Since working with Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon , I discovered that they have a wonderful initiative called Home for Dinner , where we can celebrate the tradition of sharing a meal together while supporting a great cause.  And with Thanksgiving just around the corner, I thought it would be the perfect time to combine my passions for hosting and charitable giving to help benefit families that are staying at RMH BC. This idea really inspired me to gather my generous friends for a “Friendsgiving” dinner along with some amazing charitable partners like the Stanley Park Brewing Restaurant & Brewpub, Taffete Designs and Riversol to create a memorable night of giving; and hopefully, motivate others to host their very own Home for Dinner fundraising event this holiday season.

​The first thing I learned about being a parent to a toddler now, is that they love to make a mess! However, to them, they aren’t making a mess at all but simply exploring the world around them. And let me tell you, trying to keep the house and the baby clean is next to impossible…so what do we do? Well, I discovered that it is important to let them make a mess. This is crucial to their learning and development, but make sure you surround them in a safe environment where they can make mistakes and learn to “tidy up” afterwards (1). Today I partnered up with AVEENO® Baby® to share with you how I like to clean up Adelina’s messy moments with products I trust! 

Fall is my favourite time to travel because it’s not so busy, the prices are lower at hotels and the weather is still gorgeous.  With my husband having time off and Adelina is now over a year old, I thought this would be the perfect time to take her on our first vacation together and we chose Parksville Qualicum Beach because it holds a special place in our hearts. We first fell in love with the city in 2010 and have returned every other year (our sixth visit this time) and every time we come back we discover something new and exciting. And speaking of new, this time we discovered the Sunrise Ridge Waterfront Resort located along the famous resort drive and had a fabulous 2 night stay at their spacious and modern west coast style 2-bedroom suite!  Just a short ferry ride from Vancouver, Parksville in my opinion is the most family-friendly part of Vancouver Island and delights family with tons of options and activities to eat play and stay. What I also love about Parksville is that you don't need a ton of planning because there is so much to do and see and just a quick Google search and you will find plenty of great hotels, restaurants and activities for kids and adults.  So if you are thinking of traveling this fall with your little ones, make sure to make Parksville Qualicum Beach your most desired destination.

​Adelina turned 1 in June and I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you some wisdom I have learned through this amazing year of new motherhood. Now for those that don’t have kids yet or are still pregnant, you may not understand the importance of establishing a routine.  When a baby is born their world is chaotic. Therefore, babies will thrive on anything that gives them structure, rhythm and predictability to understand their new environment outside of the womb (1) Today, I am partnering up with AVEENO® BABY® to share with you Adelina’s bath time fun. Hopefully it will help some parents-to-be and new parents establish a great bath time routine with baby, so both you and baby can enjoy a good night’s sleep!

On a beautiful June afternoon  with my eyes barely opened after an emergency C-section,  I finally got to see the little life I was carrying within me for 9 months and 4 days; and at that moment, I understood every parent’s heart!  As I laid there unable to move, still drugged up from  medication and with all the chaos around me (nurses, husband, family and a baby crying) all I could think about was how lucky I was to have a healthy baby!  However not all of us are so lucky and sometimes the unthinkable happens and that is why I wanted to work with Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon!  Established in 1983 (the year I was born), RMH BC serves as a home away from home for BC and Yukon families who must leave their homes in seek of serious medical treatment for their child in Vancouver.  They also have a more intimate Family Room at Surrey Memorial Hospital which is the main reason that caught my attention in the first place because that is where Adelina was born.  After my traumatic birth experience, I was so thankful for the staff at the Surrey Memorial and was hoping to give back even in a small way  the best I can and when their newsletter showed up in my inbox, I knew it was meant to be! 

*​Make sure you read till the end for a special announcement and how you can help benefit the house this season!