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Losing a Parent: Every Day is a Gift, Just Not Tomorrow
Every day is a gift. But today I would gladly trade tomorrow in if I could. June 5th marks a month since my Mom passed away. I can barely type that without crying. One month of sadness and anger and frustration and forgetting and movement and tears and heaviness and guilt and devastation, and heart-stopping pain. One month ago I had no idea grief felt like a stone in your chest weighing you down with sad. This weekend, I attended TBEX, travel blogging conference, and it was the first time I really felt like I had smiled and kicked back since my mother passed away and for a few moments…
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You Might Be A Caregiver If: Medicare Part D Costs #Walgreens #ad
(This is the second of my sponsored posts for Walgreens Part D. Thanks to Walgreens for allowing thriftymommastips.com to partner with them for this series. This post was compensated. My first post about saving money with Walgreens Part D is here. My opinion is all my own.) Caregiving is hard work. That’s reality. No way around it. It can be draining – emotionally, psychologically and physically. Walgreens Medicare Part D cost means it doesn’t have to be draining financially also. Which is good because this is what my prescription story looks like many weeks. I work 24/7 almost every day of the week. It’s exhausting and then some. Up until…
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Petition Challenge – Get 6 signatures #abhc4ivf #abpoli
If you live in Alberta, then odds are pretty strong that you know someone struggling with infertility. Quick – write down the names of six of your closest friends. Now try to figure out which one of the six is struggling with, or has already battled infertility. It’s that close. Infertility was, up until recently not talked about in Canada. But a funny thing happened this past year. People started sharing their stories. People started standing up to say yes I am 1 in 6. I want to talk about infertility and the pressing health care issues surrounding access to treatments and supports. I want to tell you that I…
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Win $25 K for Your Park – Kraft Celebration Tour #KCT
It might not have made front page news, but the day they unveiled Mayor Norm Jary Park in Guelph, the world shifted just a little bit for my brother and I. First of all, we had our pictures in the local daily, The Guelph Mercury (local section). That in itself was an event – and pretty cool for a grade schooler. I recall the photo opp with the mayor. I think I might have been nine or so standing in the background and my little brother was cute as a button perched atop a slide. Aside from the school playground and the sloping backyard where I collected toads, pussy willows…
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Dove Unstoppable Moms For Unstoppable Girls Contest
This post is part of YummyMummyClub.ca‘s support of the Dove® Unstoppable Moms for Unstoppable Girls Contest. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. This post reflects my personal opinion about the information provided by the sponsors. Go to www.UnstoppableMoms.ca to enter by sharing how you inspire girls to reach their full potential. I had a weird relationship with body image as a tween and teen. When I was 12, I started getting sick and eventually at 14 I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. Crohn’s is a digestive disorder thought to be an autoimmune disorder too. I lost a lot of weight because I didn’t absorb a lot…
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#WordlessWednesday Macao Beach #travel
Earlier this year in Punta Cana, on Macao Beach, Dominican Republic. This was one of the nicest days we had there. Macao ranks highly as one of the top beaches in Punta Cana. I could easily see why. The sand is white, the sky is perfect blue and cloudless and the water is breath-taking. Plus lovely spot to go boogie boarding. You can read about our trip and when budget travel is the wrong choice here.
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Infertility Impacts Everyone: Katrina #ohip4ivf #onpoli
Meet Cameron. Grandma has dubbed him “the whole family’s baby.” He’s a sweet little guy, almost 18 months old. He made his Mom and Dad parents. He made Grandma a grandmother again. But his journey here was hard fought. Mom Katrina struggled through many medical, financial, physical and emotional hurdles to conceive Cameron. She was diagnosed with endometriosis and she had a few unsuccessful IVF (in vitro fertilization) attempts. She had miscarriages and she tried various alternative and natural therapies designed to boost fertility and alleviate the pain of endometriosis. Eventually, after thousands of dollars spent and a tremendous emotional toll on everyone, baby Cameron arrived by C-section November 17, 2011.…
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Two – Interview with Curtis Shaw #creatingfamilies
Desmond Child, the legendary songwriter, with sons Roman and Nyro and Curtis Shaw Child. Together with surrogate Angela, the Shaw, have produced a magnificent documentary Two. My review of Two: The Story of Roman and Nyro, the documentary ran here on the weekend. Click through to read it if you are interested. This is thriftymommastips.com interview with Curtis Shaw. 1. I love the trailer and the full documentary for Two: The Story of Roman and Nyro and just want to say the message is beautiful and will appeal to many of my readers at thriftymommastips.com. I wonder if you can simply explain why you felt the need to make a documentary? As…
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Rubbermaid Closet Helper Max Add On Review
I dream of organized closets. And organized kitchens, And basements and garages. Well, you get the idea. I actually might need a bit of help there. (Insert evil laughter from Margarita here) So, when Rubbermaid offered to send me a Rubbermaid Closet Helper Max Add On system for my closets I was pretty excited. I thought I could use it in somebody’s closet here at the Schuck Home. But sadly, I was wrong. Our closets have hardware installed that is permanent. Anyways I went hunting for a friend who could make full use of this little beauty. Rubbermaid is, after all, a great brand. Here comments are below. Follow her…
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Two: A Family Documentary for 2013 #creatingfamilies
“I think what gay means is two people of the same gender who love each other. At least that’s my understanding of it.” – Roman and Nyro. I rarely review films, or documentaries here, but I received an interesting invitation this week to the International Premiere of the Annual Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival. I couldn’t go in person, but I am more than a bit in love with the concept of this documentary Two: The Story of Roman and Nyro.I needed to share because I know my readers would want to see this beautiful story of family. In the light of Canadian Infertility Awareness Week, Two captures the notion…