Author Archives: Amanda

How to Make Your Own Lava Bead Bracelet

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lava bead bracelet

A Lava Bead Bracelet is a great DIY craft for kids for a couple of reasons. Lava beads are relatively inexpensive, especially when purchased in bulk. Lava beads are also known for being porous which means they are very popular amongst essential oil users as they retain the calming scents of essential oils. When worn daily, these bracelets can be used as an accessory as well as a part of your healthy routine. Of course if you prefer not to use essential oils (personal preference or because you have chosen to not use them), these bracelets are equally as wonderful … Continue reading →

Why Online Shopping is The BEST!

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online shopping

Who doesn’t love online shopping from home in their pjs? The no makeup, messy hair and a cup of coffee or glass of wine online shopping is a much more appealing way to shop on many days. Honestly, over the past few years, I have gravitated to online shopping for a lot of my shopping. Now, before I go into a bit more detail, I want you to know that I LOVE unique, handmade items that I find at local vendor events. However, for some of my day to day shopping, there is such convenience to online shopping, don’t you … Continue reading →

Celebrate Canada 150 with a Picnic

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Canada 150

Entertain me and close your eyes for a moment after reading this question: When you think of summer, what comes to mind? For me, I think about a warm sunny day, the beach and of course a delicious picnic. With July 1st quickly approaching and the big celebration for Canada 150, why not consider putting together a picnic for the family? Of course, what is a picnic without a special treat like these Canada Day Sugar Cookies? The kids and I stocked up on fun Canada Day items at Sears Canada on the weekend. We had a great time picking … Continue reading →

Mexican Rice

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Mexican Rice

My husband enjoys getting creative in the kitchen and he is quite good at it too! This recipe for Mexican Rice is an excellent side dish for tacos, fajitas or any Mexican dish. I’m not going to lie either, it’s also a great way to get a bit more veggies into the kids without them complaining – parenting win, thanks hubby! A Mexican Rice side dish can go with many meals: Ribs Beef Taquitos and Taquito Pie to name a few. My kids love rice so much that we could probably get away with serving it at every meal. That … Continue reading →

How to Talk to Your Child About Tragedy

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how to talk to your child about tragedy

Talking to our children about any negative topic or experience like death or tragedy is always a challenge. Our instinct as a parent is to protect our children from harm and sadness. Unfortunately, this is not always possible, which means that we are faced with the difficult task as a parent to talk to our children about topics such as death and tragedy. Talking about tragedy with your child is often necessary, however it is not easy. I would like to start this post off with a blanket statement that is…I am not a parenting expert. I am a teacher … Continue reading →

Summer Essentials for FUN in the Sun!

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Summer Essentials

Lately, our family has been talking about our plans for the summer. Many of our discussions have been about the summer essentials required for a fun summer day. The summer essentials from a kid’s point of view are different than those from an adult’s standpoint. While FUN is a priority, summer parenting is often jaded with sibling rivalry and creative ways to keep active with the kids’ educational skills. Due to the theme of this post, I asked my kids to share their opinions with you! My 12 year old daughter shares her thoughts on Summer Essentials for FUN in … Continue reading →

Advantages to Going Paperless

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go paperless

In the past few years, there has been a growing trend to live life as paperless as possible. This trend is becoming easier to do thanks to the large number of companies providing us with options. Ebills as well as digital trends including Apps, Google Drive for sharing documents and many more have made this trend easy to join. Toronto Hydro customers are being encouraged to switch over to paperless Ebills. This not only helps to save tress, in addition, it also allows you to cut down on the paper clutter in your home. It’s a win-win situation for all! … Continue reading →

Healthy Granola Bars ~ 2 Ways

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Healthy Granola Bars

These Healthy Granola Bars are kid and Mom approved and can easily become a school friendly snack too! Oh, and an added bonus, they take less than 10 minutes to throw together and a quick bake in the oven. This Mama can wake up at 6:30 in the morning, and have the breakfast cookie version on the table for 7! Yes, I feel like I wear a super Mom cape sometimes! I am not ashamed to celebrate those rare moments and you shouldn’t be either!   This Healthy Granola Bar recipe can be actually made in three ways: bars, squares … Continue reading →

What to Do When You Have a Congested Infant?

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infant congestion

My first delivery turned into an unexpected C-Section. After 20 hours of intense labour and two and a half hours of pushing, with no success, it was recommended that I deliver my daughter via caesarean section. I was NOT happy with this outcome, but that is a topic for another blog post. I didn’t realize at the time that the outcome would be a beautiful, healthy, yet congested infant!   My daughter was a congested infant. And, I do believe that might have been the cause of her lack of sleep and irritability in the very beginning. We tried all … Continue reading →

Pumpkin Pasta

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Pumpkin Pasta

I wouldn’t consider myself adventurous when it comes to food, however since meeting Chef Sandra Katanic, I have been introduced to some incredible dishes that I never would have tried. Her Pumpkin Pasta is such a delicious dish and you won’t believe just how easy it is to make! Pumpkin is such a versatile fruit. Yes, did you know that pumpkin is technically a fruit?! Pumpkin Pasta is rich and creamy with a hint of sweetness. You can make your own roasted pumpkin or if you’re in more of a rush, this quick and easy meal can be made in … Continue reading →