With Little One being our first (and only...for now) child, I always fretted over whether or not we were giving her enough stimulation or too much stimulation.  Were we reading enough to her?  Were we singing enough to her?   I am the first to admit that I was one of those moms that worried about everything.

This is why when shopping for toys for Little One, I always wanted to make sure of a few things:

• Safety
• Durability
• Materials used (ties in with safety)
• Age appropriateness 
• Educational aspect
• Does the toy help with Little One's development

With Little One entering Junior Kindergarten in a few short weeks (seriously, how did that happen?! Seems like just yesterday she entered our lives!), I'm getting nervous excited about her first day of school.

Don't get me wrong. I am thrilled about all the fun she's going to have and am excited about all the new things she'll be learning. I'm just sad to let go of my baby girl. She's turning into a big girl now. *sob*

I have to admit, it has been pretty exciting getting her ready and prepared for what will happen in a few weeks. What's more fun than getting school supplies? Am I the only one that gets this excited about school supplies?  The most exciting thing for me with regard to school supplies has got to be the idea of "litterless lunches"!

As a person who has always been involved in environmental groups and committees (even had position as secretary for said groups in college and university), I want to make sure to send Little One to school with reusable food containers, a reusable water/drink bottle, reusable cutlery, and a reusable lunch bag or lunch box. I'd like to teach Little One to tread as lightly on the Earth as possible and teach her how to make wise decisions when it comes to treating our planet with respect and keeping in mind the impact we have on the environment.  She's only 3.5 years old, but she 'gets it'.


Lavish & Lime sources unique, contemporary products that kids love.  They just happen to be good for kids and the planet too - because they should.  Green is no longer a fad. It's a way of life and the smartest, most efficient way to do things when all true costs are taken into account.  Buying a reusable sandwich wrap can last an entire school year, making it a smart eco-choice because it saves you money and reduces the number of baggies going into the landfill.

Everything at Lavish & Lime has been selected for its inherent quality and style. Each product must successfully pass through at least one of the three filters: eco-friendly, natural/non-toxic and made in Canada.

How would you like to make this year a "Waste-free" school year for your little student?

Lavish & Lime is giving one lucky winner the ability to build their own "DREAM LUNCH KIT" with a $100 Gift Card!

Enter in the Rafflecopter form below.  Contest open to Canadian and U.S. residents.  Ends August 25th, 2012.  1 entry per IP/e-mail address.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

She's definitely her Mama's daughter!  As a kid, I've always noticed this tiny "beauty mark" just above my wrist.  Ha! Beauty mark! That's probably a euphemism for "mole" because a mole or a birthmark just sounds so unsightly! Anyway, I always thought it was special and different. It's just a pretty little dot near my wrist. Look! Little One has one on the exact same spot as mine on her arm!  I was so shocked! The same little dot and on the same spot!

She told me, "Mama. We're so connected."

Cute!

Do you have any special, odd, quirky connections to your kids?

This post is supposed to be a Wordless Wednesday post. As you can see, it's not that wordless :)

Feel free to link up your Wordless Wednesday posts here! We love to follow and comment!

Little One is a dancing machine.  Even in utero, we introduced her to an eclectic variety of music. She was rockin' it out in the womb!

In her 3.5 years on this planet, Little One has been rockin' out to everything from Bach, Mozart, Beethoven to Green Day, Our Lady Peace, Stone Temple Pilots, Bob Marley, the Beatles, etc.  She doesn't have a preference really.  She just knows what she likes.

Oh! She loves Big Bang Boom!

I have to tell you that "Because I Said So!" is a CD I don't mind going on repeat in our van on 11 hour road trips. Why? Well, as a product of the 70s and 80s, I grew up listening to Bruce Springsteen, U2, KISS, the BeeGees.  Big Bang Boom is of the same vintage and you can clearly note the influence of great bands of our generation. I simply cannot get over the clever incorporation of pop, alternative, rock, hip hop, and other musical styles.

I believe it is so important to expose children to a variety of musical genres so they can expand and express  their appreciation for music. The songs on this CD are all  fabulous because the lyrics are brilliant, the music is reminiscent of the music I listened to as a kid, and it appeals to Little One right now. That's what's key. Music my daughter and I both like.

I absolutely love My little girl absolutely loves this CD! Thank you to Big Bang Boom for putting together such fabulous, fun songs for all to enjoy!
Songs on "Big Bang Boom!" Because I Said So!:

• Green Light
• Bicycle
• Hippie Mom
• Make Me
• I Can Sing
• One
• Are We There Yet?
• Because I Said So
• Control
• Counting Song
• Goodbye

Disclosure - I have received  Big Bang Boom's CD "Because I Said So" to facilitate this honest review.  All the opinions expressed on this blog are honest and my own.

