• FASD - parenting - special needs

    Sari Therapy Riding #wordlesswednesday #ldnont

    May 22, 2013 - By 

    A girl and her horses. She loves them all and could not live without Sari therapy riding. In 2010, I went to a workshop in Alberta that stressed how mental health and disability, and brain injury such as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, was not currently done well through traditional therapy and cognitive behavioural approaches. I already intuitively new that but it was nice to have confirmation of it from the experts. I learned at that conference that many people were having success with animal assisted therapies and therapy riding too. So I started looking into it when I got back…

  • parenting

    Dear Mom Camp Series – Muskoka Woods May

    May 21, 2013 - By 

    Dear Mom:  Now I know we’ve covered most of this already and I know you’ve got some of my camps booked. And the end of school is coming fast now, in fact so fast I can almost start my countdown. But Mom, I really have to show you something cool. Remember Muskoka Woods? Well, it was one year ago when we got the awesome weekend to visit and try the big swing. I loved that place. The food was good, the counsellors Tippy and Brillo were amazing. But wait, here’s the cool part. I was playing on my iphone tonight…

  • family - special needs

    Medicare Part D Costs #Walgreens Prescription Savings #ad

    May 20, 2013 - By 

    (This is one of two sponsored posts for Walgreens. Thanks to Walgreens for trusting thriftymommastips to tell the story of caregiving and Medicare Part D. I was compensated. My opinion is all my own.)   Nobody wants to be on medication. And yet, here’s the rub. Pretty much every person I have ever met or cared for, within my family and extended family, has needed the help of a prescription to fix, or maintain health. Sometimes medicine is vital to your health. Sometimes it is crucial that you become your own advocate. Health care is one of those domains where…

  • beauty products

    Tria Beauty Series – Post 6 – At Home Hair Removal

    May 18, 2013 - By 

    For several months now I have been posting about my Tria At Home Hair Removal Laser 4 X. Last week I finished the extended period of testing. I have to say I loved this product and will continue using it at home. It’s simple, effective and affordable (if you consider that a trip to the dermatologist’s office for laser hair removal will run hundreds). It is also safe. In fact I wrote a whole entire post about the Tria At Home Hair Removal safety features here. So this is my last post before I offer you the giveaway.  My daughter…

  • Giveaways

    The Gift of Writing for #FathersDay #giveaway

    May 17, 2013 - By 

    It’s that time of year again. Father’s Day. There are actually few occasions that stump me entirely, but Father’s Day is always challenging. I like to choose gifts from the heart. Something that is long-lasting. Something that can be used and also treasured. One year I bought my husband a barbecue for his birthday. Other years I have simply gone with clothing, or tickets to an event. But generally speaking Dad is the hardest guy to buy for – at least in my family anyways. Dads don’t really need a lot, or want a lot even, but at the same…

  • family

    Shake It Up – I Heart Dance Review

    May 16, 2013 - By 

    A couple of trips ago, with my kids in tow we stopped in Orlando and ended up with one of those fabulous TV station deals in the motel where we stayed. You know the kind? All Disney Family channel, pretty much all the time. My kids were in heaven. That’s when they discovered Shake it Up. I didn’t mind the show even in the slightest because the two main characters are quirky and just different enough to make me want to watch with my kids. One of the characters struggles with a learning disability. She has a mother who is…

  • family

    Breathing Through Grief

    May 14, 2013 - By 

    These were the trees outside my Mom’s retirement home one short year ago. Today, they are starting to bloom again, but she will never see them and that shatters my heart. Same for the tulips and the flowers and the robins in my yard. I am not sleeping well, or doing anything else well right now. For those of you who don’t know, my Mom passed away suddenly May 5th. Her funeral is already a bit of a blur.  As for me, my chest hurts, my appetite is gone. I haven’t taken a true breath in almost two weeks. I move…

  • infertility

    Canadian Infertility Awareness Week #creatingfamilies

    May 13, 2013 - By 

    One in six. Staggering really. One in six couples in Canada struggle with infertility. Until this past year,  when we took to social media in droves and started sharing our stories, few were even talking about infertility in our great country. Progress comes fast sometimes courtesy of twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and various other social media tools. Now, we are talking and tweeting and sharing stories. We are building awareness and education. So this year during Canadian Infertility Awareness Week May 19 to 26th we are encouraging people to build our messages. Make a difference. Blog for social good and help…

  • Health - infertility - Parenting - parenting

    Memories on #MothersDay #ABHC4IVF #ABPOLI

    May 12, 2013 - By 

    This year marks my 12th Mother’s Day.  That is nothing short of a miracle for me. I mean motherhood itself is often thought of as miraculous and wonderful, and a little bit magical sometimes too. But when you wait, and struggle and pass through the sad hallways of infertility hoping and banking on science, faith, community services like Children’s Aid, and friends to help you through to the other side well, then you know that when you get the honour of actually being a mother, it will be magnificent. Twelve years ago I had my own mother to share Mother’s…