Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Week 8 Summer Bucket List Update




At the beginning of summer, the kids and I sat down and created our summer bucket list. The list of things we were hoping to do over the summer.  We may not get to everything on the list, but it just gives us an idea of things to do.

Monday, August 29, 2016

August 29th Monday Madness Giveaway Linky




The last giveaway linky for August....hope that you had a wonderful summer - we sure did!

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Happy 6th Birthday My Sweet Boy

Mr. K and I at the Ottawa Fury game on his birthday
Dear Mr. K:
Today, you are 6.  I can't really believe it has been six whole years since you came into my life. Labour and delivery with you was fast and furious and that seems like it was foreshadowing your personality.
You were a wonderful gift to our family - so much fun and full of life. You have definitely added a bit of adventure to our lives.  Watching you grow has been a wonderful privilege, and I can't wait to see what the next year holds for you as you enter into grade 1.
Love,
Mommy

Saturday was Mr. K's birthday party. He had 4 friends over for a video game truck party. 90 minutes in a trailer with a whole bunch of video games to choose from - they were all thrilled.  He had requested a Paw Patrol cake, and while we searched online for ideas he found one that was REALLY simple and easy to do.


I made some marshmallow fondant and cut out a few dog bones, added a few of the characters that he already had. The paw prints were made from melted chocolate - I put the melted chocolate into a Ziploc bag, snipped off a corner and then used it to make circles on a piece of parchment paper. Once they had set, I removed the circles and placed them into paw shapes on the  cake.

Sunday we had a surprise in store for our kids.  They have been wanting to see an Ottawa Fury FC game. They were each given a free ticket with their soccer registration, so we just needed to purchase our adult tickets.  There happened to be a game at 2pm today and we got tickets for the 4 of us.

We headed to Lansdown early and walked around the farmers market for a bit. Then we checked out the skate park and climbing structure that they have. The kids had fun making their way across the web.

When we were done with that we headed to the stadium and told the kids why we were there. They were pretty happy.  When we left the game we headed back to our end of the city and went to Don Cherry's for dinner (Mr. K's dinner choice for the evening)



Wednesday, August 24, 2016

The Braces Are On!

Braces: Before and After
(If you haven't been following along with our orthodontics journey, you can read the first and second posts)

Last week I wrote a quick update about Mr. J and his palate expander. We had the appointment to assess how well it had worked, and the orthodontist was extremely pleased. He gave us the go ahead to have the braces put on.

We ended up getting an appointment 2 days later - so not much of a wait (this was great).  It did mean leaving camp for 2 hours in the middle of the day, but that was better than waiting almost 4 weeks.

I am not sure how Mr. J was feeling leading up to it, he just wanted to get it over with.  I know that my children are much more co-operative when I am not with them, so I opted to wait in the waiting room rather than be with him (I knew the hygienist would come get me if it was needed).

When Mr. J came out to get me, he smiled to show me his new gear - and he had chosen blue and red elastics.  He was pretty happy with his choice.

I was a little worried how he would handle the tenderness/pain afterwards, so I made sure to give him some tylenol before his appointment, and a dose of advil 2 hours after. We continued alternating between the 2 for the first 48 hours, and then on the 3rd day he was good with 2 doses of advil and that was it.

It took him a few days to get used to having them on his teeth but he is doing great. He is not too happy with the extra time it takes for brushing and cleaning the braces, but he is doing pretty well.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Week 7 Summer Bucket List Update



A few weeks ago the kids and I sat down to create our summer bucket list. It's something we do each year, and while we know that we may not cross everything off our list, it just gives us some ideas of what we want to do with their time off school.

Monday, August 22, 2016

August 22 Monday Madness Giveaway Linky







If you are a blogger, feel free to list any open giveaways you have on your blog. Make sure to list the prize, end date and country eligibility (CAN/US/WW) any listed without this information will be deleted.





kids board gamespirates leaguewrite letter to disney charactergiveaway

Friday, August 19, 2016

Let Groupon Help You Save On Electronic Purchases #Ad #Groupon



There are so many different tech gadgets around now, it's hard for me to keep everything straight. When I was growing up the closest thing to an on the go gadget was the Walkman and the Gameboy. Now, you can get almost any technology right at your fingertips. My kids are still pretty young (9 and 6) and I am in no way ready for them to have their own devices yet, as much as they would like to. They each have a Nintendo DS – but anything that connects to the internet is not happening. They are stuck using mine to play Pokemon Go when we are out, or using the family ipad while we are at home.

