• pumpkin_treats
    Food

    Pumpkin Treats Almost Too Good To Share

    September 28, 2016 - By 

    I was an adult before I grew into my love for all things pumpkin. As a kid, pumpkin never appealed to me as a food, or a flavour. It was fun to carve and sometimes a treat to make pumpkin crafts, but I would never have eaten pumpkin treats.  Adulthood has some benefits and thankfully tastebuds mature sometimes. Even if you all like different things in your family, that’s okay, because some things are too good to be shared – like these pumpkin treats This roundup of beautiful pumpkin treats knocks my socks off. I probably wouldn’t have thought to…

  • coffee_time
    Food

    Enjoy Coffee Time Without Worrying #ChurchandDwight

    September 28, 2016 - By 

    Coffee time is simply essential. At least, it is for me. I love coffee. I cannot start my day without it. I need that jolt of pure go juice induced energy to get me started on my day. I used to be one of those people who had a pot of coffee ready to go pretty much all day. When my blood pressure started to be too high for my comfort though I trimmed right back. Note – trimmed back. I didn’t quit entirely because I love coffee time too much and I need it to power through busy days.…

  • vow_renewal
    active family travel - family - parenting - Travel

    Vow Renewal – A Few Memorable Destinations #travel

    September 27, 2016 - By 

    Vow renewal is a beautiful and romantic thing. It’s a way for couples to reaffirm their commitment to one another in a way that’s more than just the everyday “I love you” and the occasional flower bouquet. I’ve been thinking about this lately and contemplating whether this is something we should do for our 25th wedding anniversary. I like the idea of building a memorable romantic trip together as a couple. Renewing our vows could add a touch of magic to our marriage. It might remind us how we felt that day when we first slipped those rings on our fingers in…

  • halloween_gifts
    family - Giveaways

    It’s a Hallmark Holiday with these Halloween Gifts #LoveHallmarkCA #Giveaways

    September 26, 2016 - By 

    I said it before and I will say it again. Hallmark Halloween gifts, linens and pretty decorations make me feel like a kid at Halloween. Every year. This year is no different. Hallmark’s adorable decorations and pretty linens will make your Halloween and Thanksgiving special. There are so many adorable Halloween gifts to share this Fall. This little guy is one of my favourite Halloween gifts ever. Buy one for your house or give one to someone who loves Halloween as much as you do. This is Boo, The Spooktastic Ghost and he dances and plays music when you press…

  • mesothelioma
    Health

    Mesothelioma Awareness Day 2016 #ENDMESO

    September 26, 2016 - By 

    Until very recently I had never even heard of Mesothelioma. It was one of those extremely sad rare cancers that didn’t seem to generate a lot of stories or news. In 2015 and 2016 I heard a lot more about mesothelioma when a good friend’s father passed away of the disease. Recently, a survivor reached out to me with her moving story and I thought I’d share a few facts for Mesothelioma Awareness Day. This week September 26th marks Mesothelioma Awareness Day (MAD). Heather’s Story Heather Von St James is a survivor of ten years. She was a brand new Mom,…

  • adoption_life
    adoption and tweens - family - Parenting - parenting

    This Reality Show Called Adoption Life

    September 23, 2016 - By 

    “I’m thinking about adopting.” At least once a week I read a message like this from someone wanting information about adoption. I am open. I talk and write about adoption here often. Friends know I will always answer. And I do. I find them resources, or answer their questions about why, or how long, or where do I go? Sometimes I simply let them know that the wait is worth it. I answer the questions one by one and hope others will follow through and discover all that I love about adoption. There are many roads to parenthood. BOTTOM LINE. There…

  • genetic_testing
    family - Health

    Prepare for a Healthy Baby Now – When Genetic Screening Makes Sense

    September 21, 2016 - By 

    “I don’t care if this baby is a boy or a girl. I just hope he or she is healthy.” Almost every parent, or parent to be has uttered out loud, or thought to themselves, some version of this sentiment. Healthy baby first. Gender second. So what would you do to stack the deck in favour of having a healthy child? Eat better, exercise? Some of these changes are a no brainer. But what about genetic screening before you get pregnant? When does that make sense? Most of us know there are many things you do to help grow a…

  • flying_alone
    active family travel - family - parenting - Travel

    Flying Alone – How Will You Know When Your Child Is Ready? #travel

    September 20, 2016 - By 

    Flying alone is a big step for any child. It’s a big step for a child’s parents, too! It can be a terrifying proposition. After all, the operative word in flying alone is ALONE. Your child will be out in the world, flying and checking in/being picked up on their own far, far away from you. Terrifying. So how do you know when your child is ready to take that step? Flying Alone – A Litmus Test to See if Your Child is Ready Sending a child out into the world is more about their ability to interact safely in…

  • pumpkin_recipes
    Food

    30 Delicious Pumpkin Recipes

    September 19, 2016 - By 

    It’s that pumpkin spice time of year. Now admittedly I am a summer girl and find little that is redeeming about the changing seasons. But for pumpkin and squash. These delicious pumpkin recipes will remind you of home and make everyone feel like Fall is the best season of all. I have a few solid performers that the entire family loves here when it comes to pumpkin. Pumpkin cookies are so good and pumpkin soups make for some of the best pumpkin recipes you could ever imagine. Pumpkin cheesecake too! That’s one of my favourite kinds of cheesecake – the…

  • kid friendly internet
    Giveaways

    Kid-Friendly Internet with KidsWifi #Giveaway

    September 18, 2016 - By 

    Creating a Kid-friendly space to use the internet is something most parents are after. The web is a great place full of knowledge, creativity, and new ideas. It can also be a dark place filled with vulgar language, images, and videos. The worst part is that it’s so easy to quickly jump from something benign to something your kids can’t unsee. All it takes is a search for one thing, a click, and suddenly, kid-friendly internet becomes a scary space filling our children’s minds with images and questions that we weren’t prepared to answer just yet. Keeping the Internet Kid-Friendly Of course, safety…