When my friend (and co-worker), @Dogpaddling told me about the @flyerland #itsbettertogether contest, I couldn't get this song out of my head...

So happy together

Little One is a veritable girlie girl.  She loves all things blingy, sparkly and pink.  She goes to the barn to feed the bull in her puffy tutu and rubber boots.

If you recall, I boycotted pink when Little One was born because I didn't want her to be under the whole notion that girls are all about princess, frilly things, and pink.

Despite my protests and not introducing her to all that is girlie, she somehow embraced all of those things anyway.  She loves Disney princesses, fairies, ballerinas, and PINK!

She also loves digging in the dirt and playing with snails and whatever other bugs she finds in the garden.


Little girls and little boys can do anything and everything they want to do when it comes to establishing their preferences in toys, activities or sports.  I think it's great for boys to play house and play with dolls, just like I think it's fabulous for girls to play with dirt or play with toy tools.  I think it's wonderful for boys to do ballet and girls to play hockey.


What do you think?

Link up your Wordless Wednesday posts here.  Sorry mine is a little "wordy"! We'd love to check your posts out!

Seven years ago today, I had my dream wedding on the beach at Carter Bay.  Yes, it's true!  Today is our 7 Year Wedding Anniversary!

On Manitoulin Island, there is a place where friendly faces greet you as you stop off to pick up your eggs and vegetables.  You'll likely find people working in the garden and cultivating produce -- food that nourishes the body. Real food...straight from the garden to your table.  You'll no doubt hear singing coming from the garden too.  It's a magical place.

I remember when I was in elementary school, saving up my allowance and being excited to bike to our local Jean-Coutu (a pharmacy in Quebec) and "splurge" on a Father's Day gift and card for Dad.  Back then, a tie or some kind of item that had "Best Dad" or "Dad of the Year" were things I thought were amazing gift ideas for Dad!

Funny how Dad never complained about not wanting yet another tie, coffee mug or pair of socks.  The purchase that made me the proudest was when I got Dad a bottle of Old Spice.  It seemed like all the dads wore it and it was in my price range.  Plus, my grandfather always wore Old Spice.

To this day, whenever I smell Old Spice, I think of my grandfather.  It turns out, my Dad wasn't much of an aftershave or cologne guy.  He wasn't really into fragrances period.  My grandfather was though!  It makes me smile when I think of how good my grandfather always smelled! Old Spice makes me miss my grandfather.

I was reminded of Old Spice and the memories of my grandfather and of my childhood when my four year old got hold of one of our monthly PGMom packages. I detected the scent of Old Spice and came running down from my office.  Little One was sitting on the couch, putting Old Spice deodorant on. She was shocked to see me and smiled, "I'm putting deodorant on, Mama! Now I smell good!"

I immediately thought of my Dad laughing if he saw what Little One was doing.  I also knew that if my grandfather were still alive today and saw Little One putting on Old Spice, he would have a good laugh too.

On Father's Day, we celebrate the men in our lives.  Of course, the first man I'd like to celebrate is my Dad. To the man who sat with us as we did our homework (and helped me as I toiled over math problems), and made sure to always have time for us after work...Thank you.  To the man who built ice forts with us and took us skating and tobogganing...Thank you.  To the man who taught us how to tie our shoes and ride a bike...Thank you.  To the man who taught us so many important life lessons and continues to do so...Thank you.

When I see the special relationship my Dad has with my four year old daughter, it makes my heart fill with joy.  I'm so lucky to have my Dad around.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, and a special Father's Day wish for my Dad!

Disclosure: I am a P&Gmom. As part of my affiliation with this group I receive products and special access to P&G events and opportunities. The opinions on this blog are my own.

McCain wants to know some of what makes Summer "All Good" for you too!  

The McCain All Good Pinathon

This is great for all those who love Pinterest and love Pinning!  I'm a self-professed Pinterest addict.  I can get lost for hours Pinning recipes, DIY ideas, crafts, items for my Dream House, and more!

The contest goes from June 13th to July 11th.  You can win 1 of 5 $100 Gift Cards! C'mon...Go ahead and Pin! You know you wanna!

Here are some of things that make Summer "All Good" for me!

Disclosure - I have partnered with McCain for this promotional post. All thoughts and opinions expressed on this blog are honest and my own.

Have you ever stopped to really look at an egg before?  They're so perfect and so beautiful.  Each one is so unique.

We get our eggs from Hubby's sister, who as chickens.  We also get eggs from Blue Jay Creek Art Farm.  For the most part, we try to grow what we can and eat and buy locally as much as we can.

Link up your Wordless Wednesday posts! We'd love to check them out!

There was a time when I used to blog for the love of blogging.  I moved to an island in the middle of one of the Great Lakes and needed an outlet to ward off isolation (though I was in love with the Island, I missed my loved ones) and to share my new life with my friends and family far away.

