Many years ago I learned the following: 80% of lifetime sun exposure occurs during childhood, and just one blistering sunburn can double the risk of getting melanoma later in life. This fact really stuck with me since, and of all the top parenting tips I read - it's this particular one that I have thought about so often. It's blatantly clear that protecting my kids from the sun’s harmful rays is of top importance. It's ... read more

For many summer vacation is almost half-way over {already?!}, and despite the seasonal fun - boredom sets in. If that is the case with your children, why not give them the chance to earn a few extra dollars this summer? There are quite a few different ways that kids can earn money all year round, but it's especially true during the summer months since they aren't on a restricted schedule. Take a look at these 5 summer ... read more

This post first appeared on Nature Valley Looking back at my childhood, the bulk of my memories were those spent outdoors. They are of moments spent riding bikes, exploring in the woods, building forts, running through the sprinkler, skating on the local pond, and even building igloos (or trying to anyway). Flash forward to the now, and I have three amazing daughters, and oftentimes I wonder what their biggest memories ... read more

Ahhh, the 'kids in sports' life we lead. I know it all too well. Many times a week I can be found hustling to and from my kids athletics practices and depending on the year, driving {or flying} to competitions. An in-depth look will show re-arranged dinnertimes, extra loads of laundry, water bottles and gear everywhere, fundraisers aplenty, extra meetings and so many other related tasks. We manage this chaos ... read more

In this space I discuss many topics, yet they all come back to the chaos that is life. We all reside in different areas, have varied family dynamics, jobs, duties, obligations and schedules - yet there is commonality among us in that we all strive for balance amongst our individual chaos. Getting dinner on the table, juggling kids activities with homework, parties, play dates, shopping and appointments - life is busy ... read more

There are now 2.3 billion active users on social media, and it's been estimated that the average person jumps on their social media accounts about 46 times per day - and the majority are adults. That's a lot of people spending a lot of time, questions to possibly feeling bad about things - because we've all read an update {possibly just a few minutes ago}, that has made us feel guilty. Not only ... read more

Time passes so quickly and before I know it, my babies will be off to college or university. I’m very concerned by findings of a new study from Capital One Canada. This includes the fact that one in two Canadians admit that they were unprepared to manage their finances heading into University – myself included. It's becoming more evident that people need that headstart in finance education, so they can better ... read more