The holidays are fast approaching and for many that can be overwhelming and also extremely expensive. I am a thrifty shopper and I plan ahead. Holiday Preparations Now can save me stress later. So I have been buying sale items throughout the year and putting them away. That works for me. Even now, it’s not too late to start saving. This season, if you prepare now, you will feel less of the pinch and stress later on. There are many ways to lessen the financial load and get your family ready now. Holiday Preparations that Save Money: Make Your Own…
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Every child should have a Shot at Life. All children have a right to health. But, in developing countries around the world many families face overwhelming obstacles to accessing life-saving vaccines. Shot@Life is an organization that helps and advocates for funding to deliver lifesaving vaccines to those in need. I visited Zambia as part of a fellowship with Shot at Life through the UN Foundation recently. It was an amazing experience. Over the next few weeks I will share posts about that trip and the many clinics and aid organizations we visited. Yesterday I shared my first post about Preparing for…
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Cold and flu season is going to be vile this year. How do I know that? Well, that’s simple. My younger daughter and I have been sick on and off since school started! What started as a cough with my daughter spread to me. Then one of us had bronchitis. After that the two of us got a cold. Actually, we got the flu, but we thought it was a cold. Yes, cold and flu season is here, and it has not been kind, already. That’s why I got excited when I heard about Cold-Q. Make Cold and Flu Season Easier…
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What to pack for a cruise. It’s something you’ll be thinking about for some time once you decide to take a vacation on the sea. Of course there’s the standard swimsuits, shorts, etc., but there are a few things you don’t want to be without. Every diehard cruise lover knows there are a few cruise hacks and products that simply make the sailing smoother. Not really essentials but cruise hacks for packing. A few of these are oddball things you might not think of, but trust me they can make your cruise so much sweeter. So if you need to know…
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Are you having a hard time falling asleep at night? Do you toss and turn and still barely get any shut eye? Luckily, there are a number of things you can do to help improve this problem. Better sleep is pretty simple with a few changes of habit. Here are 5 tips to get better sleep at night: Turn off electronics an hour before bedtime. Using your TV, computer, e-reader, or cell phone may be making it more difficult for you to fall asleep. Shutting down all of your electronics an hour before bedtime may help you fall asleep…
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Preparing for winter is something we should all start thinking about. After all, it’s already mid-October, and there are only so many good days left! Preparing for winter is about getting your home and your property in order, so it can withstand the rigors of bad weather, especially up here in Ontario. Preparing for Winter and Saving Future Headaches The last thing you want in the winter is to be without heat or to have to deal with a busted pipe. The last thing you want in the spring is a clean up hassle. These tips can help you save…
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Vow renewal is a beautiful and romantic thing. It’s a way for couples to reaffirm their commitment to one another in a way that’s more than just the everyday “I love you” and the occasional flower bouquet. I’ve been thinking about this lately and contemplating whether this is something we should do for our 25th wedding anniversary. I like the idea of building a memorable romantic trip together as a couple. Renewing our vows could add a touch of magic to our marriage. It might remind us how we felt that day when we first slipped those rings on our fingers in…
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Family memories are something we usually preserve with tons of photos. Whether they’re action or candid shots at a party or family portraits, we document our lives with photos. But very often they stay on our phones, our Facebook or Instagram feeds. But what if we could take our photographed family memories and do something really unique with them? Actually, with Canvas N Decor you can. Family Memories in a Memorable Way My family loves to travel. For us travel is one of the greatest ways to make and build shared memories. We take a lot of pictures when we…
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There’s no Mom, or Dad for that matter, who isn’t familiar with the dinner hour panic that goes a little something like this. Work all day, busy putting out fires, then suddenly you look at the clock and realize it’s 4:30 or 5 p.m. and you didn’t plan dinner. You didn’t thaw any meat or protein and you have nothing planned. Around here that’s a regular kind of feeling and it’s not much fun. So when Chef’s Plate contacted me with some fresh family meal ideas delivered straight to my home I was excited to check the service out. There are…
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Apples are a family favourite any time of the year. It’s rare that we ever have a fridge empty of apples. In fact, usually quite the opposite. I buy them by the bucket it seems. Five pounds of apples go quickly here. But on the odd occasion when they do not vanish as soon as they are placed into our fridge, then I like to have a few apple recipes and treats to be able to pick from. I love the way apples add flavour to any simple recipe or dessert, plus they are a great source of vitamin C…