That said, I am always looking to see what IS out there and thinking ahead to when they are a little older – I am not sure when I will be comfortable with them having their own phone or ipad, but I like to check things out AND I like to save money on my purchases. Groupon is a great site to help do that. I love that you can search what you are looking for, or browse through what they offer. The best groupon purchase we have made was for a trial at a karate dojo. Mr. J LOVED it and is still there, almost 2 years later.

Mr. J after his 2nd tournament
There are so many different items available on Groupon Goods from activity trackers, phones, accessories and more you should have a look and see if YOU can save some money.

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Make Family Memories That Last A Lifetime At #GreatBlueResorts


Summer is a time to slow things down, let the routine go and just relax and have fun. What better way to do that than by spending time with your family at a cottage. I know many, many people that love to camp, but it just isn't my thing. I do, however, like cottages that have the comforts of home. Great Blue Resorts gives you the flexibility you need through affordable cottage ownership.

With 7 great resort locations to choose from, you can own a cottage without the normal worries and stresses that go along with your typical property purchase.

The Great Blue Resorts mission is to provide families with a fun, affordable and carefree cottage experience for a day, a week or a lifetime.

Great Blue Resorts offers you a worry and stress free cottage experience. Your annual resort management fee covers essentially all of your running costs: all utilities, land tax, garbage disposal, grounds maintenance, warranty claims assistance, on site management and reception. All you need to do is load the family and groceries into the car and start your road trip!

Great Blue Resorts is family friendly, and they offer a great Kidz Klub from 10am – 2pm throughout the summer. The kids will fill their days with so much fun, you can relax and unwind without worrying about having to entertain them. Lots of family friendly activities to help create those wonderful summer memories.
and yes, animals are welcome also!

Cottage ownership in just a few steps with Great Blue Resorts

Choose one of the awesome Ontario resorts, then decide on the cottage model you like best (all models come fully furnished) and find a location within the resort that suits you!

You will be on your way to cottage ownership and summer fun in no time!

Which Great Blue Resort location would be your first choice to create some wonderful family memories? I think Cherry Beach or McCreary's Beach would fit our family well!



Back To School Prep With DK Canada! #BTS


Summer is coming to an end, and now is the time that we are starting to wind down our activities and get ready for back to school. Earlier bedtimes and a little more routine to our days. Other than reading, we don't focus too much on any type of school work over the summer.  In preparation of #BTS, one way to help get the kids ready is by doing some work with books from DK Canada.

The kids received a package earlier this week containing a few different books. A printing one for Mr. K and Mr. J got a cursive writing book and a 10 minute timer French book.

During our downtime over the next 2 weeks they will spend a few minutes working on the books they received.  It gives them a little practice (Mr. J didn't learn any cursive in school last year, and I think it is important that kids actually know how to SIGN their names) and the extra help with french won't hurt either.  Mr. K is still working on some fine motor issues with pencil grasp, so this should give him some great practice before heading into Grade one!

They have quite a few different books geared for the different ages and grades, you should stop by the website and check out what they have.

Do you do any kind of back to school prep with your kids?


Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Week 6 Summer Bucket List Update



A few weeks ago the kids and I sat down to create our summer bucket list. It's something we do each year, and while we know that we may not cross everything off our list, it just gives us some ideas of what we want to do with their time off school.

Monday, August 15, 2016

August 15th Monday Madness Giveaway Linky







If you are a blogger, feel free to list any open giveaways you have on your blog. Make sure to list the prize, end date and country eligibility (CAN/US/WW) any listed without this information will be deleted.





kids board gamespirates leaguewrite letter to disney charactergiveaway

Sunday, August 14, 2016

Update On Our Orthodontic Experiences

A few weeks ago I posted about Mr. J and his journey into orthodontics.  We had to turn the key for the expander 24 days in a row - and we are now finished (as of yesterday).  We have an appointment this week to see if it did what it was supposed to do (there is definitely a large gap now) or if we need to turn a few more times.  Once the orthodontist sees how well it worked, we will find out when the braces get put on!

