! HOSTED BY: OTTAWA MOMMY CLUB CO-HOSTED BY: CANADIAN BLOG HOUSE ~ JOURNEYS OF THE ZOO ~ LIFE IN PLEASANT VILLE ~ SHANNON’S VIEW FROM HERE GETAWAY PACKAGE: 1 room with 2 double beds for 2 nights at Double Tree Hotel by Hilton for a family of four with buffet breakfast for four each morning based on availability. Valid through 4/30/14 4 Tickets (2 adult & 2 children) to the Pole Position Raceway in DestinyUSA 4 tickets (2 adult & 2 children) to the…

  • family

    #DIY How to Tie Dye: Ten Easy Steps

    July 27, 2013 - By 

    Before the girls went to camp and I headed off to Blogher’ 13 in Chicago, we had a week of manic hunting for things to do that would keep them busy enough not to kill or eat each other. I mean, we had a fun week of unscheduled activity. AKA crafting. This is one of the fun things we did together. Ainsley actually loved it so much she got all sweet and cuddly and cute.  Believe me when I say that is worth all the T-shirts in the world. 1000 times over.  How to Tie Dye: 1. Buy 100 %…

  • family

    Cousins #WordlessWednesday

    July 24, 2013 - By 

    Wordless Wednesday is a photo linkup. Last week we had the opportunity to get the kids together with their cousins. There’s something about being with your cousins that brings out the monkey in every child.

  • active family travel - Health - infertility - parenting - Parenting - special needs

    Hoping for Okay: Sending A Special Needs Child To Camp

    July 23, 2013 - By 

    Sending kids with special needs to camp is never simple. You have to vet camps hard to find one that might be capable of handling your children. Oh I know most make mention of inclusive policies and such. But, I have seen how this works in practice sometimes and it doesn’t. So, forgive me while I hold my breath and pray that this camp works this time. This morning, I woke fingers crossed and holding my breath. Today I have both kids at camp. No fires to put out. No demands beyond work. No calls from the camp stating: “What…

  • family

    Business Blogging Part 2: Why Like Us on Facebook is Not a Social Media Strategy

    July 18, 2013 - By 

    Like Us on Facebook is not a Social Media Strategy for Business. There’s a sweet little spa down around the corner from my house that I frequent from time to time. I enjoy it there. It’s quiet. The owner is calm and the atmosphere soothing. Business trickles in and out and it is never overbooked. When I get a paraffin pedicure I can relax because it is so quiet. Recently, I noticed their sign out front was changed to read: TRIPLE A Spa (not its name) Like Us on Facebook. I have driven by it daily and walked by it…