• fitness_and_wellness_journey
    Health

    My Fitness and Wellness Journey Update

    January 28, 2014 - By 

    My Fitness and Wellness Journey Update is as much a progress check for me as it is for my readers too. So stick with me and I promise we can do this together. Okay? Here we are three weeks into my newly revamped fitness routine for 2014 and I thought it was time for an update. A progress check. My Fitness and Wellness Journey After 35!! First a bit of background. I have been working hard on getting fit since Ainsley was very small. I have always been sports averse. As in, I was the kid in grade school who…

  • Health

    Banish the Eczema Itch Now

    January 21, 2014 - By 

    I haven’t itched all week. Why should you care? Well, if you are like me, you either have some experience with mild eczema, or you have a family member with that persistent itchy skin that won’t seem to go away. Did you know 20 % of the population will experience eczema? Did you know there are several different types of this skin condition which can be red scaly patches on your skin that end up cracking, rashing, or even oozing liquid? One common type is cradle cap. Another is contact dermatitis, which is often brought on by excessive handwashing. But…

  • Health

    Philosophy Miracle Worker Review

    December 27, 2013 - By 

    Funny thing, but after forty, your skin care needs change drastically. Women’s skin care products like Philosophy – Miracle Worker Miraculous Anti-Aging Moisturizer 56g/2oz are formulated to boost skin that is showing signs of aging and wear and tear. I lusted after, but had never used this product until I attended Blissdom Canada in the fall in Mississauga. Philosophy was one of the sponsors at the blogging event and, as such, they were handing out samples and chatting up bloggers in their restful lounge. After a skin care consultation, it was determined I needed this line: Miracle Worker. I tried…

  • Health - parenting

    A Male Perspective on Infertility #IVF4ON #onpoli

    November 13, 2013 - By 

    Meet Adam Bekhor, father of two, infertility advocate/ support person and owner of a successful business called WineWire.ca  Bekhor volunteers as a support person for couples struggling with infertility in Toronto area. His wife was diagnosed with stage four endometriosis. Subsequently, they were unable to conceive. Bekhor relates to the male partner’s journey through infertility and is clearly experienced in the realities of all the costs associated with this health care issue. Emotional. Financial. Relational. Social. Mental and Physical. Infertility leaves no area of your life untouched. Once you have journeyed through this complex health care issue you are quite simply changed.…

  • Health - Parenting - special needs

    How to Write an All About Me Booklet for Your Special Needs Child

    October 29, 2013 - By 

    This All About Me Special Needs Book is one of my favourite tools for my daughter. I’ve had one for Ainsley for several years now and it is always well received by teachers, coaches and others who work with her regularly. These All About Me Special Needs Booklets work well when your child is young and unable to tell people what he or she needs. We used them often for Ainsley, especially at camp. The idea is that you can use them as a tool for helpers, teachers or support staff when dealing with a child who has medical needs…

  • Health - infertility

    Crowdfunding A Baby: How One BC Couple Paid for Fertility Treatments #ivf4bc #bcpoli

    August 30, 2013 - By 

    (This post about crowdfunding a baby was originally published in 2013. It has been UPDATED with 2016 information) You’ve heard of crowdfunding a new product. And crowdfunding to launch a concept like a new app, or the perfect Canadian winter coat. How about crowdfunding a baby? When expensive fertility treatments are necessary and they aren’t covered sometimes you have to get extremely resourceful.   Remember Nick? You might have read of his creative approach to fertility funding earlier this year when he spoke to the Vancouver Sun about crowd funding health care treatment. Nick Beaulieu and his wife were running…

  • lunch time-saving tips kids eating lunch at school
    Food - Health

    Five Easy Lunch Time-Saving Tips to Use Now!

    August 8, 2013 - By 

    Listen up. I am about to share all of my lunch time-saving tips with you. So make note and commit a few of these to memory. Trust me. You will need them. Over the course of this coming school year, it is likely you will need about 200 packed lunches, that is if your adorable children are lifers (I mean full time and full day students like mine). That’s just for one child. So lunch time-saving tips are not negotiable. You can obviously make that a wee bit less onerous by opting in for the pizza days and the hot…

  • 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.…

  • 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…

  • Food - Health

    Energy Bits Review

    April 5, 2013 - By 

    Several weeks ago I heard about these energybits on twitter and was interested. I am forever trying to stay on top of this thing called 40, and those of you who know me well know I may not be super coordinated, but I make up for that in ambition and good intentions. So I exercise a lot and I am open to trying new routines, exercise programs and nutrition ideas. So I gave these algae bits a shot to see what they might add to my routine. Let me just start with a small disclaimer: energybits will probably not be…