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,…
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,…
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…
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.…
I am always proud of my kids. Every day from the second they joined our home, their tiny hearts beating in sync with mine. I love them beyond measure, like many Moms the world over, and yet, sometimes parenting is dull. It is magical – ephemeral – a little unbelievable – and then it is exhausting. Draining. Bone weary hard work. The older they get, the further and faster they speed away from you. Daily. You can see it when they wake up and walk down to make their own cereal. And it is good and welcome and even a…
I may be embarrassing my kids by saying this, but even today at 8 and 11 years old, it is still often like pulling teeth to get them to wipe their noses properly. It’s true. Something about the tissue making contact with sore noses, or sensitive noses, drives my children to the point that they avoid blowing at all. This makes both my husband and I crazy. (I mean seriously? Just blow your nose already.) Anyways, how happy was I to get a batch of Boogie Wipes in the mail this past week? Well, I was giddy and ripped the…
These are my girls, Ainsley and Payton. Sisters. Daughters. Great friends. They love and fight and play and hug and eat and drink and dance and dream and share part of our lives, our home and hearts. They are the reason we wake up and breathe and do – pretty much everything. There was a time when we didn’t know if we could be parents. There was a time I didn’t even know if I wanted to be a parent, if I am being 100 % truthful. I wanted a career – writing was my passion – and many days…
This shopping with kids post was sponsored and I received compensation and product in exchange. Saturday Shopping I spent my Saturday shopping. Oh now before you go getting all jealous, let me just state that we all went shopping. Yes, for whatever reason, we took leave of our senses and headed over to Sears at Masonville Mall in London all together. As a family, shopping. That’s right we went shopping with kids. What Were We Thinking? Yup, big family fun day here at the Schuck house. Winter Coats See, my kids have had crazy growth spurts over the summer and…
No secret that dentistry, planned or unplanned, can leave the average person out of pocket for hundreds, perhaps even thousands of dollars. If you don’t have insurance, what’s a family to do? Luckily DentalPlans has some answers to your dental needs. With plans that start at $79.95 a year, you can help your family save. I am all about the savings here, so this is one service that caught my eye. Plans start at the low price of $79.95 for single patients and $129.95 for families. That’s a good deal less than many dental insurance plans. As a mom of…
Butter tarts are one of my all time favourite treats. We have made these together many times here and every single batch of these quintessentially Canadian treats is an opportunity to experiment. There are so many variations that you can make when it comes to butter tarts. In fact we like our yummy Canadian desserts simple so the flavour shines through with every bite. We’ve dubbed these the best butter tarts on the planet and even writing about them makes me want to go grab the butter and sugar and start baking. Do not scrimp on the filling whatever you…