As I get older the list of "things" I want for Christmas becomes shorter and shorter. It's the realization of course that the things we really want in life, can't be bought in a store. Memories, unique experiences, and emotional connection are truly the best gifts we can give each other. I can't recall what anyone gave me from one year to the next, but I can go back through pictures (to date, 64K of them in the cloud) and recall every emotion I felt hugging a child or seeing them respond …
Keeping Your Senior Dog Healthy With Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind
Most people think I’m kidding when I say that my favourite child is my dog, but my other three children will tell you, it’s no joke. For the last ten years, Honey has been the child that I dote on every single day, and why wouldn’t I? Honey snuggles on command, she’s never been sick, she’s always happy to see me, never cops a surly attitude, and loves me unconditionally. This dog has brought me nothing less than pure joy for the last ten years, and that’s why I take such good care of her …
Ten Must Have Audiobooks from Kobo (And A Chance to Win a $50 Gift Card)
I've recently found myself drawn to listening to people. I'm addicted to talk radio and podcasts, and most recently I've fallen in love with audiobooks from Kobo. There is something incredibly soothing about someone telling you a story and I adore how versatile audiobooks are, especially since I don't always have time to sit down and read. Listening to audiobooks from Kobo allow me to stay informed or entertained while on the move. The brain, after all, is a terrible thing to …
American Girl: So Much More Than A Doll
My daughter loves dolls. LOVES dolls. In fact, she loves them so much that she magically transforms into them whenever the mood strikes her (cue every single Disney song you ever heard, butchered by a three-year old). Learning how to parent a young girl has been tough for me; I have always struggled with body image issues, so the desire to keep my daughter from being inundated by false body messages from the various types of dolls out there has been strong. The messages in the media, even on …
The Great Gilly Hopkins Nails It
Movies need to get quite a bit of information across to the viewer in their very short opening scenes, and The Great Gilly Hopkins did not disappoint; Gilly showed her tough-as-nails attitude and made me love her completely within a few seconds; what's not to love about a sassy tween?? Says the naive mother of a sassy threenager... Adapted from the award-winning, 1978 novel by Katherine Paterson, it's not a "new" story--angry tween bounced from foster home to foster home, finds family at …
