• family

    Handmade Snowy #DIY Simple Christmas Ornament

    December 17, 2013 - By 

    Are you a fan of simple DIY Christmas ornaments the kids can make with you using inexpensive materials? Well, here’s one of the easiest ornaments I have found yet. It requires paint, an ornament and your child’s handprint. Trust me this will become a cherished Christmas ornament from here on in.   Looking for a few Simple DIY Christmas Ornament ideas? Then I have a Do it Yourself ornament idea for you. DIY Easy Christmas Ornament Normally this time of year we have a big beautiful real tree, decorated to match our living room, spreading pine scented love throughout the…

  • Parenting

    National Adoption Month – and I See Me Books Giveaway

    October 24, 2013 - By 

    This I See Me Books Giveaway contains affiliate links as a service to readers. November is National Adoption Month, so I wanted to feature some adoption friendly merchants and brands here. Look for more this coming month. I found I See Me quite by happenstance. National Adoption Month and Merchandise I See Me has an incredible array of personalized products that you can order for your child. That’s pretty fun and unique, but what really got me excited was the Adoption section on their web site. It’s not overtly specific to adoption only. But it is applicable to adoptive families,…

  • how_do_I_get_rid_of_monsters
    parenting

    How Do I Get Rid of Monsters?

    August 1, 2013 - By 

    How do I get rid of Monsters? Every single parent knows there comes a time when you ask yourself how do I get rid of monsters? How do I get my child to stop thinking there are monsters hiding in the closet or under the bed? How to get rid of monsters is something you will get good at. Trust me.   We have found several ways to get your child to sleep again. At one point my youngest was super convinced there were monsters hiding in her closet. Luckily that passed, but not without a bit of work on our part.…

  • Health - infertility

    We’ve Been Trying Since I Was 25: An Infertility Story #ivf4on #onpoli

    June 12, 2013 - By 

    Ashley and Brandon Powell Ashley Powell is 29, diagnosed with PCOS and she has exhausted most of her options trying to get pregnant. Ashley ’s infertility story starts back at puberty. She had her first period at 13. But it took a full year before her next period arrived. Her menstrual cycles have always been erratic and painful. Powell typically had only 4-8 periods each year and they were extremely painful. In college she was diagnosed with Polycystic ovarian syndrome and referred to a gynecologist. The doctor told her she might have trouble conceiving and that has been proven repeatedly.…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • family - Health

    Dear Mom Camp Series – April – #MuskokaWoods

    April 15, 2013 - By 

    Dear Mom: This month for our third post about Muskoka Woods I am not going to hound you, or remind you about signing me up. I know you are looking after that and I can’t wait. Soon I will start my end of school countdown. I am getting so excited. I am going to let you talk this month here because I know you have a lot to say and I know you are still thinking about whether Ainsley can manage overnight camp yet or not. So, over to you and Tada!  (I always wanted to say that.) Your daughter,…

  • family - Health - special needs - Travel

    Five Ways to Save Money on Summer Camp #MuskokaWoods

    March 13, 2013 - By 

    Dear Mom: Remember last month when I reminded you all about how we needed to book my summer camps now! Well, I am really hoping you did that Mom. I want to get into the same overnight summer camp I did last year with my BFF. It was the most fun event of my entire summer. Oh I enjoyed Canada’s Wonderland too, but nothing will ever top staying up late, crafting all week long, singing songs and making my own dolls and then swimming in a lake and sleeping on bunks away from home. My counsellors were incredible. In fact,…

  • family

    EASY Kids’ DIY No Sew Fleece Blanket

    February 26, 2013 - By 

    So, some days I need to get out in front of that energy before it takes over my house. Back in the winter we started sewing together and she also learned how to knit. Then I was popping around on Pinterest and I spied this great idea. It’s a knotted fleece blanket that is so easy an 8 year old can make it with a little bit of help. Off to the fabric store we went and one day later we had these great and amazing little blankets for each girl. They are completely thrilled and proud and it was…

  • Health - infertility - parenting

    IVF Funding Ontario Could Have Made a Difference to This One Family’s Journey #OHIP4IVF #Onpoli

    January 20, 2013 - By 

    With thanks to Kerri-Lyn Cuppage for her family photo. It is a given this time of year when temperatures dip and families begin the process of nesting through the winter, when holidays are pending and the year winds slowly to a close, that we all take stock of our blessings, our gifts, challenges and triumphs. For families whose children came to them either through adoption or in vitro fertilization, whose start was rooted in the sad realization of infertility, then compounded by medical issues and potential financial difficulties the blessings are magnified. But the challenges are not to be forgotten.…