• candy_bubblegum_shake
    family - Food

    Celebrate With Candy Bubble Gum Freak Shakes

    June 10, 2016 - By 

    By now you’ve heard of freak shakes. A glorious excessive sweet celebratory shake that just screams summer. I’ll be honest I think I could manage about one of these a year at best. But it would be worth it. This candy bubble gum shake is the perfect way to kick summer holidays off this year. I plan to make a bubble gum crazy shake for the last day of school with my kids. Crazy shakes, or freak shakes, are a huge craze right now. And there are as many different shakes as there are candies out there. So really, you could make…

  • Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes
    Food

    Scrumptious Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes

    June 9, 2016 - By 

    Fresh strawberries floating around? Ontario strawberries are the best. This time of year strawberries are so fresh! But they don’t keep forever you know. That’s why they will be perfect in these Scrumptious Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes. In Ontario in June  and July you can find the ripest, freshest strawberries around. Now maybe that’s true for some other areas too, but I just know that here we have some amazing berry orchards and U-Pick places. That always makes me happy. Hoping to spend some time visiting a pick your own kind of strawberry farm soon. And with that in mind this…

  • growing_pains
    Parenting - parenting

    Growing Pains and Grace Notes – Raising A Daughter

    June 8, 2016 - By 

    Look away if you aren’t the kind of person who likes sentiment. It’s been a long time since I posted one of these stories about my life, my kids, snapshots of us, the Growing Pains and grace notes inside the nutty every day chaos of parenting, and growing youth, not kids, not toddlers, young adolescents. My girls amaze me more than they know most days. Their strength is apparent to me, their Mom, and yet they very often don’t see it themselves. Some strange warped tween and teen girl mirror only lets them see first the tiny little mistakes, then the itty bitty fleeting…

  • fireworks
    active family travel - family

    Fireworks Displays – Where to Find the Best Shows #travel

    June 7, 2016 - By 

    Fireworks displays are something people of all ages can’t get enough of. The thumping in your chest. The bright, flashing technicolor blooms in the night sky. Laying on a blanket, or sitting in lawn chairs, staring at the sky anticipating each blast or color. It’s all a combination of wonder and old school fun. Fireworks displays are family fun that are as wholesome as they are colorful.   The Best Fireworks Displays in the United States If you’re looking for the best of the best fireworks displays in the United States, you’ve got some choices. From coast to coast, cities…

  • summer_reading
    family - Technology - Travel

    Summer Reading Adventures with KOBO Aura H20

    June 6, 2016 - By 

    Summer is my favourite time for reading. I love to take my reader to the beach or just sit next to the pool and read a good book. I enjoy a good story year round, but there’s nothing nicer than a beautiful sunny day with a favourite book. Much of my summer revolves around the beach and the pool. This year I don’t need to worry about getting splashed poolside, or dropping a book in the water because I have my waterproof Kobo Aura H20 to do all my summer reading. Summer Reading Means Fun in the Sun – and…

  • June_gifts
    family - Giveaways

    Ten Cutest Gifts for Dads and Grads #LoveHallmarkCA #giveaways

    June 5, 2016 - By 

    It’s June already and that means chaos. I’m not overstating that one little bit. If you are a parent then you know June is gorgeous and it heralds summer and Father’s Day and graduation. But June you saucy little month you…you also bring a million other things that toss life into complete disarray. You are my Love/Hate month. I know I’m not alone. June is madness. So here’s a little help. PREPARE NOW for the gifting season with these recommendations for Dad and Grad gifts. June is beautiful weather and winding down for summer at school. It is paying for…

  • sleep_away_camp
    Giveaways

    Five Must Haves for Sleep Away Camp #giveaways

    June 3, 2016 - By 

    Are you ready for sleep away camp yet? Are your kids counting the days until the end of school and the start of a week of freedom? I will admit our summer planning is a bit less orderly than previous years. My oldest daughter has taken a job at the end of August and she’s asked to do a sleep away camp that is two weeks long at the start of August. That is a bigger commitment for us, and for her, and I imagine we’ll be packing a fair bit more this year as a result of the two week…

  • Martin_county_viisiting_florida_sunset
    Travel

    Visiting Florida and Uncovering Something New

    June 3, 2016 - By 

    The beauty of visiting Florida is that you can travel there every year and still uncover something new and fresh and inviting on each trip. When I was younger I thought everything in Florida centred around Disney. Last year, I visited Florida 5 times and I can tell you that I was wrong. Florida is something new every time you visit. Last year was a wonderful year for travel here and 2016 is poised to eclipse that. Next week I am heading to one of my favourite states. This time I will be seeing Martin County and Indian River. This month I look forward…

  • breville_quick_touch_crisp
    Food - homes

    Breville Quick Touch Crisp Inverter Microwave Revolutionizes Microwave Cooking #QuickTouchCrisp

    June 2, 2016 - By 

    This post contains an affiliate link as a service to readers.  The Breville Quick Touch Crisp Inverter Microwave is a thing of beauty, which makes microwave cooking fun. I am very familiar with Breville Canada appliances and I have several here that I love. Recently I was invited to a Breville Canada event in Toronto that showcased seven of their newest products. The Breville Quick Touch Crisp inverter Microwave was one of the showstoppers because it turns microwave cooking and baking on its head and makes your kitchen fun again. Here’s what you need to know about this awesome new…

  • stay fit
    Health

    Stay Fit for Your Fabulous Forties and Beyond #LBL

    June 1, 2016 - By 

    It’s important to stay fit at any age. It’s even more important for us women after we hit our 40s. After 40, our metabolisms can begin to slow, our ability to burn fat can slow, and we lose more bone mass. Sometimes conditions like LBL (light bladder leakage) can keep you from feeling as if you want to tackle anything physical. But when we make an effort to stay fit as we age, we improve our physical, mental and overall health.   Stay Fit – 5 Easy Ways to Keep Yourself in Better Health   Staying fit doesn’t mean you have…