• family - Food

    Wonder + Simply Free Blog Tour and Early Canada Day

    This year we plan to be out of the country for our Canada Day celebration (well at least for the day that Canada Day actually falls on.) That will be odd because we often spend Canada Day at Niagara Falls or at home having a big party. See our family does summer big with multiple birthdays and anniversaries and cottage time and barbequing is a huge part of that tradition. This year though we had a chance to participate in several barbeques leading upto the big day and we helped host one for friends and family, with the help of…

  • family

    Summer Birthday Blog Bash Outreach: A Brand and Blogger Hookup

    Summer around here means birthday after birthday followed by an anniversary or two, so in honour of a really great summer I am throwing a blog bash. Brands/ Sponsors: To take part brands need only contact one of the publishers below and offer a product for a giveaway. I am looking for one sponsor here to donate a great prize for one of my lucky readers. Suggested items: books, electronics, toys for school aged children and tween products. Also clothing items and summer travel or fitness related things. You must also send one of your book or toy or object to the Mom…

  • family

    Father’s Day Weekend Wrapup – Kids Expo

    Ainsley one year at the Kids Expo Well there is no shortage of things to do this Father’s Day weekend if you are staying in town. The Fringe Festival is on through the weekend and so is Kid’s Expo. Kid’s Expo is a fun event at Victoria Park for kids and families. There are rides and treats and fun face-painting type things to do for the weekend and the weather looks perfect for it. If you are seeking a gift for Dad there are still a few ideas. Shoppers Drug Mart has some excellent deals on things like a Wii system…

  • family

    Here, Home, Hope: A Culturally Relevant Story for Everywoman

    Here, Home, Hope is a charming and easy read, a lovely addition to your list of summer reads      Here, Home, Hope is a charming, funny, culturally relevant story for everywoman. It is the story of what happens when your kids start to need you less and you question where do you go for your second act. Kelly Johnson can’t stop grinding through her bite guards and she is suddenly a weeper. She has what appears to be a perfect life to most of her neighbours and friends and yet, when her boys leave for their annual summer sleepover camp…

  • family

    AMF Getting Unplugged This Summer: Free Bowling For Kids

    Free bowling all summer long!! Yes, I thought that might get your attention. When I was a kid we did a lot of bowling in the summer. My Mom was a teacher so we took the whole summer off together. Our small family often spent a lot of time searching out fun and thrifty ways to stay occupied without spending too much time on the sofa surfing the channels, barking: “I’m bored.” So we went to the beach and we visited Storybook Gardens every year. We mini-golfed once a week and we bowled at least once a month. This summer AMF bowling…

  • family

    Sunday Spotlight

    This is a late version of Friday Finds and so I officially dub it Sunday Spotlight. The Sunday Spotlight this week is the Monster Sale at Children’s Place with tons of items marked down to $5.99. That is a great deal and frankly one of the cutest children’s stores in town. Gap also has 30% off this weekend only and online as well. For on line deals use the code SUMMER30. Happy Weekend!

  • parenting

    Calling In Tired and Kid’s Mental Health Days

    My kids being silly. Payton is in the pink dress and Ainsley is pretending to be a fish. Today I called in “tired” for my daughter. That’s right. Tired, not sick. Last night Payton took part in the Original Kids graduation gala. It lasted longer than expected. It was 10 p.m. when we got in and a full two hours after bed time. Daughter woke up tired, as did I. I knew we would and I sort of mentioned last night that we might take a couple hours, or a morning to rest. So this morning I picked up the…

  • family

    Iron Kids Gummy Vitamins Review

    I have been in love with these vitamins for awhile. My kids like them so much they sneak them into the grocery cart when we are out shopping. When was the last time your kids snuck vitamins into the cart? Lucky Charms and cookies maybe. But vitamins? My kids over the years have used a lot of different vitamins. We have tried a lot of different brands and we have had both kids on Omega 3s for a long time. It’s good for their brain and their growing bodies. But no particular brand was really any different than the last…

  • family

    Sunday Spotlight London and a National Geographic Deal

    So much to do today and I can’t choose. Well I missed my deadline for my Friday Finds. But I decided this week I would try something a wee bit different. I don’t want anyone to miss a couple of these amazing deals and events.  Today is the Ninth annual Birthday Party for the Children’s Safety Village at Fanshawe Park Conservation Area. It is on now from 12 to 4 p.m. and it is a lot of fun. Head over. Some years they do the trade in your old bicycle helmet for a brand new one. All free of charge!…

  • Giveaways - parenting - special needs

    A Thursday BlogHop and Life In General

    I am posting this bloghop here because it has been awhile and I plan to visit some new friends as a result. I have had a dull day of tedious things that are necessary. My Mom seems to be getting to a stage of life and state of health where it is no longer advisable to have her living off on her own in the city where she taught for 35 years and the place where I grew up. So we need to move her soon and that is not an easy task or one that I even want to…