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Keep Tabs on Your Child’s Online Activity With These 5 Programs
Online activity can be a scary proposition for parents. What are your kids seeing? What are they hearing? Who or what are they interacting with? With the ability to open up browser windows that never save data or history, your child’s online activity can be a frightening thing indeed. What if you know very little about social media, or computers? Maybe you have no real clue how to check Snapchat or Instagram Stories to view what they are sharing and doing. Don’t worry, this post is intended to help. There are ways to help keep tabs on your child’s web surfing. Monitoring Online Activity for Safety There’s no end to the…
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Stylish and Safe Travel Bags for Your Next Trip
My older daughter is taking a big trip in 2017 with a youth theatre group she belongs to. This Christmas we’ve tailored a few of her presents so that she can use them when she travels. She’s already getting several travel guides and a few clothing items she needs. I think she will also be thrilled with one of these adorable Forever Young Stylish and Safe Travel Bags from Beside-U. Now, my daughter doesn’t actually know she’s getting this one for a Christmas present. This is her sister modelling it in the photo. There are so many beautiful safe travel bags from Beside-U that it’s hard to choose. I have…
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Explore New York City with these Amazing Travel Guides #TTOT
Explore New York and everything it has to offer with two great travel guides. I recently picked up both of these travel guides because my daughter is headed to NYC in 2017 with her theatre group. Planning is half the fun of travel. NYC is an epic trip and I want her to enjoy it while also feeling prepared and independent. I happened across DK Eyewitness Travel Guide New York City and DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 New York City. Both books have amazing information that I hope will help make my daughter’s trip wonderful. Explore New York City with All the Information You’ll Ever Need DK Eyewitness Travel Guides are…
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Gemmies Crystal Creations for Crafty Kids #TMMGG16
Gemmies Crystal Creations are the craft du jour for crafty kids this year. If you have a crafty tween or teen then you know the struggle. I am always hunting for things to keep them busy. Oh it sounds nutty, but my thinking is this – give them crafts and things to keep their hands busy and they will be less likely to build baking soda volcanoes in the bathroom. Laugh it up, but that’s exactly what my kids would do. Craft kits like Gemmies Crystal Creations are crucial to my sanity. In fact, craft kits are a big part of my gifting strategy this time of year. Birthdays or…
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Pom Pom Wow! – For the Tween or Teen Girl on Your List #TMMGG16
Are you shopping to please a crafty teen or tween girl this holiday? Then I have the perfect gift for you. Pom Pom Wow is a quirky, fun, craft kit with potential for hours of enjoyment. I should know – my girls have been decorating everything with Pom Pom Wow! since the kits arrived here a couple of weeks ago. Who doesn’t like Pom Poms? Pom Pom Wow! has numerous different kits and accessory bundles. We received several to try out. My daughter Ainsley, 12, got her hands on the Pom Pom Wow! Decoration Station one night after school. Now, I will warn you immediately this one can be a…
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Online Safety and Snapchat
Online safety is a big deal, and Snapchat has become one of the more concerning apps for parents of tweens and teens. Because users of SnapChat can specify a time frame that a picture will stay on the server, online safety is a concern with this app. What is SnapChat ? For those of you who don’t know, SnapChat is a video messaging app which allows users to take photos, videos, and add text or drawings and then send them to other users. This media – known as “Snaps” can be set up with a time limit on how long it can be viewed by the recipient. After that time,…
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This Reality Show Called Adoption Life
“I’m thinking about adopting.” At least once a week I read a message like this from someone wanting information about adoption. I am open. I talk and write about adoption here often. Friends know I will always answer. And I do. I find them resources, or answer their questions about why, or how long, or where do I go? Sometimes I simply let them know that the wait is worth it. I answer the questions one by one and hope others will follow through and discover all that I love about adoption. There are many roads to parenthood. BOTTOM LINE. There will always be children in need of stable and loving…
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New Family Friendly Titles COMING SOON From XBOX One #X16CA
Recently we were invited to the XBOX One Media Showcase in Toronto’s Distillery District. It was the second year I attended and spent some time getting to know which new family friendly XBOX One games are coming soon. There are a few surefire hits on the way to stores soon. You’ll want to put them on your list for the holidays if not before. This year as always there were dozens of exciting new games at the XBOX One Media Showcase. From the Minecraft games set up inside the showcase room to the thrill seeking extreme winter sports game Steep, which is one of my new favourites, XBOX One delivers just…
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WillLand Outdoors Backpacks That Bring It #BTS
Whether it’s school or travel there’s always a reason to have a good quality backpack at the ready. I am thrilled this year to have WillLand Outdoors backpacks for the kids as they return to school, and as we embark on our fall and winter travels. My oldest daughter started grade nine last year with a super fun anime style backpack that she bought at the beach with her babysitting money. It was adorable. BUT…and we all saw this coming…it broke before Halloween. It was fun and cute, but cutesy isn’t always what you need when you lug massive math and science textbooks back and forth five days a week.…
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Playing Sports – Leveling the Field for Girls #PlayOnCA #Giveaways $60 ARV
My kids are both athletic young women. Staying physically active, playing sports and striving to do your best – well, that’s something we take to heart as a family. Whether it’s swimming, martial arts or track and field, sports matter to the health of both boys and girls. When kids get out on the field or the court, they learn teamwork, develop a better work ethic, get into better shape, and boost their self confidence. Unfortunately, girls are at a serious disadvantage when it comes to playing sports. With less opportunities and less variety, girls often have to take what they can get. Playtex Sport wants to change that and…