Parenting/Life · Uncategorized

#LetsTalkRESPs – Twitter party

 

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For those of us parents’ that struggled (or still are struggling) to pay off their University/College student loans, we realize how important it is to start saving early for your child’s post-secondary education.  With tuition costs constantly increasing, it is important to have some sort of RESP plan in place to help you start you on the road to saving.

Making sure you have the right plan in place in important to ensure your savings will be enough when your children want to start their post-secondary education and won’t be burdened with their own student loans.

To learn more about RESP’s and answer any of your questions, Parent Life Network and Canada Scholarship Trust (CST) Consultants are here to help!

 

#letstalkRESPs Twitter Party

Parent Life Network and Canada Scholarship Trust (CST) Consultants will be hosting a Twitter Party and you’re invited! Join us for an hour of fun to get your burning RESP questions answered. We’ll be giving away $1,000 in that hour!

Date: Thursday, May 5
Time: 9 p.m. EDT
Hashtag: #letstalkRESPs
Hosts: Peter Lewis, CST Vice President (and resident expert), @ParentLifeNet & @CSTConsultants
Eligibility: Canada-wide

Prizing: $1,000 in prizing to be awarded.

For a chance to win a prize during the twitter party you must RSVP by registering here:

RSVP

**This is a sponsored post.  All comments are mine.**

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Parenting/Life · Uncategorized

Saving more with Groupon Coupons

**This is a sponsored post.  All opinions are mine. **

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As a single Mom, I always need to make sure I use my income wisely and get the best deals possible.  Coupons, price matching and savings websites are this girl’s best friend.  Who doesn’t want to save money on things they are buying anyways?  One of my favorite savings websites is Groupon.  Now, not only does Groupon offer great deals on getaways, local deals and goods, it now has Groupon Coupons!!!!

There is a huge list of retailers with numerous coupons available to you.  If you child is anything like mine and growing like a weed, the coupons from Foot Locker  and Carter’s are a dream when he seems to be growing out of his clothes and shoes on a weekly basis.  And what little girl doesn’t want an Elsa doll or a Princess dress?  The coupons from the Disney Store are the perfect way to save money and make your little one happy all at the same time.  It’s a win-win.  There are even coupons for TurboTax and H&R Block to make tax time less dreadful.  And with all the money that you have saved, you will have money left over to buy yourself something nice.  Don’t forget to use the coupons from JC Penney and Kohls, to buy yourself even more!

To check out the full list of coupons available check out Groupon coupons on their website, Twitter and Facebook page.  You won’t be disappointed with the savings that you will find!

 

 

Parenting/Life · Uncategorized

New You Giveaway

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I’ve teamed up with some wonderful bloggers and entrepreneurs to bring you an amazing giveaway that focused on enhancing your beauty both inside and out! This giveaway will provide you with some fashion and beauty essentials to get you ready for anything that is going to come your way. One winner will be chosen to receive a Fitbit Flex, a Calvin Klein handbag, a Kate Spade bangle, a skincare set from Benefit Cosmetics, and a full athletic outfit from Reva Wear.

The giveaway will run from April 27 until 9pm EST on May 6th, 2016  – the winner will be announced by the 8th. Entering is easy! Look below and follow the directions per entry. Receive as many entries per follows, visits, comments, shares, or tweets. The giveaway is open to international participants and the winner will be chosen randomly. Please make sure to provide the necessary information if the entry asks. Good luck!

New You Giveaway
https://js.gleam.io/e.js

 

Parenting/Life · Uncategorized

Not just a walk in the park – Skyzone Whitby

Recently, we were invited to come and hang out at Skyzone Trampoline Park in Whitby.  If you haven’t yet had a chance to check them out, you definitely need to go.  It’s a great place for families to go and have a fun activity together and a little exercise thrown in as well.

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It is a huge facility that can accommodate a lot of jumpers but booking your jump time ahead of arriving is definitely recommended, especially on the weekends.  I have been there before on a weekend and it was at capacity, and walk-ins were unable to be accepted.  If you are looking for a less crowded time, I would definitely recommend early evening on a week night.

