• Giveaways - parenting

    Max and Ruby in the Nutcracker Suite Coming Soon

    October 31, 2013 - By 

      When my kids were small they adored Max & Ruby on Nickelodeon. My girls still enjoy seeing live entertainment and Centennial Hall, London, has often been a space where we built happy family memories. If you ask me Centennial Hall is the perfect size for events that are somewhat intimate, welcoming, warm and family friendly. Our last show might have been The Backyardigans there.  Over the past decade there have been many great Koba Entertainment productions witnessed and experienced by our family. There’s something about these entertaining productions that makes kids of us all. Coming Soon Max & Ruby,…

  • homes - parenting - Travel

    On the Move #WordlessWednesday Painting Linky

    October 29, 2013 - By 

    As some of the readers here already know, we are getting ready to move. The recommendation way back in September was to paint the hall. So husband removed the wallpaper and then we hired a painter to come in and freshen the house up. The painting is almost done. We still need trim work. Now the tricky part – keeping it free of marks and kid’s fingerprints until we sell it. 

  • Health - Parenting - special needs

    How to Write an All About Me Booklet for Your Special Needs Child

    October 29, 2013 - By 

    This All About Me Special Needs Book is one of my favourite tools for my daughter. I’ve had one for Ainsley for several years now and it is always well received by teachers, coaches and others who work with her regularly. These All About Me Special Needs Booklets work well when your child is young and unable to tell people what he or she needs. We used them often for Ainsley, especially at camp. The idea is that you can use them as a tool for helpers, teachers or support staff when dealing with a child who has medical needs…

  • family

    On the Move Series – Losing It and Where are my Pants?

    October 25, 2013 - By 

    This week has been all about pants. Metaphorically, and literally too. See, I think the week took a turn for the worst when I couldn’t find my pants. My pants have gone missing. Decluttering is well under way and we might have been a bit aggressive packing. My jeans, my winter wardrobe largely packed away. My big girl business-y clothing with pants. I have chosen this experience, eyes wide open. Moving house is not easy, under the best of circumstances. Yesterday, I spent a whole morning really crunching numbers with a bank I will not name. No problem. I have no…

  • Parenting

    National Adoption Month – and I See Me Books Giveaway

    October 24, 2013 - By 

    This I See Me Books Giveaway contains affiliate links as a service to readers. November is National Adoption Month, so I wanted to feature some adoption friendly merchants and brands here. Look for more this coming month. I found I See Me quite by happenstance. National Adoption Month and Merchandise I See Me has an incredible array of personalized products that you can order for your child. That’s pretty fun and unique, but what really got me excited was the Adoption section on their web site. It’s not overtly specific to adoption only. But it is applicable to adoptive families,…

  • family - homes

    What Makes a House a Home? – On The Move Series

    October 22, 2013 - By 

    I’ve been wrestling with this question a lot here lately. What makes a house a home? We have been in our London home for 14 years now.    We adopted our girls and started a family, launched careers, paused careers, watched, helped, travelled, threw dozens of birthday parties and created moments to remember. We got sick, then got better. We made friends, lost friends, saw loved ones pass away. We planned, we sang, we cooked, we celebrated and we grieved. We grew together. Now, we have grown to the point where we need to move. We have outgrown out neighbourhood…

  • family

    Five Reasons Your Blogger Outreach Program Is a Fail

    October 18, 2013 - By 

    Blogger Outreach is one of the biggest parts of my marketing business. Call it influencer outreach or paid media. In fact, blogger outreach can significantly elevate your game and your message on line and in real life too. An authentic ambassador for your brand tells a story well and is sought out for their opinion. They are impactful and trustworthy and they have an audience. This collage is a sample of a few of the clients I have worked with in the past year. I have been blogging here and writing on line for almost 5 years now. Thrifty Mommas…

  • family

    Disney’s The Little Mermaid Diamond Edition Review

    October 16, 2013 - By 

    The Little Mermaid is one of our family favourites. Last year, Payton played the role of Flounder during March Break. It was a world class adorable OKTC (Original Kids Theatre Company) production. Favourites and Classics If my girls were asked to name a favourite princess of all the Disney princesses, well, Ariel of The Little Mermaid would be top three. It is our most watched Disney Princess story and has held that position for years. The musical pieces here are outstanding and the plot appeals in so many ways – love and independence and the quest to find your own…

  • Food - Health - parenting

    World Food Day #MeaningfulMeals Twitter Party RSVP

    October 13, 2013 - By 

    How many nights a week do you sit down together as a family to share dinner? 1? 2? 3? Between swimming lessons and my daughter’s acting rehearsals, my workouts, horseback riding, work and whew – martial arts too – it’s getting harder for our family to carve out dinner time together.  My kids lead busy lives and we do too. We used to be so good at this sitting down together as a family when the kids were tiny, as babies, toddlers and preschoolers, we managed 4-5 nights a week. I was a stay at home mom and my husband…