• Health - Parenting

    This was Eight – #WordlessWednesday

    March 13, 2013 - By 

    This was eight. The year you got your junior black belt. The year you got a teacher that really truly liked and got you. The year your friends became really big in your world. The year you made laser webs from yarn and spun them through your room. The year you fought with your sister, and then fell asleep in her bed. The year you wondered why Grandma had to get Alzheimer’s and then simply quietly helped her – often and without being asked. The year you got an appliance for your teeth. The year you won three trophies. The…

  • family

    #Kindermom #Easter Is a Joy To Share

    March 9, 2013 - By 

    Kindermom is a joy to share. You’ve heard the slogan before, and yet did you know that Kindersurprise lives that fully and takes it to heart? That’s why I keep happily representing them here on thriftymommastips and working with them to share their great toys and Kindereggs. Kinder partners with Children’s Miracle Network to share their good fortune with the amazing charity that helps support families with a child undergoing a health care crisis.  Recently, I had an opportunity to tour the London Children’s Hospital and see some of the remarkable strong families the network helps to support. They are…

  • family

    Best Birthday Gifts for Crafty Kids: Kiwi Crate Review

    March 8, 2013 - By 

      I was going to show you the web site for Kiwi Crate, but then I realized I needed to capture how fun this experience is. I spied Kiwi Crate crafting experiences on line, likely in someone’s twitter mentions at some point and realized I really wanted to take a peek under the hood so to speak. So the Faboosh people at Kiwi Crate sent me one this week.  My girls are craft crazy. They always have been. My oldest child at the age of three would endlessly search the house for recyclables to turn into crafts. She has yet…

  • family

    EASY Kids’ DIY No Sew Fleece Blanket

    February 26, 2013 - By 

    So, some days I need to get out in front of that energy before it takes over my house. Back in the winter we started sewing together and she also learned how to knit. Then I was popping around on Pinterest and I spied this great idea. It’s a knotted fleece blanket that is so easy an 8 year old can make it with a little bit of help. Off to the fabric store we went and one day later we had these great and amazing little blankets for each girl. They are completely thrilled and proud and it was…

  • family

    Phineas and Ferb DVD #giveaway

    February 26, 2013 - By 

    Perry!!!! Need I say more. There aren’t many characters I enjoy as much as my kids do, but this guy is the bomb. Do people still say that? Not sure. Anyways, let’s all celebrate this new release of Phineas and Ferb with a giveaway here on thriftymommastips.com.  How well do you really know your pet…or ANY animal? Behind a cute and/or cuddly exterior there may lurk a cunning crime-fighter with a brown fedora, a top-secret identity and a license to thrill! Meet the heroic Animal Agents of the O.W.C.A. (Organization Without A Cool Acronym) Join Perry the Platypus – a.k.a.…

  • Health - infertility - parenting

    Infertility Is Not a Choice – Unexplained Infertility #IVF4ON #onpoli

    February 23, 2013 - By 

    Danielle Xavier, Conceivable Dreams board member, 30. I proudly wear this button on my blog and I will tell you why. Building safe families, healthy families in the province of Ontario is an issue that should be non partisan. It should be front and centre every day. It should be the most important item on every party agenda. Plain and simple. Families are economic engines, building blocks, voters and future voters. This week a flurry of articles and TV segments ran on infertility – they framed the issue as one impacting only women. Families and men were absent from the…

  • adoption_and_tweens
    adoption and tweens - family - Parenting

    Navigating Adoption and the Tween Years

    February 21, 2013 - By 

    Just 11 short years ago, my oldest daughter could be picked up and carried around. Sigh. Now she’s a tween. Let me just say the tween years are clearly preparation for the teen years ahead. But adoption and the tween years, well that’s just a special planet in the parenting journey. And me with Payton last summer at a Dove event. My kids are all sorts of awesome. Except when they are not. Sound familiar? I’m not complaining, because I love them, all the time, even when they are not particularly loving. Anyways I slept very poorly last night which…

  • family

    OZ Preview

    February 20, 2013 - By 

    Is this movie one you can’t wait to see? Well, I know my kids are really excited about it. My husband is a bit concerned that flying monkeys may be scary, but I think it looks too good to miss. Can’t wait for the release of OZ.

  • no_done_with_you_yet
    family - parenting - Travel

    Where Will You Go This March Break? #Linkedmoms

    February 20, 2013 - By 

    My Daughter after her last play It’s almost time. Can you believe it? How is it possible that it’s almost March Break?  Well, regardless of where the last two months have gone, the fact is March Break is right around the corner and what on earth are you to do with all that spare time? (Chuckle) Well, there isn’t any spare time here. For sure. My oldest daughter performs with Original Kids and she is in the March break run of The Little Mermaid Junior Musical. So we have been there every week for the last two months – three…