I am happy to report that turning the key got much easier (on both of us).  After about the 10th turn, he said it was only slightly uncomfortable and didn't hurt anymore.  I was so happy to hear that - I didn't feel like I was torturing him anymore.

He was a champ though, even at the beginning when it WAS hurting he would lie down for me to do it without much complaining!

I will be back later in the week after we have seen the orthodontist to update on how we are proceeding.

Thursday, August 11, 2016

The End of #BloggersFete 2016



#BloggersFete 2016 has come to an end. We wrapped up with a fantastic Facebook party on the 10th, and are so happy that we had so many great readers and bloggers celebrating with us during the 10 day party. Now we are busy behind the scenes drawing the winners and contacting them about their prizes.

We are always looking for ways to improve the event, if you participate we would love your feedback on this form. Thanks!

As a co-founder of #BloggersFete, I am so happy that it has turned into an annual event.  It's a great way for us co-hosts to engage with our readers throughout the different social media platforms, and helps to get other bloggers in front of readers that may not normally see them.

If you are a brand that would like to be involved with #BloggersFete 2017, please don't hesitate to send me an email with #BloggersFete 2017 in the subject.  There are many ways to get your brand featured during the event and in front of the eyes of many readers, and I would be happy to discuss the best fit for your company/product.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

#BloggersFete Sponsor Spotlight 2016




We had such a wonderful time over the last 10 days celebrating the #BloggersFete event.  The live events were made that much more special with the wonderful prizes we had supplied by our amazing sponsors.

A big thank you to the businesses that donated prizes for us to use on our blogs and at the live events.

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Summer Bucket List Week 5 Update



A few weeks ago the kids and I sat down to create our summer bucket list. It's something we do each year, and while we know that we may not cross everything off our list, it just gives us some ideas of what we want to do with their time off school.

Monday, August 8, 2016

August 8th Monday Madness Giveaway Linky





Another week of summer has come and gone, we are that much closer to back to school.  I am in the middle of the #BloggersFete event, it runs until August 10th - hope you will stop by and check out all the awesome prizes to be won

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Home Sweet Home

Every Spring we like to make a few minor changes to the house.  New bedding, window coverings or something simple.  This year, we decided to add a new welcome mat at the front door and a little Buddha statue,  as well as freshening up the mulch alongside our walkway and some nice potted flowers.

Making minor changes is an affordable way to spruce up your home and add some curb appeal. O.co AKA Overstock.com has a number of options to help you - whatever your style may be!




1. Smart Security Outdoor Wall Light Price CAD $277.50 


3. Metal Chair Price CAD $240.50 


6. French Solid Wood Planter Price Price CAD $64.00 
8. Basil Herb Pots (Set of 2) Price CAD $68.00 

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

It's A #BloggersFete #Giveaway With Three Great Prize Packs



#BloggersFete is off to a great start after our kick off twitter party last night.  I certainly hope you had as much fun as I did.  If you are new to twitter parties, they can be confusing at first as they are very fast paced. You eventually get used to the confusion though.  This is our 2nd year hosting the #BloggersFete event.  Bonnie, Suzanne and I were thrilled to do it again, and bring you 3 new co-hosts this year. Ladena, Margarita and Tara.

As bloggers, we all know how much fun it is to win, so we are really excited to bring you this giveaway.  Our readers have the chance to win one of THREE prize packs. Yes, you read that correct - THREE prize packs are up for grabs.  That means three of our lucky readers are going to win.  This giveaway is running on all 6 of our blogs, so you only need to enter once.  To find out more about the prize packs, read below.  Good luck!

