Calling All Jewel Kade Catalog Hostesses

Raised to believe that a man needed to look after a woman and that, as her mother used to tell her, ‘single women have no status’, Philippa Sklaar felt that any man was better than no man. If a man looked after her, she owed him. So, for financial security and, admittedly, her relationship addiction, Philippa tolerated abuse, became whoever her husband wanted her to be and lost herself along the way. Her book,…

Invited out for a birthday surprise picnic yesterday - and went Boo-less. Turns out doing so feels marginally more odd than it does to attend an event pants-less, covered in Greek yoghurt, suspended from a car aerial.

With my return to work only 81 days, 7 hours and 43 minutes away (me? bovved?), Betty's Nan is at the helm every Thursday, leaving me to shower at my leisure, apply make up while not driving and emit a puke free…

This recent article on Babble Mom Crunch was most refreshing — and provided a jolly good laugh — for a work-at-home blogging mom like me. Why refreshing? Well, it’s been a beautiful albeit hard-to-define line of work! A lot of people ask me what I do for a living. Somehow, it’s been tricky to define what I do exactly, especially since a lot of people…

Who says that baby food has to be bland? Why not spice it up? Spices add variety, expose babies to a range of different tastes, and also give them a head start on becoming used to the flavours of family meals, which he or she will eventually eat alongside the family. There are so many "do's and dont's" when it comes to what and when to feed your baby. While I agree that you should limit certain foods due to possible allergic reactions, I also think that you shouldn't deprive your baby's…

Do you remember that frighteningly titled infographic “Sitting Will Kill You”? That was almost a year ago and it scared the daylight out of me. I won’t get into to the details (there’s that fine infographic for that) but essentially, the news is that we have all become way too sedentary for our own good, so much so that not even the recommended 30 minutes of exercise…

Talon, come fly with me – Review by Martha A. Cheves,  Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A  Dish

I have a friend who just found out a relative's cancer has returned. The diagnosis isn't good - the doctors have given him four months to live.

The news was just beginning to sink in . "Four months," she told me. "That's basically a summer. One summer, and he'll be gone."

I know what she's going through - somewhat. Sometimes the people we think we'll have around us forever disappear in a heartbeat. Seven years ago, my beautiful, fun-loving sister laid down with…

When I first met Taylor Greenberg Goldy, I asked her to speak to the person in charge of ChariTotes. Little did I know that this young, bright, 17 year old was the brainchild behind ChariTotes Design-A-Bag!

What a great story…

If you have been reading us for a while, it’s pretty clear to you that we love products and businesses with a good story. This is one such GREAT story AND cause. It’s about Arzu Studio Hope.

Arzu (which means hope in Dari, a variety of the Persian language spoken in Afghanistan)…

When I got the SodaStream I was surprised at how easy it was to put together, I only had to do a few things…

First session of baby massage, a pot of fruit and bottle of chilled water picnic, then a snooze in the pram as we wander the park in the gorgeous March sunshine.

How absolutely not even a little tiny bit rubbish is her life?

Click here for full…

Organize your home on a dime with these clever ideas!

I wrote my next interior design post:

11 Easy Storage and Organizing Ideas for Every Room…

The Bean has been keeping me awake nights with tossing and turning and teething and not being happy about going back into her own bed. Add in the early morning bed invasion of the Peanut and I don't get a lot of sleep or a chance to doze lazily in the mornings. I don't mind, I really don't there's something sweet about the whole family snuggled up first thing in the morning. The Bean and the Peanut giggle at each other, I get a few stories out of the Peanut and then we're up and starting the…

This is a fantastic "Green" Doll house that is wonderful for both boys and girl. Very educational, Green Manufacturing, Ec0-Friendly, Well Made, it's no wonder that it has repeatedly wins the Oppenheim Toy Platinum Award year after year.

http://harpergracebaby.com/item_705/Green-Dollhouse-with-Furniture.

(Sustainable living is an important concept that should be…

We only have TWO more days to get as many new Facebook PAGE LIKE’S as we can before the end of Facebook’s Small Business Boost Contest. We could win $10,000 in free Facebook advertising for our small, Mom owned business.

I’m sure many of you know that being a full time Mom and owning a small business takes a lot of hard work and dedication. As Mom’s & small business owners this would be…

I am still in the process of finishing my home studio space, where I design and make my jewelry.  Here are pictures, my paint scheme and my theme centered around a piece of art my daughter painted.  Jewelry is an accessory that is meant to express beauty and personality, and I think my studio shows that too!  I wouldn't recommend that new paint with primer however...I still ended up having to use primer before the "paint with primer"...so it wasn't worth the extra cost.  More pictures coming…