I blogged about my life on an island and in a small rural Northern Ontario town. Did you know that the Island is the world's largest fresh water lake island? The blog also served as a place where I planned my wedding details and asked readers for tips and advice. I asked about things like wedding etiquette, what kinds of bombonieres to give guests at our wedding, what kind of food to serve, music to play, etc. That was back in 2006. I had no idea that people other than my friends and family could read the blog until comments started filtering in.

Why would anyone other than my friends and family want to read a boring blog like mine?

All of a sudden, I had a core group of friends in the blogosphere whose blogs I frequented.  We commented on each other's blogs religiously.  We blogged for the love of blogging.  Things were different back then. I miss the daily banter between Ms.Mamma, JellyJules, Uncivil, Wisconsin Candy Dish, and Curiosity Killer.  The only one from that vintage who still corresponds via the blog regularly is CanineCologne.  Though I keep in touch with my old school bloggy friends, it's outside of the blog. Canine has actually visited us with her family twice in the past few years and is a regular fixture in our loves via email, phone calls, text messages and care packages.

Where was I?  Oh, right...

Then I ended up on complete bed rest for my high risk pregnancy, and to my surprise, blog friends around the world were watching, praying, giving me phone calls from California and New Zealand!  It's hard to describe the amazing friendships the blog brought me.  It was a community family that was built.  Genuine interest and genuine comments.

Little One catapulted herself into existence at 28 weeks gestation.  It the most difficult and the most terrifying time of my life.  Our life in the NICU lasted 72 days.  It was a long and challenging journey for us, yet she proved (and continues to prove) what a fighter she really is.

I had become a Mommy.

I was a Mom with a blog.  I guess by default, that made the blog a "Mom blog".  I blogged about life with a preemie, parenting, and everything under the sun.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.


All of a sudden, the blog morphed into something else.  It turned into a way I could supplement our family income.  I was able to put teaching English on the back burner because I was monetizing the blog.  I was shocked to see how the blog took on a life of its own.

There was a brief time a few years ago (I think Little One was two years old), when I wanted to shut down the blog.  I went on a brief hiatus.  It was turning into something that wasn't me.  I felt like I was losing my voice and losing the reason I started blogging in the first place.  Though the blog had been around since 2006, I didn't really start monetizing until 2009 and wasn't even seriously blogging until 2010.  That's when all the big opportunities started coming in.  The blog also became secondary to all the social media jobs I was getting as an offshoot of the blog.  My main job is with PTPA as their Social Media Community Manager on Twitter.  Had I not started a blog back in 2006, I wouldn't have opened up a Twitter account.  Had I not opened up a Twitter account, I would not have engaged and formed relationships like I did on Twitter.  Had I not done all of that, I wouldn't have been given the amazing jobs I am now happily working at.  It's almost dizzying to think of how one thing led to another and how so much has changed.

A girlfriend of mine shared her new blog with me and as I read, it was bitter sweet to me.  She recently moved to the Island and started her blog for pretty much the same reasons I did back in 2006.  Her blog posts made me smile.  Reading her posts made me wistful and nostalgic. That was me seven years ago.  Holy smokes! Seven years? That's crazy!

As I read my friend's blog, I remember a time when blogging was just blogging.  I remember a time when I blogged because I loved it.  I still love it, but sometimes I feel like the blogging world has turned blogs into something else.  It's not a bad thing - As long as we preserve our voice and continue to write about what we love and are passionate about.

I guess I just miss the older blogs where people used to visit and read each other's posts. I mean really read and comment.  Don't get me wrong.  I love each and every comment I receive and I adore my friends and readers.  There's a kinship I feel with those in my blogging community.  I do feel people who comment on the blog are genuine in their comments.  It's just that somewhere between the reviews and giveaways, and producing posts like you're a machine, I think we've lost something.  We may be gaining readers and followers, but part of me just misses the old school blog.

I love the blog and all it has given me.  It's an extension of me and something to keep for posterity.  It has given me so many incredible opportunities from ambassadorships and conferences, to sponsored posts and making fabulous friends (many of whom are not simply online friends, but in real life friends too). Feeling a little nostalgic and wistful tonight. Kind of miss the old school blogs.

Know what I'm sayin'?

End of rant.

Please show my friend, New Country Mama Manitoulin some love.  She's new around here. :)

Some other interesting facts about MarcAngelo Foods:

The Great Grocery Giveaway

With the school year coming to a close, and kids ready for Summer, you'll no doubt want to look into cottage rentals and vacation plans for the family!  I may be a bit biased, but if you're planning a road trip, Manitoulin Island should be on your bucket list!

Experience Manitoulin Island

Bayside Resort

Beauty and Comfort: The Cabins