When I first heard about Skyzone, I just imagined a bunch of trampolines all together for people to jump on, but there are so many things that they have to offer there.  Aside from the Open Jump, there is Ultimate Dogdgeball (exactly what it sounds like, Dodgeball on trampolines), Skyslam (trampoline basketball hoops), a toddler friendly area and my son’s personal favorite the Foam Zone where you jump into a pit full of foam blocks.20160420_175027_HDR

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In additional to the regular use of the facility, they also offer SkyCamp Summer Session, which is a full day camp running this summer, once a month they offer a Sensory night where the lights and music are turned down, and my personal favorite Skyrobics. Skyrobics is an hour long exercise class on the trampoline.  It definitely is an amazing workout.

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The facility also offers several birthday party packages which include jump time and party room for you guests.  And of course, private events and groups packages are available.

Aside from all the different events and options available, we had a great time just jumping around in the open jump area.  There is something about that feeling of weightlessness as you bounce into the air.  You are always having such a good time that you almost forget that you are actually getting the benefits of exercise too.

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So if you are looking for something fun that the entire family can enjoy, I would definitely recommend checking out Skyzone.  You can learn more about Skyzone on their website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Oh and don’t forget, on your way out, don’t forget to add your sticker to their ever growing sticker ball.

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**Although the tickets were provided to us, all pictures, comments and opinions are strictly my own.**

 

Parenting/Life · Uncategorized

Single Mom’s answer to “I’m bored”

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Given the opportunity, like most little boys, my son would happily play on his tablet all day or video games all day. I am sorry but with the nice weather finally upon us, the last thing I want is to be cooped up inside all day.  And as parents, I am sure we have all been there, where as soon as the children step outside, we get the dreaded “I’m bored.”  Well this year, I have decided to nip this one in the bud and put together a list together that my son can use to become “unbored”.   When he says the dreaded words, I will show him this list and he can chose something to make the boredom go away.

Most of these items are free and those that aren’t won’t break the bank.

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Yes, I understand that being a single Mom of 1 child, this list only works if I get out with him.  But that is the whole point!!  We get outside together and enjoy not only the wonderful weather, but each other.

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So enough of the “I’m bored” and get outside and enjoy it while you can.  Before we know it, it will be back to the cooler weather when you won’t want to be outside.

Uncategorized · What I'm Wearing

COVERGIRL® Plumpify Mascara review

For years I have been searching for the “perfect” mascara. I want one that gives my puny little eyelashes some volume and lift and make my eyes stand out. And for years, I have spent countless dollars, only to be disappointed time and time again.  They would never seem to have the right combination of what I was looking for – volume without the lift or lift but no volume or just a downright clumpy mess.   I was becoming very discouraged and was settling for less than perfect.

I was asked to try out COVERGIRL® Plumpify Mascara and  I am not going to lie, I was setting myself up for another disappointment.  But, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.  I think this is definitely the closest mascara I have found that has what I am looking for.  It definitely gave my lashes volume and enough lift to look like I had used a lash curler, and this was only after one coat.

Before and After

Obviously with a second coat the lashes were thicker but for general day to day where, only one coat was really necessary for me.   The double action brush was a bit awkward at first, but once I figured out the correct angle to use it at, it worked great.  I definitely recommend dabbing the end of the brush off the first few times you use it, as it seems to accumulate a lot of the product on it.

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Being a contact lens wearer, I find some mascara’s can irritate my eyes, but I have not had a single issue at all with this product.  One of the best parts is that it washes off so easily, no raccoon eyes here.

In all, this is definitely a product I would recommend to anyone and has become my go-to mascara.  I will be purchasing it going forward.

**** Please note that although this product was provided to me, all comments, and opinions and photos are mine.

Parenting/Life · Uncategorized

Get out and enjoy the spring weather!

This past weekend, we got a glimmer of hope that the spring weather was coming and I used this to our advantage to get outside and soak up the Vitamin D. With friends one day and family another, we visited 2 of our local conservation areas; Heber Downs and Lynde Shores. If you are in the area, I totally recommend you make a day of it and visit one of these locations. Both are extremely scenic but very different from one another.

Heber Downs is quite hilly and in my opinion, more of a forested area.  I have been several times in the past and haven’t run into much wildlife, if any.

