• several kids sitting in a circle watching a young kid acting like a teacher and reading to them
    Health

    Don’t Let This Rare Eye Disorder Go Undiagnosed

    November 9, 2020 - By 

    “This VKC blog is sponsored and supported by Santen Canada Inc.” A rare allergic eye disorder affecting children and adolescents is often missed by parents and can cause lasting damage. VKC, vernal keratoconjunctivitis, usually strikes during main allergy seasons, but it can also be present all year round. VKC is a relatively rare disorder. Public awareness is very low,” says Dr. Michael O’Connor, Pediatric Ophthalmologist at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO in Ottawa), and Past-President of the Canadian Association of Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (CAPOS). Common Symptoms of This Eye Disorder With a range of symptoms that mimic allergies…

  • dinosaur_toys_in_grass
    family

    Hottest Dinosaur Toys to Give as Gifts This Year

    November 4, 2020 - By 

    It’s no secret that the holidays are right around the corner. My kids have always been fascinated by dinosaurs and dinosaur toys always made impressive gifts for them every year. Just a Few Great Dinosaur Toys Jurassic Park was just the latest of the series of movies to get my youngest daughter reinvested in dinosaurs. She currently has dozens of dinosaur books, mostly from DK Canada. But, this season she’s asking for both Jurassic Park and Harry Potter themed Lego or books. That means dinosaurs are high priority again. A few of these are super young for little people but these…

  • christmas_activities
    Printables

    Fun Printable Christmas Activities to Do Now

    November 3, 2020 - By 

    Christmas activities this year will be super important to everyone. So many of us will be sticking close to home with our families. Globally. That seems to be a common theme and a reality right now again in the middle of the second wave of this pandemic. So, again, if you are looking for ways to spend your time safe while social distancing or while home for the holidays, I have got you covered. Life, this year, has been a crazy roller coaster ride. There have been some tremendously challenging moments. By now, many of us are well used to…

  • cherish_your_family
    Parenting

    10 Ways You Can Cherish Your Children While They Are Still Growing Up

    November 3, 2020 - By 

    The relationship between a child and parent is priceless. Children mean the world to their parents and time is short when they are small. I don’t know any parents who don’t worry about about their child, at every age and stage. Parents worry endlessly about the day to day activities and whether kids are getting enough attention, nutrition and stimulation. There are so many things that you want to teach your children while they are growing up. Sometimes it feels like a race against the clock. But often you need to remind yourself that there are numerous chances to teach…

  • Printables

    Do a Christmas Scavenger Hunt This Year

    November 2, 2020 - By 

    I declare it time for a fun Christmas Scavenger Hunt! Alrighty, so we all know that this year has been a lot. And the holidays, birthdays and such have all been done just a little bit differently. So, you might be looking for ways to occupy the kids and amuse others during the holidays while maintaining a bit of social distancing. Bring on a Christmas Scavenger Hunt! That’s why I am sharing some more fun Christmas activities for families. This Christmas Scavenger Hunt is just adorable. You could however play these games virtually or with friends via Face time. Or…

  • chili_recipes
    Food

    20 Hearty Chili Recipes To Make Right Now

    October 29, 2020 - By 

    Chili is one of my favourite things to make in our slow cooker. In the winter months, we ski often and chili is pure comfort to come home to at the end of a long ski day. Plus, it is a very simple dinner or lunch to make. You can also make chili ahead and take it with you if you need a hearty meal that is a crowdpleaser to feed a group. I can’t even count the number of times that I have seen ski families taking a massive pot of chili into a ski chalet. It just makes…

  • reuse_food_scraps
    Food

    10 + Simple Uses for Common Food Scraps

    October 25, 2020 - By 

    Food waste is one of the biggest contributions to landfills. One of the ways you can prevent food waste is to reuse food scraps when possible. There’s so much waste that can actually be diverted from landfill when you know how and when to reuse your food scraps. Post may contain affiliate links as a service to readers. I make a small commission off of purchases made via qualifying links. My oldest daughter has me scrutinizing our habits at home and at first I have to say I was a skeptic, but seeing how she easily regrows green onions and…

  • Printables

    Alligator Life Cycle Learning Kit Printables

    October 24, 2020 - By 

    No matter where you live, you simply have to agree that alligators are very cool creatures. This alligator life cycle learning kit is four pages and can help reinforce a love of science and literacy as well as learning about living things in general. Free Kids Alligator Life Cycle Learning Tools and Games That, right now, is something we can all use. More activities that are free and easy to use for the kids. I mean I am fully aware that we are all scrambling to fill the extra time at home with meaningful activities for kids. In my opinion,…

  • fall_child_on_swing
    Printables

    Fun Fall Colour By Number Activity for Kids

    October 22, 2020 - By 

    Fall’s arrival always makes me a bit sad. Everyone here knows that summer is my favourite season, with winter following close behind. Even this year, I believe that ski season is worth celebrating. Sometimes I find that I need to look harder to find reasons to enjoy September, October and November. But, that said, I am fully aware that the reasons are there. One of the biggest, most appealing parts of the Autumn months is simply Fall colours and watching the leaves change colour. Right now, my street is a riot of colourful maple trees. That makes me happy. Celebrate…

  • fitness three women in workout gear on a floor after yoga
    Health

    Getting My Gym Legs Back – Returning to the YMCA

    October 22, 2020 - By 

    After seven months of working out in my basement, I am moving on. This was the month that I found my gym legs again returning to the gym in person. Here’s how I found my gym legs again and here’s how it’s going so far… Deciding to Leave the Basement The decision to return to the YMCA near my home was not without a whole lot of introspection, hand ringing and anxiety. In fact, it kind of surprised me that I had anxiety returning at all, but after seven months of basement workouts, there it was. Nerves. Let’s face it…