• cruising_with_teens
    Travel

    How to Make Cruising with Teens Enjoyable For All

    May 7, 2018 - By 

    Cruising with teens is an entirely different animal than cruising with other adults or with young children. Teens are in a weird, in between stage of their lives where they aren’t really children anymore, but they aren’t yet adults either. What Makes Family Cruises with Older Kids Unique? This leads to a feeling of not belonging on some trips. They’re either too old to enjoy the rides, attractions, and programs that are geared towards the younger kids, or they’re too young to enjoy the adult activities. This can leave them feeling at a loss for what they can do, where…

  • robot_baby
    family - parenting

    What Happened One Crazy Weekend with Robot Baby

    April 23, 2018 - By 

    On Friday I became a grandma. My oldest daughter became a Mom and Ainsley an aunt. Which by default then made my husband a grandpa. Robot Baby Lucas joined our family this weekend. And it was nostalgic, fun, comical and a little bit crazy bringing a pretend baby home. But it was also a whole lot more than that too. The road to toy robot baby Lucas began last year when Payton, then 15, told me she wanted to take a parenting course at school. She was giddy over the prospect of having Robot Baby for a weekend in grade 11. Initially I…

  • youth_programs
    active family travel - Travel

    Youth Programs – The Cruising Experience for the Kids

    March 20, 2018 - By 

    Youth programs are an important consideration when planning a cruise if you have tweens and teens. Around this age, kids start to want a little more freedom, and a good tween and teen program can allow the kids to have a great time while experiencing a little freedom and independence in a safe, controlled way. My daughters are at an age where youth programs are a huge factor in our cruise planning, and I thought I’d share my top three picks for great programs for tweens and teens. Youth Programs Give Kids AND Parents What They Want The thing that…

  • English_Catholic_teachers
    family

    Registered for High School and New Adventures #ad #CatholicTeachers

    February 12, 2018 - By 

    This post is part of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers #catholicteachers sponsored program. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. This post reflects my personal opinion about the information provided by the sponsors.  It’s high school registration time. That’s right, this month, I registered my youngest daughter for high school. That’s huge. Any parent of a school aged child knows, we agonize over where to send our children and often we also wonder if they are ready. When your child has special needs you worry even more. As hard as these huge decisions are, I feel pretty…

  • Parenting

    Stupid Tears and Being a Special Needs Parent

    January 31, 2018 - By 

    I’ve become a spectacle. The crazy Mom sitting in the grocery store parking lot crying stupid tears in a minivan. You don’t want to know her. She’s pathetic and cliche. But too many times lately she’s me crying in the parking lot at Sobey’s, No Frills or Food Basics. Look away. I am not a Weeper Perhaps you are new here and you don’t know me, but I am not a cryer. In fact crying is something I typically do once or twice a year maybe. Like a thing I allow myself very rarely in controlled situations at home. Nobody…

  • victory_lap
    family - Parenting - parenting

    The Victory Lap in Ontario – Why Take the Extra Year?

    August 31, 2017 - By 

    The victory lap is what we call an extra year of high school in Ontario. It’s also known as grade 13. Today, high school is only four years long, but when I was a kid, it was a five year process. That means that kids today will be entering university at 18 rather than 19. I know how challenging university was for me as a 19 year old, so I can only imagine how hard it must be for an individual just on the cusp of adulthood. In many cases, it’s better for the child to attend that fifth year of…

  • Health

    New Playtex® Sport® Compact Tampons – Discreet Options for Girls on the Go

    August 21, 2017 - By 

    I am a spokesperson for Playtex Sport and as such I have been compensated. This is my experience and it is truthful.  WHEW! I am home for a few days. This summer has been crammed with travel, road trips, camping and camps. My teens have lucked out being able to go camping, hiking, canoeing and visiting their cousins. They’re still active in martial arts and swimming in July and August. BUT, travel and camp, has taken a big role for us this season. My girls are 13 and 16. Together we travel often, because that’s a major part of my blog and business here.…

  • teen_travel
    active family travel - Travel

    Teen Travel – When Are They Ready To Go Solo?

    March 26, 2017 - By 

    Solo Teen travel is something that most parents will have to deal with at some point. In this day and age of spread out families, international job opportunities, and easy long distance travel, solo teen travel is becoming more common. The question becomes this: How do you know when they’re ready to travel on their own? Maybe your teen has taken the bus around town or the train to an Aunt or Uncle’s Home a few cities away. They have most definitely done a bit of family travel with you their parents. But as for flying on their own, well that’s…

  • Pokemon_go
    Technology

    Pokemon Go: Learn To Power Up and Evolve Pokemon Fast

    July 20, 2016 - By 

    There is no question that the overwhelming positive response to the Pokemon Go app shows that people are ready for this kind of interactive adventure game. Families all over the world are getting outside and enjoying the thrill of the hunt for capturing new and unique Pokemon for their Pokedex. If you’d love to learn how to power up those precious rare Pokemon in your collection, then read on to learn some exciting tips to get them powered up then evolved! Here are a few tips and tricks to help you evolve pokemon fast! Understanding the Value of Candy and…

  • family

    5 Tips to Help Teens in a Challenging Job Market

    November 20, 2015 - By 

    The job market has always been a competitive place. In today’s society, that’s even more true. Going to college, or university, is a start, but companies look for other things besides a college degree. These days they are searching for someone with an extra edge or skill. It’s almost become essential to have a second language too. So what can you do to give your teen a toehold in a challenging and rapidly evolving economy? Short of finding the job for them, or Here are a few things that can give a teen an edge for college, and later, in a…