• inclusive_classroom
    parenting

    Building an Inclusive Classroom With Microsoft

    April 28, 2016 - By 

    Technology has the power to make lives better. The right technology can help us break down barriers, stay in our homes longer, or tackle health challenges head on. In schools, technology has incredible potential to help build ability, to help every child transcend barriers to education and achieve a bright future. Microsoft Canada is working to help every teacher embrace technology and build an inclusive classroom. My daughters are amazing girls with many strengths and a few challenges. They both fall squarely within the 3.2% of Canadian children aged 5 to 14 affected by a limitation related to learning. That statistic comes from the…

  • family

    Maze Printable – Help The Pirate Ship Find The Palm Trees

    April 28, 2016 - By 

    I love printables. Free puzzles, printables and crosswords make me happy. I hope they also make you happy. These printables remind me of vacations we have taken together as a family. When the kids were small I would keep a batch of these on hand for road trips and airplane trips too. Activities like these were great for the budget. Help the ship go through a maze and find tropical island with palms. Enjoy this educational game for children. This maze printable might keep them busy for a few minutes. Plus there’s a bit of a pirate theme that appeals…

  • performance_wear
    family - Health

    Great Workout Clothes by TASC Performance

    April 27, 2016 - By 

    I never have enough workout clothes. I love my yoga pants, but when you get a sweat happening in a crazy cardio fitness class, full length pants are way too much. I don’t want to feel like I’m going to pass out because I wear too much clothing to the gym and frankly I don’t want to worry about workout clothes when I am in the middle of a new fitness class, or when I am pushing my limits. I like a variety of options in workout clothes. That’s why I am enjoying Tasc Performance Wear right now. TASC Performance…

  • special_needs_parenting
    family - Health - Parenting - parenting - special needs

    When Hard Doesn’t Break – Special Needs Parents

    April 26, 2016 - By 

    Maybe your child has curly hair, or is slightly unique in some other tiny way. Small genetic blessings that somehow will turn to a source of pride. Over time. Maybe you think that parenting is hard, but your hard is a moment. Your hard is a glass of wine, some retail therapy, girl’s night out, and then you move on. Your hard breaks. There’s nothing heartbreakingly extraordinary that impacts the way your child moves throughout their Mondays, or Fridays – the way they approach their school day, year to year. Just a kid, potentially a great kid, maybe even an A student, going…

  • water_parks
    active family travel - family - parenting - Travel

    Four Water Parks Near Detroit, Michigan #Travel

    April 25, 2016 - By 

    My family and I love going to water parks. There’s really nothing like them. Water parks offer fun in the sun, water play, family togetherness, and memories that last a lifetime. You might think you have to travel to Florida or some other sub-tropical U.S. Destination to find a great water park, but I’ve got a list of water parks for you that are actually close to my Ontario, Canada home. These water parks are near Detroit, Michigan. 4 Water Parks Near Detroit, Michigan All of the water parks below are wonderful destinations for family fun, and they’re all within a 4…

  • clean_water_challenge
    family - Health

    Join World Vision Water Challenge Twitter Party May 3 #WorldVisionWater

    April 22, 2016 - By 

    How often do you think about water? Do you wake up wondering where it will come from today? Do you worry about leaving your family to walk for miles to collect a bucket of water for all of you to use? Does your heart hurt thinking that your child will never be able to attend school if he or she has to walk to collect water for your family? Do you consider whether you will have enough water to cook dinner, wash hands, clean clothing, bathe? I didn’t think so. I rarely thought about water here, until World Vision Canada…

  • school_lunches
    family - Food

    Five Fun School Lunches

    April 21, 2016 - By 

    I am a proud MOM of a tween and teen. Most of the time they make their own lunches. Most of the time. Not always. The youngest is still bit hit and miss, but that’s okay. They are both pretty good at packing a balanced lunch, but on occasion we have all been guilty of packing boring school lunches. Anyways, a decade of packing lunches, or supervising kids packing lunches, I have learned a few pointers to pass on and motivate them to build some good habits. Let’s face it lunch can be a totally boring meal. It’s the one I am most…

  • parenting

    Teacher Appreciation Week Free Printables

    April 20, 2016 - By 

    Did you know that it is Teacher Appreciation Week coming up May 2 – 6? Teachers can and often do make a huge impact on a child’s life. A really dedicated and kind, caring professional can change the course of a child’s future. I believe in rewarding people and other classmates who help my children at school. So, for instance, with certain classmates of my daughter, I make sure to buy Christmas presents, or send an extra snack once in awhile so my daughter can share. When we were KinderCanada ambassadors a couple of years ago I would have her…

  • dirty-oreo-cupcakes
    family - Food

    Oreo Cupcakes Are Perfect for Your Two Foot Tornado

    April 15, 2016 - By 

    Do you have a little mess magnet? Chances are if you have children, then you have a mess magnet! I have one of those. She’s a little tornado inside any room she enters. It’s hard to maintain a clean kitchen or living room, or any other space when she’s around. Once in awhile it’s okay to indulge that chaos and even embrace it. That’s what these worms in dirty Oreo Cupcakes are all about. These Dirty Oreo Cupcakes would be great for a birthday party, or a bake sale. But I really like the idea of making them for Earth Day.…

  • flowering-trees
    family - homes

    Five Flowering Trees – Put a Splash of Colour on Your Lawn

    April 14, 2016 - By 

    Flowering trees are beautiful. They can add a pop of colour and a three dimensional beauty to any yard. The problem with landscaping with flowering trees, however, is the sheer number of trees to choose from. Today, let’s take a look at a few of the trees that can add beauty to lawns in Canada and the U.S. 5 Flowering Trees – Hardy Beauties for Your Lawn There are many, many different trees to choose from, but not all trees are created equal. Only some will do well in certain climates, so it’s important to know if a tree can withstand…