If you live on Manitoulin Island, you'll have likely sampled some of the amazing items Our Garden creates.  If you've been to the Farmers' Markets on the Island, you'll most likely have chatted with the friendly Chuc and Linda Willson, owners of and masterminds behind Our Garden products.

Since I moved to the Island a few years ago, I've been a fan of Chuc and Linda's jellies, vinegars, and other goodies. I pick up a few items every now and then to mail to friends and family for Christmas presents. They are SO delicious!

Their products are made fresh with local fruit of the field or naturally sourced herbs from their own garden. They never add artificial flavour to any of their products. They also do not mix any of their products, because they want  you to enjoy the true taste of the fruit or herb. Another thing I love is that they use organic fair trade sugar to assure their product is eco-friendly, the growers get a fair price, and because it's better for us.

Just last year, Linda introduced me to Our Garden's vinaigrettes! I'm not a fan of creamy salad dressings (Okay, I am a fan, but my waistline isn't!), and I absolutely love vinaigrettes!


What you do is you buy the basil infused vinegar and whatever basil jelly you prefer from Our Garden.  Then you follow one of the amazing recipes Chuc and Linda have so generously shared on their Our Garden pamphlets.

Here's one of my favourites from Chuc and Linda:

Ruby Raspberry Vinaigrette
1/2 cup Ruby Basil Vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tablespoons Raspberry Jelly or to taste
3 Tablespoons Ruby Basil Jelly or to taste

Combine ingredients in tall narrow jar or a vinaigrette bottle for easy pouring. Let stand at room temperature overnight. Shake well before using. If not used up within a week, store in refrigerator.


Chuc and Linda Willson's Our Garden is a MyPick Verified Local Farmer.  The MyPick logo is your assurance that Farmers' Markets Ontario has visited their farm and confirmed that they are indeed a bona fide  local producer.  Everything at Our Garden comes straight from their farm and is a result of their hard work.

I should also add that Chuc and Linda are two of the nicest, kindest, loveliest people you will ever meet!

Find Our Garden at the Farmers' Markets  on Manitoulin Island and on Facebook!

Disclosure - This is not a sponsored post. I am not being compensated for any of my Manitoulin Spotlight posts. I have chosen to showcase local businesses because I would like to support them and spread the word about all the wonderful hidden and not so hidden) gems we have on the Island. All the opinions written here are honest and my own.

One of the first things I noticed when I moved to beautiful Manitoulin Island was that the nights are really dark here.  I mean really, really dark!  With no street lights, stop lights, or light pollution we have in the city, this was a welcomed treat for me.

Moving to the Island enabled me to experience the night sky as it was meant to be experienced.  With the constellations visible, the Milky Way, shooting stars, meteor showers, and even the Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights), this was indeed Heaven to me.  I sometimes still cannot believe that I get  to experience and soak in so much beauty any time I want to!

People from all over the world flock to Manitoulin Island to appreciate the dark skies. (Below) Photo of the Milky Way viewed from Gordon's Park Eco-Resort on Manitoulin Island. Photo source: Northern Ontario Canada: Rainbow Country.
The dark skies are absolutely breathtaking.

The only thing that concerned me with no lights on the streets at night was the danger factor. I sometimes think, "What if I'm walking from our farm to my mother-in-law's farm at night and passing cars don't see me?" or "What if we're out walking in the evening with Little One and cars don't see us as we're walking?"

It scares me.  The country roads can be pretty dangerous in the dark if you're a pedestrian. I noticed that many people (especially teenagers) don't dress with light clothing or have reflective markings on their jackets.  If they carried a flashlight, that might make things easier for drivers to see them, but most of the time people just wear BLACK. Dark jeans, dark shirts, jackets, and hoodies make it so difficult for visibility.

I was recently introduced to a fabulous company who understands this dilemma.


Safees wants you to been seen and be safe.
Their pedestrian reflectors shine brightly when hit by light from oncoming headlights. Drivers can see that someone is in front of them and know that they need to slow down and pay attention. Dusk, dark, dawn, twilight, rain, and fog are when many accidents occur. Accidents often happen because motorists do not see pedestrians, cyclists, etc. With Safees, they can.

We were given a few Safees reflectors to try out. Little One is quite partial to cats and I really love owls. Safees has a variety of cute designs to choose from.

Needless to say, for a Mom who lives in the countryside where the rural roads are really dark at night, Safees are a must have item for my family.  Whether you live in the countryside or in the city, I firmly believe that Safees are a must have for your loved ones.  My motto is "Always better safe than sorry".

{GREAT NEWS!}
For Life on Manitoulin blog readers, Safees is offering you 15% off with code "Safeesbacktoschool2012". Simply enter the code at checkout for the discount!

Find Safees on Facebook too!

