• home_safety_at_Christmas
    Health

    Twelve Home Safety Tips for the Holiday Season

    November 14, 2014 - By 

    We had a strange event in our neighbourhood last weekend involving one of my children. A person we did not know pulled over at the side of the road where my one daughter was playing with a friend and started taking pictures of them. The girls had been out playing on their bikes, in daylight, after school. Normally I can see my child out front. That afternoon I couldn’t see her, nonetheless, I knew she was riding her bike, helmet on, safe on our street with a friend. But the safety I take for granted was taken away when the…

  • parenting

    Braid Like a Boss with Goody Back to School Hair Accessories

    September 16, 2014 - By 

    This post is part of the YummyMummyClub.caand Goody #GoodyTips sponsored program. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. This post about simple braids reflects my personal opinion about the information provided by the sponsors. Back to school means racing out the door with lunches made and backpacks ready, and not a moment to spare. Some days, time is so tight that we scarcely have a moment to do the hair and teeth checks as we kiss them good bye and wish them a great day. Luckily though,as a Mom of girls, and a lifetime owner of long hair myself,…

  • parenting

    My Library of Top Five Posts About Tween Girls

    September 9, 2014 - By 

    Raising Tween girls is a special kind of madness. Er.. I mean, fun. Just kidding, every stage of my children’s growth and development has been enjoyable and memorable. But tweenhood is slightly different than anything else you will encounter. Let’s just start with the hormones for instance. As soon as they kick into gear and puberty is on board then you better buckle up and get ready. It’s my personal observation that personality plays into puberty a lot but girls generally seem to hit the landmark changes a bit earlier and that means more explosive potential for conflict and moodiness…

  • active family travel - family

    The Beach #WordlessWednesday linky

    August 20, 2014 - By 

    Every summer we travel to the beach with kids. Most summer vacations mean that we all get together and meet up with cousins in Georgian Bay, Ontario’s cottage country. It’s not possible every single year but it is something we enjoy doing as often as we are able. The beach is a happy relaxed place where we can always connect with family and just chill. Last week we went to the beach with my bother-in-law and sister-in-law. The highlight of that type of break is always all about seeing the cousins play together. This year there was swimming, but as…

  • homes

    Home Office Decorating #InkscrblrATWork

    August 4, 2014 - By 

    Months ago we moved to a new home. If you read this blog at all, then you know that we moved to a lovely new neighbourhood and we have a pool and super neighbours. We had some of that in our old neighbourhood, but our house was a bit too small for my family, and it was most definitely way too tiny to contain a work space for me. My social media consulting and blogging business grew fast and had taken over my old house. I needed a dedicated office space. I also needed to do some Home Office Decorating. The…

  • active family travel - Travel

    Vintage African Lion Safari #travel

    July 24, 2014 - By 

    (I just found this in my drafts file as I was travelling by train this week with my kids. My older daughter was sleeping on the train when Ainsley asked me to tell her a story from my childhood and I quickly remembered going to African Lion Safari every single year until I was in high school. It is such a memorable backdrop for so many of the times I spent with my Mom and brother, that I knew when I was a parent I would also take my kids to see this awesome destination. This is a story I…

  • Travel

    Vallarta Food Tours: Evening Taco Adventure

    July 10, 2014 - By 

    The beef cheek taco seizes your tastebuds and stops you in your tracks. You think: “Wow, I am eating beef cheek on the street in Puerto Vallarta and it is unimaginably tender and moist.” Who knew? But the beef cheek taco is just one surprise on the Vallarta Food Tours evening taco tour.       Surrender to the Experience These are things you learn when you surrender to the sense of adventure that travel brings:   1. Street meat can be magnificent. 2. The architecture in downtown Puerto Vallarta is regal and dignified. 3. It’s possible for a man…

  • swear_jar
    Health - parenting

    Do You Have a Swear Jar?

    July 8, 2014 - By 

    I am $1.20 in the hole. My youngest daughter made me a bet that I had to take for the weekend. She challenged me to quit swearing. Ten cents a swear word. So I set up a swear jar.  A dime? A couple of my friends huffed angrily that I was taking advantage of my daughter by not advising her that she should have made it a loonie a swear word, but the amount wasn’t the point. I am not proud that I swore twelve times over the weekend (within hearing range of my child. She might have missed a…

  • Giveaways

    ONecklace Personalized Silver Necklace #giveaways

    July 7, 2014 - By 

    Looking for pretty and personalized jewelry? Onecklace is the perfect option – affordable and creative. I recently received a Silver Necklace with my kid’s names on it and have come to love this company.  Silver in the summer also makes me happy, especially with a tiny bit of sun kissed skin to set it off. ONecklace has many gorgeous gold, sterling silver and silver plated jewellery products to choose from. This gorgeous little number by ONecklace is so unique too. I am especially fond of the Mother necklaces and the name necklaces. The silver necklace I chose is from the…

  • Health

    The Best Seat in the Pool – SwimWays Spring Float

    June 30, 2014 - By 

    You might have heard – we bought a new house with a pool a few months ago. This is our first summer enjoying our pool and we are still on a learning curve. We have a few pool toys, such as the usual pool noodles and inflatable rafts, but we didn’t have any super pool recliners until this week when SwimWays sent a Spring Float pool float for us to test out. The Canada Day weekend weather has been perfect and we unpackaged the Spring Float recliner chair so we could throw our first ever pool party here. Now, the…