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Peace Keepers – Youth in Colombia #TMMWVC
I travelled with World Vision Canada as a guest so I could tell these stories. This week I am sharing my posts from my trip with World Vision Canada. These are two youths, Peace Keepers, we met in an area called Taminango, near Santander De Quilichao. They were incredibly inspiring. You can read about them tomorrow. You can read all of my stories if you follow my hashtag #TMMWVC or follow my blog and read about some of the incredible work being done in Colombia. Peace Keepers is a unique program here in Colombia that builds strong youth through activities and supervision. After school these amazing young men…
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Hope Lives In a School Called Policarpa – Defeating Child Poverty Near Santander De Quilichao, Colombia
Hope is the thing you see in the faces of the students here. Inside a small school called Policarpa, in an area of Colombia called Santander De Quilichao, where domestic heroin use rages and gangs and guns are very real threats to children and entire families. But here, inside this school the children celebrate Amor Y Paz Month – Love and Peace Month. What Hope Looks Like Here Words hang in Spanish on the pillars in the school. Loosely translated they read: Tolerance, Love, Punctuality, Respect, Friendship. It is September and I have flown to South America with World Vision Canada to see the work they do, to chronicle the…
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The Briefing: Colombia Trip #TMMWVC
My uniform for the week in Colombia We’re discussing guns, heroin and child trafficking inside a World Vision Canada meeting room in Mississauga, a suburb of Toronto. This is my first security briefing ever. I have squeezed this in to a frantic first week back to school. These are the practical details that can help keep you safe in the field, which in this case is various vulnerable ADPs (area development programs) in the Colombian countryside. Soon I am to be taking a Colombia trip with World Vision Canada. I am warned to get a money belt. Carry your passport with you everywhere. Take money, but split it up. Same…
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Lifeway Kefir Low Fat Cultured Milk Smoothie Drink
So what exactly is Kefir? Kefir is a smooth version of drinkable yogurt packed with protein. It is essentially a cousin of yogurt with roots that go back to Europe over 2000 years ago. It is jam packed with probiotics which is why I wanted to try it. The taste is a bit tart, almost sour. It takes a bit of getting used to actually. My kids love drinkable yogurt and one of them found this strawberry flavoured cultured milk smoothie to be a bit sour. I have a sour streak, or should I say, a love of sour tasting foods so I didn’t mind that. Because I am always…
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Bogota Airport Art #travel #WordlessWednesday
This is what greets you on entering the Bogota airport in Colombia. Part of the El Dorado Airport is under construction, but there are cheery artistic displays in many common areas. It was one of the brightest displays I have seen in an airport. I love that airports are getting so much savvier about their use of art in public spaces. This is some of the nicest and most colourful airport art I have ever seen. I recently traveled here with World Vision Canada to tell some stories about child sponsorship and the work being done in many areas of Colombia. It was an amazing and life altering trip. You…
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Braid Like a Boss with Goody Back to School Hair Accessories
This post is part of the YummyMummyClub.caand Goody #GoodyTips sponsored program. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. This post about simple braids reflects my personal opinion about the information provided by the sponsors. Back to school means racing out the door with lunches made and backpacks ready, and not a moment to spare. Some days, time is so tight that we scarcely have a moment to do the hair and teeth checks as we kiss them good bye and wish them a great day. Luckily though,as a Mom of girls, and a lifetime owner of long hair myself, I have a few handy and simple braids that will…
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The World’s Gone Gummy with Gummy Drop App: Win an iPad
Gummy Drop is the latest release from Big Fish Games Imagine you are dropped right into Sydney, Australia to map out numerous Match-3 puzzles and earn the tools you need to put the world back together again. Gummy Drop App has a different feel than other Match-3 puzzle games. This one has a geographical flavour that is fun and, at times, also kind of feminine. I enjoyed the new angle on a favourite style of game. In fact Big Fish Games, maker of Gummy Drop App, released just this week, has a slogan that indicates they have a game for everyone. With new apps launching almost daily that isn’t an idol boast. …
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Five Quick Facts About Colombia #Travel
Courtesy of Shutterstock Five Facts about Colombia 1. The official name for this country at the top of South America is the Republic of Colombia. It comes from the last name of the explorer Christopher Columbus, who arrived in 1499. It was originally called New Granada and only took its modern name in 1861. 2. Colombia is the only country in South America which has coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Carribean Sea. It also borders five countries: Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador and Peru. 3. Colombia is known for its emeralds and coffee. 4. The official language is Spanish (although there are also 88 recognized regional languages spoken…
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Generations of Hope Free Family Fun Day in Calgary #abhc4ivf #abpoli
A free Family Fun Day carnival celebrating healthy families formed after infertility takes place September 21 in Calgary. Generations of Hope, an infertility advocacy and awareness group, hosts this amazing event each year. This year Family Fun Day will take place in Calgary on September 21st from 11 to 3 p.m. Rain or Shine at Olympic Park. Infertility patient support and advocacy group in Alberta: Infertility impacts 1 in 6 people in Canada. Infertility is a complex health issue as recognized by the World Health Organization. Infertility patients all can benefit from finding a support group and connecting with them early in their journey. Studies have recognized this is one proven…
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My Library of Top Five Posts About Tween Girls
Raising Tween girls is a special kind of madness. Er.. I mean, fun. Just kidding, every stage of my children’s growth and development has been enjoyable and memorable. But tweenhood is slightly different than anything else you will encounter. Let’s just start with the hormones for instance. As soon as they kick into gear and puberty is on board then you better buckle up and get ready. It’s my personal observation that personality plays into puberty a lot but girls generally seem to hit the landmark changes a bit earlier and that means more explosive potential for conflict and moodiness in your home. So what’a a parent to do. No…