Maple Leaf Mommy

A Canadian Mom's Life: Family, Food & Fun

Let Those Good Thoughts SHINE

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"A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” Roald Dahl, The Twits … [Read more...]

Three Tactics For Building Connections with Your Tween

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Connecting with my tween-aged daughter is a top priority for me. I tell myself, almost daily, that if I can build strong connections with her now then maybe those teenage years won't be so bad. (Conversely, I also constantly tell myself, if I can't make it through a few eye rolls, the occasional "I hate you!" and the sporadic "you don't know anything" temper tantrums now, then … [Read more...]

Camp Jurassic Kid’s Playspace, One of the Hidden Gems of Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure

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Camp Jurassic is a kids' playspace within the larger Jurassic Park section of Universal's Islands of Adventure. It would be easy to overlook, and in my mind, that's a mistake because this highly themed area is a ton of fun to explore. Camp Jurassic is off the main path. You head through an archway, over a bridge and past the line up for the Pteranodon Riders, to get to … [Read more...]

Going Where My Banjo Girl Takes Me…

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I spent last weekend in Michigan at a Banjo convention. Now you may be thinking, "Hey I didn't know you were a banjo fanatic!" Yeah, well the thing is I'm not. I am not the teeniest tiniest bit into banjos. However, my nine year old daughter, who all evidence points towards having been swapped at birth, is. She is banjo obsessed and has been for years. Banjo is her … [Read more...]

Disney’s Tangled Before Ever After, Now on DVD

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Disney's Tangled Before Ever After comes out on DVD today. I am guessing most of you have seen Tangled, Disney's take on the Rapunzel story. It shouldn't surprise any of my regular readers to know that my long hair obsessed kiddos enjoyed the original film. I liked it too. Rapunzel holds her own in a fight, wields a mean frying pan, and does as much saving as she herself … [Read more...]

Are You Boycotting the Internet Today? #NoFakeNews

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Are you boycotting the internet today? This year there has been a huge push to boycott the internet on the first day in April, as a way of fighting back and saying that we, the general public, are sick of Fake News. There's been a lot of hoopla in the States, with President Trump, fact checking, and plenty of calls of "Fake news!" on both sides. I've read articles … [Read more...]

79 Cartoons and Kids Shows to Watch in French on Netflix

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My children are in a French Immersion school, which means eighty-some-percent of the day they are taught in French. My own French is not exactly stellar. I mean I have the basic "I learned this in grade school because I am Canadian" level of French, which my kids, who are in 1st and 4th grade, are already surpassing. Yesterday I was doing the dishes with my seven year old, … [Read more...]

Visiting Iceland with Riley Blue

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For a few months now I've been planning a trip to Iceland. You are probably thinking, "What? Really? Iceland?". Or maybe I'm wrong, perhaps you're thinking, "That sounds awesome, I wish I was travelling to Iceland.", or maybe you're reminiscing about when you went on holiday in Iceland. I somehow feel like the later is less likely because it seems as though Iceland isn't on … [Read more...]

Moms Don’t Do Sick Days, #NoSickDays

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Waking up with sore throat pain, cough, nasal and chest congestion, aches and pains or a fever? I don't have time for that. Back in the B.C. days (a.k.a. Before Children) it wasn't that big of a deal if a cold or the flu laid me low for a day or two. I'd call in sick, sleep a bunch, read a book, and order some take in. But now? No way. Life doesn’t stop just because I'm feeling … [Read more...]

D.I.Y. Mulled Cider Recipe

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Forget that powdered stuff, mulled cider is so easy to make at home. It's a favourite cold weather treat in our house. Coming home from school to a warm cup of cider is always something my kids look forward to (particularly on days when the walk home from the bus is chilly). You can get this ready in about two minutes and then leave it simmering on low until you're ready for … [Read more...]

7 Tips to Fuel the Fun and Avoid March Break Meltdowns

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My seven year old's current favourite phrase is, "I'm booooored." Her older sister, who normally never complains about being bored, has starting taking cues from her. They chime in, in stereo, "Bored. SO BORED. There is NOTHING TO DO. Mooooooom." My standard answer involves cleaning. If you are bored then you can tidy the toys off the floor in the front room, or you can put … [Read more...]