Amidst The Chaos

AD: Baking with my kids is hands down one of my favourite activities to do together. It reminds me of my childhood when I'd spend hours in the kitchen helping my mom with the baked goods. And now we finally have our dream kitchen to make it all happen in. A space that not only works for our family to make food together, but a place to create lifelong memories too! This wouldn't have been financially possible for us unless we had planned years ago by opening up a TFSA account and investing in RRSP's. If you are wanting to save for something big, start the conversation now with The Co-operators. One of their financial representatives can help you make sure that you are one step closer to your dreams with making your money work best for you! https://lnk2.io/wxPhWZT #savefortomorrow #cooppartner The Co-operators

Hey ATC Community! To kick of 2021, I decided to start a fitness motivation group here on Facebook after posting on my Instagram stories about it and have over 100 women who are joining! Our first challenge is going to be 30 minutes for 30 days to get us all moving! It's free - no sign ups required, just a place to keep us all accountable, inspired and build a sense of community (you may even find a walking buddy who lives close to you).... If you want to join, just let me know and I can add you! Let's get moving together this year!

AD: We finished our dream kitchen this past Fall and let me tell you, we are absolultely THIRLLED with how it all turned out! We had been designing this space for so long and it's been incredible to watch it all come to life before our eyes. But more than just planning the design, we have been planning financially for this renovation for years. The truth is that for any large scalle project in the home, you have to start saving long before the first designs are ever drawn up.... That's why we decided to open up a TFSA account and invest in RRSP's years before this kitchen design was even a remote possibility. So if you are wanting to save for a big project in your home, I'd encourage you to chat with one of the financial representatives at The Co-operators. They can help you with your financial goals and help your money go to work for you! #savefortomorrow #cooppartner https://lnk2.io/wV48PfD The Co-operators See more

Reflections on 2020 WHAT A YEAR! So much loss, so much tragedy. So much down right weird-a$$ stuff happened:... - Carole Baskin/ Tiger King - Toilet Paper madness - Wearing masks & staying six feet apart - Speaking Moistly thank you Prime Minister Trudeau - Murder Hornets There was death, there was unrest, there was division between politics, race, religion, etc. So much stress and anxiety. So many unknowns. BUT - 2020 wasn’t all bad. In fact, I’d argue that amongst one of the hardest years this world has ever faced, beautiful things emerged: - Unexpected family time - The fight for social justice - Tye-Dye & sweatpants made a comeback - The emergence of front line heroes It was the year where everything quite literally slowed to a halt and where the noise of the regular hustle bustle quieted and we could think. Focus. Prioritize what mattered and what didn’t. We zoom called, we caravanned birthday parties, we TikTok’d the silliest dance moves. We marched and rallied. We brought brilliant minds together to fight for our health. In a year where our glaring differences were put on clear display, I think it’s also a year where many more of us rallied together - for change, for rights, for love, for a better future, for each other. While I’m happy to say goodbye to 2020, I’m also really grateful for the time, lessons and Togetherness that it brought. #happynewyear2020 #newyearseve2020 #2020memes #2020vision #hindsightis2020

How to make super inexpensive air fresheners!

We are sharing our family getaway to Niagara Falls Niagara Falls Tourism on the blog! Everything from the best places to view the Falls to great places to grab a bite to eat to the must-see attractions! I’ve also included information a lot of safety information concerning Covid-19 - what is required at various places, their safety measures and tips on best times to visit! #exploreniagara #discoveron *partner

GIVEAWAY ALERT With the start of August, we are thrilled to be celebrating with our friends their 10th anniversary for their auto shop RJ's Auto Tech (https://www.facebook.com/rjsautotechinc/) Can you believe that we only recently got our winter tires replaced?! Thankfully, Rj’s were able to get us in right away and make sure our van was in tip top shape! We’ve always been thrilled with the service we’ve received there and are excited to share with you two ways we are cel...ebrating with them: 1 GIVEAWAY - We are giving away one of their Maintenance package + a set of Windshield wipers (valued at $100). Here’s how to enter: Follow Amidst The Chaos + RJ's Auto Tech Inc (https://www.facebook.com/rjsautotechinc/) Like this post Tag your friends in the comments below for bonus entries (one per comment) Contest closes August 10th, 2020 at 11:59pm EST. Winner will be contact via DM. open to Canadian residents 18+. Not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook. 2 Head over RJ's Auto Tech Inc Inc to enter to win a BBQ Prize pack!

