Here I am resting at my mom's place, recouping from my recent hysterectomy, and I found myself thinking about all of the things I brought with me for my post-surgery hospital stay and all of the items I wish I had packed to take to the hospital with me. So, in case this proves helpful to anyone else that is preparing for a hysterectomy, based on my recent experiences here is … [Read more...]
WARNING: Take the Batteries Out of Your Kids’ Toys!
When is the last time you checked the batteries in your kids' toys? The other day I was at my mom's house hanging out with my third grader and we got a pile of TAG books out to read. I was still recouping from my hysterectomy and Gigi offered to read to me while I rested in a chair. Her plan, she informed me, was to read all of the books out loud to me and then to play … [Read more...]
10 Easy Steps to Decluttering Today!
Spring has sprung and we feel the need to start opening windows and throwing out junk. That’s the way most people start thinking when it’s time for a good spring cleaning but we always seem to get stuck. We lose focus or lack motivation once we look at that spare room, the basement or the playroom. We become overwhelmed or we just don’t know where to start. So we start to … [Read more...]
I gave my mom a toothbrush for Mother’s Day and she’s still speaking to me…
My mom just turned sixty-five last month, which pretty much makes her officially un-shoppable for. Truth be told, I've had a hard time for almost a decade now. Gone are the days when a box of Corelle dishes, a new toaster, or a gaudy knickknack would cut it as a gift. She has moved twice since my Dad passed away, paring down her belonging each time. I know, because she … [Read more...]
Quotes for a Blue Monday
Blue Monday, the third Monday of the month of January, is considered by some to be, statistically speaking, the most depressing day of the year. It's cold and grey out, the holidays are long gone, the next official break seems, much like spring, to be approximately a million years away. Perhaps, like me, you feel in need of a little inspiration. So here are four quotes to … [Read more...]
Map Out When Your Brain is at It’s Best, Just By Playing Games
So I discovered something a little zany while playing one of my favourite time wasters. I think I've come up with a way to map out when your brain is at it's best, just by playing games. Yep, I am saying that you can play games on your cell phone to figure out when you're at your smartest. Wordament is one of my favourite game apps, one of the ones I play almost daily … [Read more...]
Mommy Brain vs The Hidden Christmas Gifts
When I was a kid I would get Christmas gifts pretty much year round. One morning in February I'd be getting ready for school when my mom would suddenly pop into my room holding a new pair of gloves or a package full of socks. One afternoon in July, she'd suddenly come around the corner with new colouring books or a building set. Each time she'd be muttering to herself about how … [Read more...]
Cool Contest Alert – Desjardins Insurance is offering a chance to WIN FREE GAS FOR A YEAR! #GetAQuoteAndWin
I have found that there are three unwavering certainties in this life as a mom thing. 1)The laundry is literally never-ending. Unless you institute nudist weekends at your place, you will never, ever, get to the bottom of Mount Laundry. Every day the entire family wears clothes, often multiple outfits in one day. Thus, the laundry is NEVER done. 2)You have to feed the … [Read more...]
IBD is just as common as Diabetes and other shocking facts. {In honour of Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Month}
November is Crohn’s and Colitis awareness month. Colitis awareness is a topic near and dear to my heart because my husband has Colitis and in the years since his original diagnosis, I've found it to be a disease which many people know absolutely nothing about. Since so many people seem to have never heard of it, I had fallen into thinking that Colitis is a relatively rare … [Read more...]
Here’s what I DON’T want you to give my kids for Halloween…
Ok people, friendly Halloween-candy-handing-out people, I want to ask you a favour. Could you please stop giving my kids so much candy? Like seriously, one piece is enough. This whole, "Oh my goodness. Look at you! You're so cute. Here let me drop two big handfuls of junk food into your pillowcase.", stuff has to stop. Please just give my kids one piece of candy, one … [Read more...]
CANADIAN Prime Day Deals for Families, Kids Stuff + More
Amazon Prime Day is a HUGE sale that happens once a year at Amazon.ca — thousands and thousands of items get put on sale (It's like a giant Black Friday sale, but just for Amazon). Did you know that you can find out ahead of time what is going to be on sale? I've been peeking ahead and I've found some really interesting kids toys and household deals that I’ll be adding … [Read more...]
Secret Confession: I Have Beach Guilt
I've brought my kids on a family vacation to Florida twice now. Twice we've visited Orlando as a family. And I'm finding that I feel oddly guilty about it. See, when I was a kid we would visit Florida and stay with relatives. We'd fly down, or drive (24 hours straight, my dad was hardcore) to Bradenton, or Sarasota, stay for a week or two and head home. We chilled. A lot. We … [Read more...]
That time my 2nd Grader brought Whiskey to school…
I let my kid bring Whiskey to school. It didn't go well. To be clear, Whiskey is a cat -- a stuffed cat. I had reservations about Gigi bringing Whiskey to school, but apparently not for any of the right reasons. I was worried that her favourite doll might get ruined, that her long soft orange fur would get dirty from playing outside during recess, and that if I had to … [Read more...]
No Wifi? Netflix to the Rescue!
A bit over a year ago now, Netflix unleashed this new download feature where instead of streaming as you watch you can preload shows into your device. Last summer, they pointed out how handy it would be for road trips or for stays in cottage country. You can download a show before you hit the road and you’ve got a handy distraction for the kids. At one point they even had these … [Read more...]
What Exactly Does an Optician Do? Let’s Meet an Optician…
Okay, so I am totally guilty of this... for the longest time I thought that the people that helped me pick out frames and sold me a pair of prescription glasses were just sales clerks. At one point I actually thought an optician was another word for an optometrist or eye doctor. Nope. Wrong answer. So, who are those people working in the eyeglasses department? What … [Read more...]