Wednesday, August 30, 2017

How We Are Prepping For Back-to-School (With Canadian Tire & Sport Chek)


The summer has flown right on by! We will squeeze in a couple more fun activities between now and Tuesday, the first day of school. For the last couple of weeks, though, our minds have been partly occupied with preparing for back-to-school. I'm sure many of you are in the same boat - squeezing out the last few drops of summer fun while thinking ahead to school supplies, clothing, backpacks and school lunch planning (always a stress, right?). My family had some help preparing for fall from two of our favourite stores - Canadian Tire and Sport Chek. Read on to see all the fab finds that are helping us to get organized and on track for back-to-school.

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Picnic Pesto Pasta Salad & Food For Your Car Too

*This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CanadianTire #QuakerState #CollectiveBias



Fresh, homemade pesto is much easier to whip together than you might think. Mix it into cooked pasta and add a handful of sliced cherry or grape tomatoes and you have a delicious, natural pasta salad that's perfect for picnics and beach days. Read on for the recipe and to find out how you should feed your car for summer road trips.

Monday, August 28, 2017

A Vintage Style Dress For Summer & Fall


I don't often wear dresses. Chalk it up to laziness (you have to shave your legs) and a lack of dressy yet comfortable shoes in my closet. But - as we're out and about more in summer and early fall - I like to have a dress or two at the ready - pieces that are comfy, versatile and easy to wear.

I have several dresses from eShakti.com and I really like them all. eShakti sells unique, vintage style clothing for women in a range of sizes (0-36W) or in a custom fit. My latest eShakti dress is this black and white contrast banded stripe cotton knit belted dress. Let me tell you why I love this dress.

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

My Home Office Makeover, Before & After


As back-to-school time approaches, I'm looking forward to returning to my regular work-from-home routine. I'll miss the easier days of summer and the warm weather outings with the kids, but I also crave the renewed sense of focus that fall brings. You might have noticed my reduced presence on the blog and in social media. That will change! In preparation for a productive fall of freelance writing and blogging, I gave my home office a lovely overhaul, with the help of Wayfair.ca.

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Making Cards With Cricut's New Anna Griffin Patterned Cardstock


We have several family birthdays in the fall, including those of my mom and my mother-in-law. My daughter also has a few friends with birthdays in August, September and October. Crafting buddies that we are, she and I decided to make these special people some lovely handmade cards with our Cricut Explore Air™.

When I saw the range of new and beautiful deluxe patterned cardstocks available on Cricut.com, I knew they would be perfect for creating feminine and fancy homemade (with love) birthday cards.

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

How To Keep Your Kids Safe Around Pools & Lakes


Growing up, I learned to swim just by practicing in the lake at our cottage. As a result, I can swim, but I don't have a high level of confidence in my abilities. When my own children came along, I wanted to do whatever I could to ensure they were strong swimmers. When they were small, I worked with a woman whose grown son drowned while swimming in a lake with friends. I can't even imagine the nightmare of that.

Canada is such a wonderful country to live in. We are blessed with bountiful natural resources and plenty of water. Whether you swim from a dock in Muskoka, a rocky beach at Lake Erie, the Cape Breton shoreline or your own swimming pool, make sure you and your children have every possible safety advantage.