• active family travel - Parenting - parenting

    How Do You Measure Eleven?

    July 2, 2013 - By 

    This was 11. This was 11. The year you grew maybe an inch in height. Not so much really compared to all the years that came before, but then again who really measures growth in inches? Eleven was the year you faced camp, for the first time on your own. A week with friends and it was glorious, or so I am told daily as the camp countdown begins another year. This was the year you finished grade six. The year I had to pull you out of school for two whole weeks because of a terrible fit between you…

  • blue_mountain_collingwood
    family - Travel

    The Westin Trillium House Review

    June 26, 2013 - By 

     Last week we were invited to take part in the Blue Mountain Family Blogger Retreat 2013. We stayed three days at the Westin Trillium House. While there, we tested out many of the great activities at Blue Mountain Resort, and some in Collingwood too.     The Scoop on the Resort Itself   I have so much to share with you that I am breaking it down into instalments. This is my review of the Westin Trillium House. Sharing some of the great activities in the Collingwood area soon.    Blue Mountain      For those of you who don’t know…

  • homes - parenting

    Organizing and Rubbermaid All Access Bin Review

    June 25, 2013 - By 

    My Mom had a lot of collections. She collected dolls and angels and photos. When she passed away recently, many of her treasures came to me. There are a few special things I want to keep for my kids. As I mentioned, there are many beautiful collector dolls in great condition. My children are getting older, but I still don’t trust them not to break their grandma’s special cherished items. At the same time my storage space is at a premium. In fact it’s past capacity to overflowing here and we badly need a garage sale. I can’t keep half…

  • Health - parenting - Travel

    Dear Mom Camp Series: Five Ways to Prepare Your Special Needs Child For Camp

    June 24, 2013 - By 

    The June instalment of Dear Mom #muskokawoods camp seriesHow do you Prepare Your Special Needs Child for Camp? Dear Mom: Just 29 days!!!! The countdown is on. I am going to pack my new swimsuit, sunscreen, a sketchbook, markers, shoes, a brush, no scratch that two swimsuits, Cutie, one blanket, my favourite Aeropostale sweater, one pair of jeans, seven books, underwear and a sleeping bag.  I love you and it’s so awesome to be going with Ainsley this year!! It’s going to be amaze balls! Love: Payton Alright, alright. Those of you who have been following this sponsored series in…

  • family

    Part 1: Business Blogging:Five Ways to Find Your Voice

    June 17, 2013 - By 

    I have taken on a new client recently and am helping her to explore and build her business blog. The client has a blog already and has taken certain steps to identify how to improve business on line, but there are still areas in need of improvement. For instance the blog is sort of an add on to the main entry point – web site – portion of her business. It is not as seamless as it should be and it isn’t sharing well to social media right now. (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest). Blogging is not an add on to a…

  • family

    Blundstone Boots Review

    June 15, 2013 - By 

    Still searching out that perfect Father’s Day gift? Is your spouse an outdoorsy type? Does your Dad like to hike? Does he appreciate a well constructed pair of shoes? There’s still time to buy him a pair of Blundstone boots. Blundstone partnered with thriftymommastips.com and provided us with a pair of boots for review. Next week we plan to put these to the test hiking while on a blogging trip to Blue Mountain in Collingwood.    Blundstone is a name I had heard often but never really had a chance to inspect up close until this week. There are numerous…

  • Food - Parenting - special needs

    What is Unique? #Kindermom and a $250 Visa Contest

    June 9, 2013 - By 

    My girls with their martial arts hero Frank Trejo My kids are fierce. There are other words to describe them for sure. And some days they push me to my limits like any other kids on the planet, but my girls are my heart. Walking around outside my body. In that devastatingly painful way that children do. My girls are hope and pride, memories, passion, love and strength, faith. My girls are smart and kind and caring and loving and compassionate and strong. They stand up for others and have a strong sense of advocacy and a voice. My girls…

  • Health - parenting

    Losing a Parent: Every Day is a Gift, Just Not Tomorrow

    June 4, 2013 - By 

    Every day is a gift. But today I would gladly trade tomorrow in if I could. June 5th marks a month since my Mom passed away. I can barely type that without crying. One month  of sadness and anger and frustration and forgetting and movement and tears and heaviness and guilt and devastation, and heart-stopping pain. One month ago I had no idea grief felt like a stone in your chest weighing you down with sad. This weekend, I attended TBEX, travel blogging conference, and it was the first time I really felt like I had smiled and kicked back…

  • Giveaways - Health - parenting

    Win $25 K for Your Park – Kraft Celebration Tour #KCT

    June 1, 2013 - By 

      It might not have made front page news, but the day they unveiled Mayor Norm Jary Park in Guelph, the world shifted just a little bit for my brother and I. First of all, we had our pictures in the local daily, The Guelph Mercury (local section). That in itself was an event – and pretty cool for a grade schooler. I recall the photo opp with the mayor. I think I might have been nine or so standing in the background and my little brother was cute as a button perched atop a slide. Aside from the school playground…