Prize 1:

Trudeau bakeware and a Starbucks gift card


Prize 2:

Playmobil set and a Staples gift card

Prize 3:


To be eligible to win just complete the Rafflecopter below with your qualifying answers. This giveaway is open to residents of Canada, ages 18 and older. Make sure you read our giveaway policies before entering please. This giveaway ends on August 10th at 11:59pm. Remember, the more entries you complete the greater your chances are of winning!! Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are You Playing Pokemon GO?

I recently downloaded the Pokemon GO app for me and the kids.  When I first heard about it - I had ZERO interest in it. I was never a Pokemon fan, and didn't really get all the hype.  Then, I started to think about it.  I figured that if the kids were into it, it would get us out of the house (although we already spend a lot of time outside with the pool membership, this was more time out and in nature).

Once we started playing, I quickly realized why people loved it so much.  Hubby took Mr.K to the football game Sunday night, which left me and Mr. J.  We decided to go for a walk to a few pokestops.  We were gone for an hour, and we ended up with over 12000 steps for the day (we did a smaller walk earlier in the day). Monday morning after he woke up, we did the same walk again.

He is actually ASKING me to go for walks with him. Mr. K does the smaller walks, but his legs wouldn't last the long one.  It's a fun activity for the 3 of us to do together.  When we go to the pokestops at different parks, they play in between spinning the stops.

So - are you playing Pokemon GO?

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Summer Bucket List Week 4 Update



A few weeks ago the kids and I sat down to create our summer bucket list. It's something we do each year, and while we know that we may not cross everything off our list, it just gives us some ideas of what we want to do with their time off school.

Monday, August 1, 2016

August 1st Monday Madness Giveaway Linky





Oh my goodness - August 1st already. I honestly cannot believe half of summer vacation is done.  We had a great weekend. BBQ with friends/neighbours Saturday night, the kids had a blast playing and pokemon hunting.  The adults had fun chatting and playing Cards against humanity.

#BloggersFete 2016 Blog Linky


Welcome to the party!!! BloggersFete 2016 kicks off today!!! There has been a lot going on behind the scenes to get this party ready to go.  The 6 of us are super excited to bring you the #BloggersFete event. We're so looking forward to hosting a Twitter party, Facebook party, Instagram loop giveaway, and today's blog linky for YOU, our readers! We've partnered with some of the fabulous brands we've worked with in the past to arrange giveaways for all four events. We hope you can join us!

The BloggersFete Blog Linky

Join us now with the BloggersFete blog linky. Since we're bloggers, and we know that many of our readers are as well, we'd love to hear from YOU! This is your chance to share your posts about blogging with us. Just link up a new or old post about your best blogging tips, why you started blogging, or your top / favourite blog posts for your chance to win one of THREE prizes!

Prize #1:
Blog Design Package from Blogelina ($99)
$50 gift certificate to Bravo Apparel
Sidebar ad on each of the host bloggers' blogs for 3 months

Prize #2:
Blog Design Package from Blogelina ($99)
Sidebar ad on each of the host bloggers' blogs for 3 months

Prize #3:
Blogger-to-WordPress transfer from Blogelina ($149)
Sidebar ad on each of the host bloggers' blogs for 3 months

add this to the post you link up
Link up here...
To be eligible for prizing, you must link up a post you have written (not a link to your home page). It could be a post about why you blog, blogging tips or just a post you are very proud of. Include the BloggersFete button above in your post, with a link back to my blog. Any blogger that follows the guidelines will have their post shared by the 6 of us, as well as be eligible for the prizes above.  We'll draw three lucky winners via random number generator and notify them via comments (on our blogs and theirs) that they've won the prizes! Contest open to bloggers in Canada and the US over the age of 18 except where prohibited by law.


Keep the Party Going...
If you aren't a blogger, that's okay too! We have prizes available to be won at our live events, so be sure to join us at the Twitter Party on Tuesday night or the Facebook party next week. Or hop over to Instagram and watch for details of the loop giveaway happening August 4th!


Welcome To #BloggersFete 2016


I am so thrilled that the day is finally here - we are ready to kickoff #BloggersFete!  Over the next 10 days  I will be partying with The Koala Mom, Maple Mouse Mama, My Baby Stuff, British Columbia  Mom and DownshiftingPro.