Disclaimer - We received some Safees reflectors to facilitate this review.  All the opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

The soft light of the sun filtering through the filmy white curtains in our temporary room caused Little One to stir in the morning.  Our morning routine while in San Jose would be getting up early, having a Filipino breakfast prepared by great-lola's helpers, showering, and getting ready for our commute to a neighbouring city to visit great-lola in the hospital.

At the time, my mom, aunts and I were pretty much on auto-pilot.  We were just living day to day, traveling by jeepney (and sometimes out of the kindness of loved ones, by vehicle) to and from the hospital.

Thinking about our experience, I now wonder what exactly was going through the mind of my three year old.  The extreme heat of the Philippines, the heavy smell of diesel...the sights and scents were totally foreign to my little girl.  Being dragged around to spend her days in the hospital, and hearing a language foreign to her didn't really seem to faze her at all. She was a trooper and happily went about doing her thing.

After long days at the hospital, Little One would often explore great-lola's beautiful house and find treasures.

She took these back to Canada with her to remember great-lola.
Today, I caught Little One sobbing into her pillow. The tears streamed down her cheeks as she cried, "I don't want great-lola to be dead!"

I noticed that she was clutching onto the Nesting Dolls she brought back from the Philippines. They were a gift one of my aunts had given my grandmother. My aunt, having worked for Air Canada for many years, often brought back trinkets from her travels. These are the only tangible items Little One has to remember her great-grandmother by. It surprised me how one so young could comprehend so much and feel so much. It brought tears to my eyes.

The odd thing is that no one had even spoken about my grandmother passing away and Little One just burst out into tears, hugging the wooden nesting dolls.

Ironically, today my Grandmother would have turned 92 years old.  It still breaks my heart to think I'll never again be able to hold her hand or hear her tell her stories of life in the Philippines.

Still missing you, great-lola.

Did you know that August 10th is National S'mores Day?  I didn't either until the kind people I work for (PTPA) informed me of this fun day that pays homage to the camp fire favourite!  Check out "S'mores Reinvented" by Toronto4Kids!  I should have added a disclaimer - Warning! Do not read if hungry!

Because PTPA is all about sharing all that is wonderful about parenting and all about having fun too, here's my family's National S'mores Day post!

 Our Summer student made this one.  She is a purist when it comes to S'mores and is all about the chocolate and marshmallow. Her GIANT S'mores creation had not one, but two marshmallows!  Pretty hardcore!
 My S'mores creation was different from the rest, and I was deemed to be the S'mores champion of the evening. Want to know why?
 My S'mores treat was made with all the traditional S'mores ingredients (Graham crackers and marshmallow), but it also contained something extra special!  I used Manitoulin Chocolate Works Pecan Butter Toffee!  Oh, some may think it's sacrilegious to use 'good' chocolate on S'mores, but why on earth would you not use anything but the best?
 I have a little confession.  I was actually going to send the Pecan Butter Toffee to a pregnant friend of mine (and fellow PTPA Social Media lady). Sorry, Carol! I had to do it in the name of National S'mores Day! Confession: The parcel we were sending Carol and her newest addtion-to-be hadn't been sent out yet and we tore into it so we could get to the good chocolate. Don't worry, C! We'll replace it! :)
Hubby got Baker's chocolate for his S'mores. In the past I've always used Hershey's or Jersey Milk.


For fabulous PTPA Award Winning products, thoughtful posts from our PTPA Blogaholics, contests, giveaways, and all kinds of fun and informative posts, check out the PTPA website and the PTPA Blogaholics blog.

Disclosure - This post is not a sponsored post. I am affiliated with PTPA, but the opinions written in this post are my own.  I received no compensation from Manitoulin Chocolate Works or any of the other chocolate companies mentioned in this post. These are my personal thoughts and opinions.

On Wednesdays all over the internet, bloggers all over the world post a photograph with no words or explanation of the photo on their blog. Hence the title ‘Wordless Wednesday’. The idea is that the photo itself says so much that it doesn’t need any description. However, today's post isn't so wordless.

The above photos were taken at the Dinner & A Book event at the Garden Shed Cafe on Manitoulin Island. I was fortunate enough to attend this wonderful book signing and reading, and chat with one of my favourite people - New York author, Bonnie Kogos. 

"Experience Manitoulin Island through author, Bonnie Kogos’ eyes as she takes character, Lily Gardner through a whirl wind of love, sex, adventure & conflict."

Bonnie's sense of humour and amazing ability to tell stories simply draw in her audience. 

Want to hear something cool? The audience was filled with a few other Canadian celebs including artists and musicians. One some of you may know is Canadian singer, Jane Siberry.

Feel free to link up your Wordless Wednesday posts! We love checking them out and commenting!

 I absolutely love the fact that the paintings and art work in the shop are by local artists.

 Even the decorative pillows are made by local artist, Madonna Aeschlimann.