Family

Thinking About Adopting a Cat? Read This First!

October 13, 2017 by Kathryn 24 Comments

I often mention how I didn’t realize I was a cat person until I had my Siamese-cross Racer. But after experiencing her love and affection (not to mention her fierce independence), I can’t imagine anything more satisfying than having kitty love in my life.

There are many things that get better with age, and a feline friend is one of them! If you’re thinking about adopting a kitten or know someone who is, ask that they consider a senior cat instead. Sure, kittens are cute, but adult cats have a great deal going for them. Read and share this list of why adopting a senior cat might be right for you!

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Want Your Family to Check out a New Series? Let Netflix Help You Get Persuasive!

September 1, 2017 by Kathryn 1 Comment

When it comes to a great television series, I’m a social watcher. I occasionally don’t mind watching by myself, but I’m much happier when I can spend that time with my family and share my thoughts with my husband and children.

Unfortunately, my tastes aren’t always the same as theirs. And that means I occasionally need to use some persuasive tactics to convince the rest of my family to watch with me! Luckily for me, Netflix has some handy flow-charts to help make my job easier! [Read more…]

How My Grandad Taught Me That the Senior Years Can Be the Most Meaningful Time in Life

June 20, 2017 by Kathryn 19 Comments

When my parents first bought a house in the small town of Lumsden, Saskatchewan, it was more a retirement community than anything else. The nearby capital city of Regina was growing fast and considered the place to be for young families, while Lumsden’s population was mostly aging couples that had lived in or around the town for years.

Because of that, I had plenty of interactions with seniors as I was growing up. Mrs Cox, the widow across the back alley, made me a baby blanket shortly after I was born. My next door neighbours the Sagins grew a beautiful garden and would often let me help select a bouquet of flowers to bring home and put on the table. And when I was a little older, Mrs. Neidermeyer from church taught me how to make the most delicious biscuits I’ve ever had in my life.

Thanks to those early interactions, I’ve always understood the value that seniors bring to the lives of those that love them and to the community as a whole. When they’re not helping their family in dozens of different ways (including providing childcare, doing chores and even offering financial support), they’re contributing in the community, whether that’s by interacting with the younger generation the way my neighbours did with me or by volunteering, something 78% of Canadian seniors currently do. [Read more…]

Prep Your Family, Stock Your Emergency Kit and Check out these 3 Great Tips for Emergency Preparedness Week

May 8, 2017 by Kathryn 6 Comments

Back when my boys and I lived in Lumsden, I had a stash of emergency supplies in the basement that included non-perishable food, bottled water, a flashlight, batteries, candles and a few other essentials just in case of an emergency.

But when we moved to an apartment in another city, then a townhouse and then another townhouse, my emergency kit ended up disassembled and in disarray. Sure, we have canned goods in the house, a few bottles of water by the door and a flashlight stuffed in a drawer of junk. But in case of an emergency, I no longer have my easy-to-grab kit full of every essential my family might need.

And I’m not alone! Even though it’s recommended that families keep an kit ready to get them through a 72-hour emergency if needed, only 34% of Canadians have such an emergency kit in their home. But if you’re like me and don’t currently have an emergency kit, there’s no better time to remedy that than right now!

May 7th to the 13th is Emergency Preparedness Week in Canada, and Duracell has teamed up with the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs to help raise awareness about the importance of being ready for an emergency. Check out these three tips to help ensure your family knows what to do in an unexpected situation! [Read more…]

It’s a Boy! We’re Welcoming a New Addition to Our Family

April 8, 2017 by Kathryn 22 Comments

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of e.p.t.. All opinions are 100% mine.

When my youngest son was weaned and potty-trained, I fully thought that I was done having children. My two boys filled my days completely, and after six solid years of constantly either carrying a baby or breastfeeding, my body was ready for a break. Of course, I also thought I was done with relationships, and then I met a man that was so perfect for me that he really did feel like a missing piece of myself I’d always been searching for. And when I married that man last October, I knew that all my old plans had changed more than I could have ever guessed they would.

My husband and I decided to start trying for a baby as soon as we returned from our honeymoon in Ireland. With my 36^th birthday quickly approaching, I didn’t want to wait too long! We had family visiting in that first official month of “trying for a baby,” which meant that we weren’t…well…"trying" all that much! And I never had a moment of feeling like my body had changed in any way. But just in case, I picked up an e.p.t. pregnancy test, available at Walmarts across the United States and select other retailers, a few days before my scheduled time of the month. I didn’t expect to see anything, so one can imagine my surprise when the test showed that unmistakable blue cross almost immediately!

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