• family - Giveaways

    Hallmark Holiday Gifts – All the Classic Feels #Giveaway #LoveHallmarkCA

    Hallmark holiday gifts are one of my big go to’s when the holiday season rolls around. Whether I’m shopping for my husband, a friend, the neighbour or anyone else, for that matter, I always find adorable gifts from Hallmark that are always treasured by their recipients. This year, you can give your loved ones super cute Hallmark holiday gifts that deliver all the classic feels we have come to expect from Hallmark. Hallmark Holiday Gifts Capture the Spirit of the Season One of my favorite things about Hallmark is how they always seem to capture the spirit of the season.…

  • family

    Love Out Loud with Teleflora for the Holidays

    Love out loud. Christmas is a wonderful time to celebrate all your loves. Around Thanksgiving we start reflecting in earnest on the year that has gone by and the spirit of gratitude and thankfulness is high. It would be lovely if that was the case all year round but sometimes we need reminders of what we are grateful for. That’s sort of what Teleflora’s #LoveOutLoud campaign is about. Gratitude, thankfulness and love. Love Out Loud is more than the tag line for Teleflora’s #LoveOutLoud campaign. The idea has been around forever, as long as love has existed. Live out Loud and Love…

  • family

    13 Easy and Fun Christmas Teacher Gifts

    Every year I struggle with what to get for the kid’s teachers. Many years I have purchased something that benefits a charity. To me those gifts are impactful and meaningful. I know the kids are always proud to give them too. But this year I thought it would be worth taking a look at some popular, fun, and easy teacher gifts to give this holiday season. This past two years in a row my kids have had amazing teachers. Now I know it’s not necessary to buy every single year, but sometimes it is a nice thing to do. Do…

  • Technology - Travel

    All New Kindle Oasis is Here Just in Time for the Holidays

    The all new Kindle Oasis is here, and it’s the most advanced model ever released. That’s great news for book-lovers everywhere. So many things I love about the Kindle Oasis. Here are two: it’s made just for reading and it’s waterproof. The Paperwhite display means you can read with it in the dark, or in the brightest sunlight with no glare. And the fact that it is waterproof is brilliant! That’s important when you carry your reader everywhere like I do. Happy to report the all new Kindle Oasis features some new bells and whistles that have me more excited…

  • Parenting

    Five Ways Kids Can Give Back at Christmas

      Wondering how to get your kids invested in the true spirit of the season? There are several easy ways kids can give back at Christmas. Here are a few that have worked for us.   My girls are sensitive compassionate kids. When others are hurt, it hurts them too. My oldest girl, in particular, my creative Type A, is an empathetic soul. Her report card always contains comments about  “a kind, caring girl who always helps others and makes friends with new students. She is first to care for her friends when they are hurt.” Showing You Care is…

  • family - parenting

    Giving Back This Holiday Season with Red Cross Canada

    “I’d rather have empathy than sympathy,” my younger daughter, 13, out of the blue stated the other day when I was driving her to her therapy riding session. That got me wondering if she knew the difference between the two. So I asked her why she felt that way and what she considered empathy. “Sympathy is just feeling sorry for someone, like pity, for someone else. Empathy is being able to feel their feelings, put yourself in their shoes and do something about it.” There are many challenging moments parenting teens. But there are also times when they say or…

  • family - Food

    17 Cute Santa Treats to Make and Share

    Oh I know Christmas seems right around the corner, doesn’t it? It somehow sneaks up on all of us every year. But this year I have been sharing some great treats and baked goods that may help you prepare some of the baking at least. As for the gifts, well I will probably share some gift ideas here too. Odds are good there will be shopping. Baking some of these Santa Treats ahead of time might help you stay on top of that one task. 17 Santa Treats 1. Chocolate Santa Pretzels 2. Rice Krispie Treat Bars 3. Santa Claus…

  • Travel

    13 Great Travel Gifts for Friends and Family

    It should be no big surprise to my regular readers when I say I love to travel. It’s my favourite state of being. Discovering a new city or new country is a gigantic and beautiful adventure. Many of my friends also have wanderlust. So travel gifts that resonate with those who love to wander are perfect. Some of my Favourite Travel Gifts are gathered here for you this year. Happy travels and Good Luck choosing one of these travel gifts. I believe they are all lovely and would be welcome. SAVING for your Vacation Travel Gifts for Those with Wanderlust…

  • Food

    17 Easy Christmas Tree Treats

    Are you getting geared up for the holidays yet? Have you started baking? I love cute themed treats this year and have gathered some adorable and easy Christmas Tree Treats from around the blogosphere for you to try at your leisure. Christmas Tree Treats are generally fairly simple to make. Cookie cutters always provide a good template to begin with and from there you can get creative with ingredients. What is your favourite thing about the holidays? I love the shopping and giving part but I also enjoy the baking. Baking is a great way to get the entire family…

  • family

    Gift Ideas for Tweens this Christmas

    Gift ideas for tweens is the name of the game today. While a lot of other gift guides feature dozens of toys, many of them high priced gaming platforms, I’m taking a different approach. I’m going with two affordable options that make great stocking stuffers or straight up gifts. Why you say? Well, not everyone can afford to buy a Nintendo Switch or iPhone X. And more than that, sometimes it’s the little gift ideas that are really the most fun. Two Gift Ideas for Tweens that Cover All the Bases These two gems are perfect for any tween. They…