Countdown to New Year 2018! Disclaimer - As a member of the Netflix Stream Team, I receive special perks through my affiliation. All thoughts and opinions expressed on this blog are my own. Another year has come and gone, and boy, was it an eventful one. No doubt you've been thinking of how you'll be celebrating the countdown to New Year 2018. New Year's celebrations … [Read more...]
Some Special Items for the Romantic Person on Your List #LoveHallmarkCA
Guest post by Anita, who is a true romantic. Please note that a few of us will be posting for Christine while she recovers from her concussion and whiplash. Sincerely, Anita xo Hi. I'm Anita, and I am a hopeless romantic. Since this year I'm not celebrating Valentine's Day with a partner, I'm celebrating with my girlfriends. That's right. We're calling it "Galentine's … [Read more...]
Holiday Entertaining ~ Tips & Recipes for a Fabulous Party
Entertaining is something I absolutely love. Though we live in a very modest old farm house, our home is always filled with people. At times, it seems our home is busting at the seams with the volume of people we host. I love it though, and I'm always excited about holiday entertaining! Since I love holiday entertaining (and entertaining in general) so much, I wanted to … [Read more...]
Revitalized: Rest and Relaxation at Casino Rama
It's been a pretty stressful year so far. Since Hubby's accident in February, life has been tough. Work, work, work. Farm, farm, farm. Family, family, family. It's easy to lose one's self when there is little to no down time. When the opportunity to sharpen up social media and marketing skills AND get some rest and relaxation at Casino Rama presented itself, you bet I … [Read more...]
Summer Entertaining #Snapware
Summer is finally here, and that means it's time for Summer entertaining. One of the things I love most about Summer is enjoying home-cooked meals on the patio and sharing good food, conversation, and laughs with loved ones. Whether you're doing some outdoor dining on the patio, or packing a picnic lunch for a family hike, or going to a potluck BBQ party, it's important to … [Read more...]
10 Years
On this day, ten years ago, I was preparing to get married to the kindest, sweetest, smartest man I had ever met. 10 years! I can hardly believe it's been that long already. Time has flown by. A lot has transpired in the span of ten years. It hasn't always been an easy journey. Not only has there been a lot of adjusting to married life, but I've had to adjust to life … [Read more...]
Filipino Spring Roll Bites
The reason I call these Filipino Spring Roll Bites is that these appetizers are bite-sized versions of the Filipino favourite. Lumpia, also known as spring rolls, come in the vegetable version and the meat version. I love the vegetable lumpia and my husband and daughter love the meat version (Lumpia Shanghai). Ever since I was a little girl, experiencing my Mom and her … [Read more...]
Good Neighbours & Learning to Accept Help
A good neighbour is a priceless treasure. -Chinese Proverb The past week has shown us many unexpected acts of kindness and has made us aware of the fact that we have such good neighbours. After Hubby's accident on Valentine's Day, our family was touched by many people extending their wishes for a speedy recovery and support in many forms. Our first surprise was a flower … [Read more...]
Buoys Eatery – A Manitoulin Gem
Back in 2004, I left Toronto and moved to an island in the middle of Lake Huron. Never would I have guessed back then that I would make so many meaningful connections with people on all ends of the island. One of those special connections is with Buoys Eatery in Gore Bay. I'm the person who went to Singapore because I wanted real Singapore noodles and so I could say I had … [Read more...]
When the farm must go on without the farmer
Most farming families talk about the "what ifs" in farming. What if something happens to one family member and they can no longer farm? What if there was an accident or even a death? What does one do when the farm must go on without the farmer? The past week has proven to be one filled with many challenges. On Valentine's Day, Hubby went out to the bush to cut fire wood, … [Read more...]
Happy Year of the Monkey 2016! Plus a Beef & Broccoli Recipe!
Gung Hei Fat Choi! Happy New Year! As we welcome the Year of the Monkey, we wish you a happy, healthy New Year. Living on Manitoulin Island, I wanted to make sure that Little One is aware of her cultural heritage and that she embraces her roots. Yes, she was born in Canada and is Canadian, but she also has Filipino, Chinese, Caribbean, Scottish, English and even a bit of … [Read more...]
#MySweetValentine PayPal Giveaway {Open Worldwide}
Christmas and New Year are two of my favourite holidays. With the holidays just behind us, and Winter definitely here to stay for a while, I'm dreaming of warmer and sunnier days and ways to add a little sunshine to the lives of others. What better way to brighten up someone's day than by having a fun PayPal giveaway? Some blog friends and I have teamed up to give one … [Read more...]
Frozen Birthday Party
Though Disney's Frozen first wowed kids of all ages back in 2013, the hit animated movie is still very popular. In fact, the songs Do You Want to Build a Snowman, Let it go, For the First Time in Forever and all the other songs from the movie still play in our house (on loop, all the time). How Little One never tires of the soundrack or the movie completely baffles … [Read more...]
On Grown-Up Friendships
I remember receiving an e-mail back in the day when Facebook had not made its appearance yet. This was a time when everyone I knew just started using e-mail as their primary form of communication. Phone calls were less frequent, as e-mail was easier and more convenient for many. Texting had not yet become popular, as not many had cell phones at the time. Aunts, uncles, former … [Read more...]
It’s OKAY to cry!
"Shhhh! DON'T CRY!" "STOP CRYING!" "Don't be a baby!" Those are probably words most of us grew up hearing. Many of us were probably raised with the notion that it wasn't okay to cry. Perhaps we were even told to "be strong" or not show our emotions. In some cultures, showing emotions is a sign of weakness. Today, I was on my usual morning walk, but instead of … [Read more...]