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Lynde Shores is more of a flat lands but tons of wildlife. The chickadees will come and eat seeds right out of your hands. It is amazing.  Be sure to bring bird seed (especially sunflower seeds) with you!

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Both of these are part of the Central Lake Ontario Conservation.  Parking is $2/hour or $5/day.  You can purchase a parking pass that works for all CLOCA locations for $60/year.    So it is a great day and not hard on the pocket book.

I am seriously considering purchasing one of these as my son has recently discovered Geocaching.  If you don’t know what Geocaching is, it is basically a scavenger hunt using GPS.  There is an app that you can use on your phone and it helps you locate hidden objects within nature.  Some contain little “treasures” that you can trade out.  My son loved the idea of this.  We were able to locate our first “cache” which was quite small but exciting nonetheless.

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Even if you don’t live in our area, get out and visit your local conversation areas with you kids.  It’s a great way to get them out in the fresh air and away from the electronics and who knows what you will find there!

 

Thanks,

 

Parenting/Life · Uncategorized

Childbirth – my not so Hollywood story

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It was literally the day after I got married that I found out that I was pregnant with my first.

Although, we hadn’t planned on a baby that early, we were absolutely thrilled at the time. Keeping the pregnancy quiet was tough. I was so excited I wanted to tell everyone. We finally reached the 12 weeks “safety” and while at a group event we were able to share the happy news with a bunch of our friends. That night, as we were driving home, I knew something wasn’t right and headed to the hospital. After several excruciating hours there, we were told there was no heartbeat. “No longer a viable pregnancy” was the term they used. It seems so cold and uncaring, like my baby was just nothing. Needless to say we were devastated. I never knew I could feel that sad.

Fast forward to exactly one year later and I am back in the very same hospital in full on labor about to give birth to my son. I remember the contractions being so strong and painful and practically wanting to call and have the epidural ready for me when I walked in the door.  I have a pretty high pain tolerance but this pain was nothing like I had ever experienced before.

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We weren’t at the hospital too long when I was finally able to get my epidural. Please no judgement in my use of the drugs in my delivery, and I definitely admire those that have a natural childbirth. But this epidural probably saved my child’s life. I was finally somewhat more comfortable but I noticed that when I was having contractions that my son’s heartbeat would drop down. We notified the nurses/doctor immediately and as discretely as they could, the started to go into panic mode. They indicated that it appeared that umbilical cord was wrapped around my son’s neck and he was losing oxygen every time I had a contraction and he needed to come out, NOW!
That is when I turned into the crazy lady everyone hears the stories about. I was literally screaming at the doctor’s to get my baby out. I was not going to lose yet another baby on this day two years in a row.

I remember being wheeled into the operating room and passing my parents who had just arrived. I remember that cold, sterile feeling of the room I had been in just a year earlier and starting to panic and the tears started rolling. All I could say to myself was “This is NOT happening again!”

Luckily, because I had already had the epidural they only needed to give me a local before performing an emergency c-section. I told them I didn’t care what they did to me, just get my baby out and safe.

Soon, my baby was out. But it was those panicked few moments that felt like an eternity before I had the first wonderful cry. I begged my then husband to go and ensure he was alright. He eventually came back and said he was fine. Moments later, he was brought over to me to see. My arms were strapped down from the c-section so I didn’t get to hold him right away, but I got to see his beautiful little face. I couldn’t stop crying, I was so happy to see him and that he was ok.

I guess I always imagined that when I had my baby it would be that perfect scenario that you see in the movies and that isn’t what I got. To this day, I feel somewhat robbed of the true birthing experience. I didn’t get to push, I didn’t get the baby on my chest, I didn’t to be the first one to hold my little bundle of joy. The experience was filled with fear and upset. It wasn’t until I was back into my room that I actually got to hold my son and have that first skin to skin contact with him.

Having the emergency c-section, my first week or so with my son, were not completely filled with happiness and joy either. I anticipated pain, I wasn’t naive enough to think it was going to be a walk in the park, but I never had anticipated the pain I experienced. My c-section scar is large compared to other Moms that I know. And for that first week, I couldn’t just walk out and pick up my baby anytime I wanted to, just getting up and walking took effort and if I turned or moved to quickly, there was excruciating pain. I would have loved to have just been able to pick up my son and carry him around every single minute I could.

