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Santa Wish List Tactics for Parents

The Santa List – Managing Expectations

It’s that time of year where kiddo’s wish lists seem to grow and grow and grow. What are your kids expecting from Santa, parents, grandparents and other relatives? What can we do to manage these lists so that they are reasonable and affordable? How can gift-giving fit with family values without leaving the little ones disappointed? 1) Be clear about parental approval.
 Make sure your

Surviving a Kids Birthday Party

Surviving the kids’ birthday party

March is birthday month in my life. March brings birthdays for both me and Mabel’s Labels. I also have a daughter with a birthday this month. I recently had a parent ask if I had any birthday party activity suggestions.

What I Learned About My Kids on Instagram

For all you social media types, I have to admit I was a little late to the party when it came to Instagram. For those who don’t know what Instagram is, it’s basically like Twitter but with photos – and it’s a favourite social networking site for teens and tweens.

Putting Creativity back into Christmas

Our family is going overseas for the holidays this year. I hate the thought of Santa having to turn up at our holiday destination because it means I have to lug oversized bags full of gifts both there and back. A family of eight has enough gear to drag around.

Surviving Sixteen Years and Six Kids

I recently celebrated my 16th wedding anniversary to Daddy-o. When I say “celebrated,” I actually just mean that we both “remembered.” It has been a busy sixteen years and I’d be lying if I said we’ve actually remembered all of our anniversaries.

Backyard Party

How to Light up your Backyard Party

Every year, we host a big Victoria Day fireworks party. For my American friends – this means that yes, we celebrate the birthday of a long dead English Queen, but we’ll take our holidays where we can get them.

kids dealing with disapointment

Making the Cut: Children Dealing with Disappointment

With such a big family, I’ve always told my kids that they can’t be on travelling sports teams. When my children have asked to try out for such teams, my response has consistently been, “There are enough kids in your own city that are good enough to play with you.”

Valentine's Day made simple

Valentine’s Day Made Simple

Despite the fact that Valentine’s Day can be a bit of a contrived holiday, kids love it! And with six kids in elementary school, it’s generally a very busy holiday in my household. I try to remember that it’s only a Hallmark holiday – there’s no point in letting it cause stress. So, I have a few easy tips to keep Valentine’s Day in perspective:

Santa Wish List Tactics for Parents

The Santa List – Managing Expectations

It’s that time of year where kiddo’s wish lists seem to grow and grow and grow. What are your kids expecting from Santa, parents, grandparents and other relatives? What can we do to manage these lists so that they are reasonable and affordable? How can gift-giving fit with family values without leaving the little ones disappointed? 1) Be clear about parental approval.
 Make sure your

Surviving a Kids Birthday Party

Surviving the kids’ birthday party

March is birthday month in my life. March brings birthdays for both me and Mabel’s Labels. I also have a daughter with a birthday this month. I recently had a parent ask if I had any birthday party activity suggestions.

What I Learned About My Kids on Instagram

For all you social media types, I have to admit I was a little late to the party when it came to Instagram. For those who don’t know what Instagram is, it’s basically like Twitter but with photos – and it’s a favourite social networking site for teens and tweens.

Putting Creativity back into Christmas

Our family is going overseas for the holidays this year. I hate the thought of Santa having to turn up at our holiday destination because it means I have to lug oversized bags full of gifts both there and back. A family of eight has enough gear to drag around.

Surviving Sixteen Years and Six Kids

I recently celebrated my 16th wedding anniversary to Daddy-o. When I say “celebrated,” I actually just mean that we both “remembered.” It has been a busy sixteen years and I’d be lying if I said we’ve actually remembered all of our anniversaries.

Backyard Party

How to Light up your Backyard Party

Every year, we host a big Victoria Day fireworks party. For my American friends – this means that yes, we celebrate the birthday of a long dead English Queen, but we’ll take our holidays where we can get them.

kids dealing with disapointment

Making the Cut: Children Dealing with Disappointment

With such a big family, I’ve always told my kids that they can’t be on travelling sports teams. When my children have asked to try out for such teams, my response has consistently been, “There are enough kids in your own city that are good enough to play with you.”

Valentine's Day made simple

Valentine’s Day Made Simple

Despite the fact that Valentine’s Day can be a bit of a contrived holiday, kids love it! And with six kids in elementary school, it’s generally a very busy holiday in my household. I try to remember that it’s only a Hallmark holiday – there’s no point in letting it cause stress. So, I have a few easy tips to keep Valentine’s Day in perspective:

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