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Why You Should Keep Your Kids in a Harness Car Seat For As Long As Possible

May 31, 2016 by Deanna Tousignant 4 Comments

Why children should stay in a five-point harness until age six and older.

I probably should have addressed this post to my husband. The more accurate title might be: Dear Hubby, Here's why I refuse to swap our youngest over to a booster seat. See my youngest child is now six and over the past few months it's become increasingly obvious that her carseat was no longer the right fit for her. It had also expired, which is a big no no. However I … [Read more...]

My 4-Year Old Engineer in the Kitchen, Tales of a Reluctant Baker

September 12, 2014 by Deanna Tousignant Leave a Comment

My eldest daughter is an artist. She loves to draw and create, and her art skills have been remarkable from a very young age. She loves to sit and look at books. She loves to quietly observe. She watches the world through her artist lens. She loves to cook, and quite literally begs me to let her cook more often. My youngest daughter is an engineer. She loves to build things … [Read more...]

Read the Instructions First, Go Anywhere Booster Seat Review

May 26, 2014 by Deanna Tousignant Leave a Comment

I was so excited to review the Go Anywhere Booster Seat. This being my fifth child I have always seen a need for a portable high chair option and never have I found anything convenient enough or portable enough. I was also pretty excited because we are moving soon and the thought of ridding ourselves of that big bulky high chair was glorious! I opened up the package hooked … [Read more...]

Tired & Worn Out

July 3, 2013 by Deanna Tousignant Leave a Comment

So on the last day of school my daughter came home with these in her backpack.... Looking a little worse for wear, eh? These were the indoor shoes she swapped to when she got to school each day. I'm a bit shocked and disappointed that no one thought to mention to me that they had worn right through.  What do you think, am I over-reacting? or would that make you grumpy too? … [Read more...]

On Oral Care Routines with Preschoolers

April 7, 2013 by Deanna Tousignant 71 Comments

One of the surprising things I learned when Dentist Dr Janet Tamo spoke during the daylong P&G Mom event, was that we should be brushing our kids teeth FOR THEM until they are 7 or 8 years old. Little Miss Five Years Old has begun brushing her own teeth, under supervision. What we do is we alternate, one time mom brushes her teeth, one time Rainbow does it while I watch, … [Read more...]

C is for… Cooking!

January 25, 2013 by Deanna Tousignant Leave a Comment

C is for... Cookie! That's good enough for me! Cookie, cookie, cookie starts with C! (Come on, like none of you were considering it?) It's also for cooking. And nothing is more fun than cooking with your children, right? Ok, to be perfectly candid, I actually find that cooking with my kids often challenges my capacity for calmness and composure. However I … [Read more...]

Rainbow’s Very Big Imagination

December 7, 2012 by Deanna Tousignant Leave a Comment

My daughter has probably easily a hundred different imaginary friends.  Most of them are animals (zebras, cats, dogs, beavers, quattis, you name it), some are people she's seen on TV (like Blue and Magenta from Blues Clues, or the Kratt brothers from Zoboomafoo), or characters from books we've been reading, (like Ozma and Dorothy). They usually just stop by for the … [Read more...]

What Comes After The Wizard? – How to share Baum’s Oz books with your kids, & What should you read next?

October 17, 2012 by Deanna Tousignant Leave a Comment

  Each night at bedtime I read my daughter a chapter from a "big kids" storybook. Over the past year and a half we've worked our way through all fourteen of the original Oz books, and then went on to read a handful of other assorted children's classics. However, by request we've ended up back with "DorothyToto" each night before bed.  We are currently on our second go … [Read more...]

Rites of Passage for a Two Year Old

October 11, 2012 by Deanna Tousignant Leave a Comment

There are so many small everyday sort of things we do which can be to our kids big life defining moments. As of her fifth birthday, we started giving Rainbow an allowance. A little while ago our local comic book shop was having an anniversary sale, 50% off graphic novels. We let her use her allowance to pick up the Marvel Classics version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  This … [Read more...]

Wholly Devilled Eggs, Take Two {Recipe Testing}

October 10, 2012 by Deanna Tousignant Leave a Comment

  We gave the Guacamole Devilled Eggs another test run. This time I tried making them with Spicy Wholly Guacamole. I also omitted the hot sauce. They were tasty, but not as devilled-egg-ish, if you know what I mean? I also wanted to mention, this recipe is SO much fun to make with little ones. Mashing up egg yolk and guacamole is a blast. The perfect simple task … [Read more...]

Stay at Home Mom Trick: Feed the Kids, Stay Sane

October 5, 2012 by Deanna Tousignant Leave a Comment

My kids eat approximately a bazillion times throughout the day.  I am constantly refilling a sippy cup, or chopping up fruit or cheese, or preparing lunch, or something food related. Or at least that's what it feels like. When G-Girl started Kindergarten last year I happened upon a very cool trick that has been saving my sanity. While packing G-Girls lunch I often also … [Read more...]

Lilikin & Friends, Unique and Adorable Dolls {Review}

June 23, 2012 by Deanna Tousignant Leave a Comment

  This is Lilikin (smushed and in hiding) and his friends Eleven and Mollycoddle. They are adorable and much loved! So I've finally figured out the trick to getting my kids to name their toys, apparently all I need to do is insist they already have a name. Lilikin a.k.a. MyMojoDoll or MyMojoCat, not to be confused with the real live … [Read more...]

Virtual Play Date: Coventry Gardens

May 25, 2012 by Deanna Tousignant Leave a Comment

This is one of our favourite ways to spend the afternoon. We walk down to Pat & Hank's and buy a 3-piece fish dinner to split. And then we head to the riverfront where we have a picnic.... play in the grass, chase butterflies... and watch the big boats pass by. We speculate on whether or not there are any fish in the Detroit River.... follow the … [Read more...]

Oh, how I hate potty training! and where has my memory gone??

April 26, 2012 by Deanna Tousignant 2 Comments

I hate, hate, hate, potty training. I detest it. I remember what an intensely lousy time we had with training girl #1. Or at least I thought I remembered. Here I am trying to start potty training girl #2, and I suddenly realize there are huge gaps in my memory. I’m a bit shocked to find I don’t actually have a clue where to start. I don’t remember when we began potty training … [Read more...]

Secret Mommyhood Confession – I’m No Dietitian

April 7, 2012 by Deanna Tousignant Leave a Comment

When it comes to making school lunches I sometimes suspect I'm a lousy Mom.  I want to be the Mom making the cool themed bento-style lunches, with fruit shaped like flowers and tiny sandwiches shaped like animals. The reality is I'm the mom that goes to head to bed at 1 a.m. and realizes I forgot to make my kids lunch again, and I'm left wondering if anyone at the school is … [Read more...]

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Hi, I'm Deanna, a Canadian mom with two young girls, who loves to share our adventures through the everyday.

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