Yes, I know that I got lucky in comparison to other births, I got to bring home a healthy, wonderful baby boy. I will never forget than and don’t want to appear like I am ungrateful. I am definitely not!!! However, when I look back on my birthing experience, I feel somewhat let down and unfulfilled.

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As well, each year now on my son’s birthday, it’s somewhat bittersweet. I get to celebrate his amazing life, but I also remember the little life we lost that day as well.

I hope that any other Mom that has gone through a similar experience can relate and understand what I am trying to say here.

I think that is perhaps why now I go that extra mile to ensure every moment going forward with my son is everything I ever wanted it to be.

Thanks,

 

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Parenting/Life · Uncategorized

Green Tea and Cotton Birthday Giveaway

Birthday Giveaway

 

The best part about blogging is I have been able to meet and get to know some amazing ladies!  Amanda, from Green Tea and Cotton  is one of those ladies.  Join me in wishing Amanda a very Happy Birthday and helping her celebrate by entering her Birthday Giveaway. Details are below!

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I can’t believe another year has gone by so fast and that means another birthday. I celebrated this past Sunday and now I get to celebrate some more by joining up with 11 other amazing ladies to bring you my birthday giveaway! That’s right – one lucky person gets to take home some goods just for them. No sharing required!

I had asked everyone what their favorite birthday memory was. I love the answers!

For my 30th birthday, my BFF threw me an amazing birthday party. I was newly single and she wanted to do something to cheer me up! It was such a great day! – Cathy from A Boy and His Mom

The year I traveled to NYC for my birthday! – Natasha from Livin Life With Style

Getting to spend it at Disney World since it was during mid-winter break. – Rachelle from Tuesdays With Jacob

One of my favorite memories when I was younger was being surprised with tickets to see Jesse McCartney in concert. – Liz from Lizz and Co.

My favorite birthday memory is a newer one. Since having kids, the nature of my birthday celebrations have changed but there is nothing like having kids on your lap helping you blow your candles out! – Stephanie from Durham Region Mom

I never tell anyone my birthday and last year my friends figured it out and I had 6 dozen flowers, a whole lot of Starbucks gift cards, and several other gifts. I felt so loved! – Messy Season Blogger from This Messy Season

My favorite birthday memory is having pool parties every year when I was younger! One of the perks of having a summer birthday! – Caroline from In Due Time

My favorite birthday memory would have to be when my dad would bring me a dozen roses home on my birthday every year. He worked a lot and I didn’t see him a ton so that mean a lot to me. – Brittany from The Ashmore’s

My favorite birthday memory has been reoccurring for the last few years. Having a birthday is so much better with children involved. I get showered with tons of handmade cards and gifts, breakfast in bed, flowers, and so much love. It is not a day that I worry about getting another day older but a day that I enjoy getting spoiled by my two wonderful children. – Kristen from Blissfully Insane

Spending it with my parents. We were very close growing up and they always made it special. – Melanie from Story of Five

I flew to California and a special someone surprised me with a gift per day while I was there. He ended up asking me to be his girlfriend! – Glenda from Confessions of a Scorpio

I told you they were amazing memories! Now to tell you mine!

My favorite birthday memory is being married to a guy who shares the same birthday as I do! Every year, on the same day, I get to tease him about how much older he is than me. We have fun and celebrate with the kids. – Amanda from Green Tea + Cotton

Now on to the good stuff!

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Eyeshadow colors – Row 1: Shimma Shimma, Peach Smoothie, Beaches and Cream, Chickadee, Cocoa Bear. Row 2: Mai Tai, High Wire, Charmed, Time Travel, Vintage. Row 3: Pixie Dust, Cosmopolitan, Moondust, Prom Night, Sensuous.

Prizes:

  • 12 month Plum Paper Planner
  • Set of Pilot G2 Pens
  • Z-palette with 15 Makeup Geek Eyeshadow Pans
  • 5ml doTerra Aroma Touch and 15ml doTerra Wild Orange
  • 3 month tea subscribtion to Plum Deluxe (U.S. winner only)

Entries to the giveaway are easy. Just follow the directions below. Giveaway ends 4/15/2016 at 11:59 PM CST. Open to U.S. and Canada residents 18+. Void where prohibited.
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