Birthday parties are a lot of work. There’s the food to make, decorations to put up, and then the planning and prepping of enough crafts and activities to keep your child’s little friends busy for the duration of the party. That’s why, for Lily’s 7th birthday party this weekend, I was happy to let someone […]
Shoot the Wounded by Lynn Dove
Shoot the Wounded is Lynn Dove’s debut novel. It is the first book in a trilogy about a fictional small town in southern Alberta. The novel opens with Leigh, Jake and their friends grieving at Ronnie’s funeral. We then go back in time to see Leigh and Ronnie’s friendship develop through middle school and fall apart […]
Your Chemical-Free Laundry Room: Why the Way You Wash Your Clothes Matters
When I was growing up, my mom always used the same laundry detergent and fabric softener. When I married my husband, I found out he’s very sensitive to fragrances because his mother is allergic to many and always used non-scented products. When we started using cloth diapers, we were advised to use natural detergents as […]
False Love, True Love by Gladys Krueger
I enjoy fiction set in places I know. I also enjoy fiction that tackles tough topics. Gladys Krueger’s novel False Love, True Love does both of these. The story is set in small-town Saskatchewan, not too far from where I grew up in Alberta. Through a teacher’s point of view, Gladys addresses the topic of child […]
Dear Mama who feels like a failure on Mother’s Day #BehindtheBlogger
Dear Mama, Mother’s Day is once again right around the corner. The day that celebrates YOU. And everything you do. Memes are popping up on Facebook. Pictures on Instagram. Quotes on Twitter. They praise all the work that moms do. Sometimes it’s a husband, telling the world how awesome his wife is. Sometimes it’s a […]
The Eco-Dairy is a fun place for kids to learn about milking cows!
Growing up in a farming family, I’m a big advocate of my kids knowing where their food comes from. They know that many of Grandpa’s cows are sold to become meat. They know we eat chickens and fish and pigs. And, thanks to our trip to the Eco-Dairy with Kidsworld, they now know all about […]
Are there Environmental TOXINS in Your Home? What You Need to Know about Asbestos
Most of the homes we’ve lived in have been slightly older. Just before Lily was born, we lived in a two-bedroom four-plex in a small town. The rent was cheap and the location was right, so we didn’t mind the bright colours on the walls. A few months after we moved in, one of my […]
We of the Never-Never by Mrs. Aeneas Gunn
I found We of the Never-Never by Mrs. Aeneas Gunn in a hardcover Reader’s Digest collection of four Australian novels. It had been left behind by the former occupant of the room I rented for a month while working in Alice Springs. I don’t remember the other three novels, but We of the Never-Never was so hauntingly […]
The Effects of Insomnia to Cognition, Emotion & Sensory Process Of Kids
Over the past few years, I’ve become more and more aware of the importance of sleep for myself and, by extension, for my children. So many things in our busy, technology-filled lives today seem to conspire against good sleep. Here, Aby Nicole shares the effects of insomnia on children and some practical tips for helping […]
