• family

    Autumn Word Search

    Well, so long summer. Hard for me to say that as you know. This summer was a bit of a dud in the weather department. Here’s hoping the fall months bring some lovely sunny days for a few more weeks. Here’s a quick autumn word search that will have you, or your kids enjoying a few minutes of fun. Autumn days can be fun for hikes and walks and even camping too. What’s your favourite month? For me autumn is apple picking and squash and delicious warm crockpot meals. It’s a busy time too though with back to school of…

  • family

    Money Mistakes – 5 Ways You Could be Sabotaging Your Finances

    Money mistakes are common. Whether we’re just starting out on our own or trying to manage your finances as we get older, making the most of our money is tricky. It’s not just making the most of our money, either. It’s also protecting that money. It seems crazy, but most of us don’t know enough about one of the most important things to daily life – money. To that end, here are 5 money mistakes that you could be making right now. Money Mistakes that Hurt Your Finances These mistakes are some of the most common and most detrimental. They…

  • family - parenting

    Alone at Home Overnight – When is it Okay for Teens to Man the Fort

    Alone at home. The ultimate test for a teenager. Mom and dad are gone overnight. The house is theirs. How will they handle it? Will mom and dad come back to a home just as they left it. Will they discover a beer bottle under the couch from the wild party that 16 year old Jessie had. Or will they simply return to discover too many dishes in the sink from too many hours on the PS4? These questions and more go through all of our minds when the day finally comes to leave the kids alone at home. But when…

  • family

    Chamilia ID Bangles – A New Twist on a Classic Look

    Chamilia ID Bangles are storming the jewelry scene with their modern twist on an old favorite – ID bangles. Their new Spoken by Chamilia collection is an effort by Chamilia, a Swarovski Company, to bring it’s charm-based jewelry to a wider audience. The new Chamilia ID Bangles are hand-crafted in 100% sterling silver, and some styles are also available in 14 karat yellow gold or 14 karat rose gold electroplating.   New Chamilia ID Bangles – Modern Sensibilities in a Classic Look Chamilia has released one new traditional silhouette ID bangle, and six new ID bangles to help match the…

  • family - parenting - Parenting

    The Victory Lap in Ontario – Why Take the Extra Year?

    The victory lap is what we call an extra year of high school in Ontario. It’s also known as grade 13. Today, high school is only four years long, but when I was a kid, it was a five year process. That means that kids today will be entering university at 18 rather than 19. I know how challenging university was for me as a 19 year old, so I can only imagine how hard it must be for an individual just on the cusp of adulthood. In many cases, it’s better for the child to attend that fifth year of…

  • family

    WillLand Outdoors Backpacks for Back to School #BackToBackpacks

    WillLand Outdoor Backpacks make back to school easier and stylish. My high school student is starting the new school year with the Delisioza. Her last one was just a bit too small for the bigger books that come with going into grade 11. We also can’t wait to use Luminosa Forte Freedom for all the traveling, hiking, and skiing that we do. We love WillLand Outdoors backpacks because they’re high-quality and make it easy to carry everything you need. WillLand Outdoors Backpacks From School to the Outdoors WillLand Outdoors backpacks are designed to work hard, and that’s important to me. Whether…

  • parenting

    Top Ten Ways to Save Money During Back To School Season

    Back to School Season can be brutally expensive, but there’s no need to go wildly in debt over smart, fresh, backpacks and new jeans. So, here are my thoughts on ways to save money during back to school season. Think you can’t save money during the Back to School Season? Think again. Saving all your hard earned dollars in September can seem like an impossible feat. But, I am here to tell you it can be done. Do not take out a second mortgage to pay for the latest merchandise. Take these tips to heart and reuse some of what…

  • family - Printables

    Common Sight Words Printable – Kindergarten to Grade One

    If your children are about to start school, or are working towards entering grade one soon then this post is for you. Sight words are the most frequently printed and written words in the English language. They are generally simple words, ranging from Little to TO, to Down, THE, and of course AND. There are several of these sight words and the sooner children grasp and recognize them the easier it is to read. I think I mentioned this before here once or twice. My younger child had some trouble figuring out reading. The decoding didn’t come easy for them…

  • family - Giveaways - parenting

    University Student Care Package Essentials #ChurchandDwight #Giveaway

    With one daughter well into high school it won’t be long before we are preparing to launch her to university or college. Like many parents we want the best for our kids. And no matter how old your kids get, you never stop being their mom or dad. So naturally, when that bittersweet milestone finally becomes a reality we will be sure to equip her with several essentials and a student care package to help everyone here sleep better at night. After all it takes more than books and money to succeed as a young adult living independently. There are…

  • family

    Limeapple Back to School Packs on Sale

    My girls are active girls. If yours are at all like mine then you know that the quest to find good quality, age appropriate athletic wear is a challenging one. Finding affordable athletic wear for girls is almost like spotting a LIVE unicorn flying over a rainbow. But, it doesn’t have to be quite so impossible with Limeapple’s Back to School sale. Affordable and adorable high performance girl’s clothing is available now, for two days this week only Friday August 18 and Saturday August 19 at Limeapple.com. I have shared posts previously about Limeapple and why I love their clothing for…