Articles

Working From Home? How to Set Up Your Office for Maximum Productivity

March 19, 2019 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

For many people, especially moms paying hefty daycare fees, working from home is the dream. There’s no need for child care, you can be there at school pick up, you can even do housework in between jobs.

But while any work-from-home mothers will tell you it’s wonderful not having to place your little ones in the care of strangers, working an intensive job from your laptop while the kids are fussing and the dirty dishes are piling up is plenty stressful at times too. At least with working in corporate setting, there are less distractions!

Despite those challenges, though, I’ll always prefer working from home. The lack of hierarchy and office politics is certainly welcome. You’re the IT person, stationery supplier and even fire safety representative (even if all the job really entails is buying a fire extinguisher sign). But it can often be difficult to work to your full potential with so many distractions and sticky hands that require your attention. Balancing home responsibilities with work done at home is tough!

So, with that in mind, here are a few simple home office productivity tips that will help you make the most of your time working from home: [Read more…]

6 Natural Alternative to Commercial Pet Products

March 19, 2019 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

I love my cat and dog, but they can be expensive. With so many pet products to choose from, I often choose a budget brand for certain purchases. But some cheaper products are made of harmful or unhealthy ingredients. In that situation, choosing a natural product can be a better choice for my pets and the environment.

If buying a more expensive natural product just isn’t feasible for your budget, you can often make your own. Or do some comparison shopping for natural products to find the cheapest prices. These six items are a great place to start looking for some natural alternatives!

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Building a Custom Home – What We Learned and Why KCB Developments Is the Only Saskatoon Home Builder We’ll Use

March 8, 2019 by Kathryn 2 Comments

When my husband and I first started the search for our dream house, we were confident that we would find the perfect one before long. We were pre-approved for our mortgage and shopping in a buyer’s market.

But while we did look at many great homes and even had an offer on a house at one point, nothing was quite right. Neither of us knew anything about building as opposed to buying, but after months of house hunting we learned that a large lot in our dream location was for sale at a discount price.

Suddenly, building just seemed to make sense! We purchased the lot, started hunting for a Saskatoon home builder and eventually discovered KCB Developments.

The owner, Kurt, quickly found a house plan that we fell in love with. And after a few tweaks to the plans, we signed the papers and got ready to build!

Just over a year later, I’ve started to think back on some of the things I learned throughout the experience. If you’re considering building, these are some tips you might want to keep in mind! [Read more…]

6 Ways to Create a More Zen Design in Your Room

March 4, 2019 by Kathryn 1 Comment

Bringing more zen into one’s life has become increasingly popular – one way many are accomplishing that is by meditating, with some 18 million Americans now practicing meditation, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Creating a room with more zen design makes the ideal space for meditating, but it’s also perfect simply for creating a more relaxing atmosphere.

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Three Must-Haves To Make Healthy Living Better

March 4, 2019 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

When I started the new year with my newfound determination to get back to a healthy lifestyle, I knew that the most important thing to help me stick to my goal would be my own motivation.

yoga with gaiam yoga mat

But I discovered that other tools and items that are almost as helpful at keeping me on track and making my overall well-being more of a priority.

After two months of a healthier lifestyle, I wanted to share three of my favourite products that have helped me eat right, exercise and feel great. If you’re trying to live healthier and happier in 2019, you may want to give them a try too! [Read more…]

Getting Healthy and Saving Money in 2019 With My PC Insiders Subscription

February 19, 2019 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the PC Insiders subscription service. All opinions are 100% mine.

After giving birth to Cormac, I was surprised by how long it took my body to recover. My energy level was very low and I couldn’t seem to get rid of that last ten pounds of baby weight.

I didn’t worry much about that sluggishness and extra weight for Cormac’s first year, especially since I was breastfeeding. But after this last Christmas, I decided it was time to jump in and get healthy again!

Part of my new healthy lifestyle involves following a new, healthy meal plan. That means doing a weekly shop of all the food I need for each nutritious meal. [Read more…]

Grilling For Easy Entertaining

February 14, 2019 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

Hosting a dinner party should be a pleasant experience, but too often it can turn into a stressful ordeal instead. It can be daunting to divide your attention between meal preparation and your guests’ conversations.

Then, there is also the challenge of figuring out in what order to cook foods so that everything turns out just right.

But what if there was something that could help you breeze through all this mayhem? Well, there is, and it’s likely right there in your back yard: your grill!

Here are three reasons you should be firing up your grill and using your favourite BBQ party menu ideas when entertaining guests:

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4 Tips to Help Busy Moms Get Active in 2019

February 7, 2019 by Kathryn 3 Comments

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by AfterShokz and PTPA. Views expressed belong to Mommy Kat and Kids and are not influenced in any way.

After giving birth to my baby Cormac almost a year and a half ago, I found that, for the first time in my life, I really struggled to get my body back into shape.

There were lots of reasons for that. I was in my mid-thirties instead of my mid-twenties. I ended up diagnosed with a thyroid deficiency, which had been sapping my energy without my realizing. And my extremely active little baby left me so exhausted that I just couldn’t get motivated to get back in shape.

But in 2019, that all changes! When my older boys started school after the holidays, I knew the time had come to stop making excuses and start making changes! And if you’re a busy mom struggling to find motivation too, these are my top 4 tips for helping a busy mom exercise more in the new year!

[Read more…]