AD: Back to school season is almost here and it's that time where parents are starting to think through the various school items they need for the kiddos. The single most challenging item for our kids has always been what to do about lunches! With all three kids, each has such different food likes and dislikes and so this year I'm switching over to #sistemabentobox, specifically their most popular 1.7L Bento Box with five different compartments including a small container wi...th a screw-top lid, perfect for yogurt or apple sauce. My kids love eating smaller, more snack like lunches and I find that this systemn is perfect for it with it's multiple compartments that keeps everything separated. Bonus is that there's zero waste, including from the smaller yogurt packages I used to buy. You can find Sistema Plastics at your local grocery store and start getting creative with your kids when it comes to school lunches! #sistema https://lnk2.io/wCdFPLq

Ontario parents, how do you feel about this?

How my fellow Xennials doing out there?!

I mean, it’s a legitimate question right now, amiright?! Has your school district decided yet what is happening for back to school? How are you feeling about it? Quote credit City Girl Gone Mom

How to Freehand a Wall Mural Tutorial This is the second time I hand painted (and sketched) a custom mural on my daughters wall. Many of you have asked how I did it (and no, I did NOT use a projector) so I thought I'd share the process with you! Honestly, I'm NOT an artist at all. This is much easier than people think it is. It only cost about $20 in painting supplies (saving me over $400 in wallpaper) and it's a completely custom look! Come check out how easy it really is! ... *LINK IN FIRST COMMENT*

Opening today, Pickering Museum Village is now offering drive-thru, immersive storytelling experiences for the whole family! Read more on the blog and book your tour today! Pickering Museum Village

Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian friends here

PERUVIAN GIRLS BEDROOM REVEAL You guys, I am SO excited to share this room with you! It is by far one of my top favourite room I’ve ever done! There were MANY times during the last eight weeks that I doubted myself. I’m not one to follow decor trends and often find myself actually trying to break decor rules. My home doesn’t look like many others home decor bloggers out there - while everyone is more monotone, I’m just throwing the entire rainbow at the walls in th...is room! There really wasn’t much out there for inspo when it came to Peruvian home decor for a girls room...so I searched and searched and searched some more for the perfect items. It was NOT an easy task, especially during lockdown with only online shopping available for most of this. I even swapped out the big mirror minutes before taking the pictures today! But I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is truly a one of a kind, kinda room and my daughter freaked out when she saw it. To quote my 10 year old my room is the BOMB mom! I’ll take that as a job well done! Head to the blog to see all the details, including three goals I hope will inspire you to create your own unique space in your home! @oneroomchallenge @betterhomesandgardens #bhgorc #oneroomchallenge #peruvian #interiordesigners #interiordecorating #interiordesigninspiration #ihavethisthingwithcolor See more

AD: Happy (almost) Canada Day! Woo-hoo! While Canada Day might look a little different this year with at-home celebrations, it doesn't mean it can't still be an amazing time to celebrate with your family. We decided to enlist the help of our Amazon Echo, Echo Show and Echo Studio with #alexa to help us plan the perfect at-home Canada Day celebrations! She had curated playlists of our favourite Canadian artists, recipes for our favourite Canadian dishes and she even sang t...he national anthem for us while giving many important facts about our beloved country! To top it off, we brought the new Echo Studio with Amazon Alexa outside to crank up the tunes and get the party started (just make sure you bring it back in when the party's over)! While it might not look the same as your usual celebrations, you can still make sure you celebrate #canadaday this year at home with #amazonalexa! To learn more, head to https://lnk2.io/wNXrLNF and get your party started! #alexa99 See more

#sponsored Well, 2020 hasn’t turned out to be the year we had hoped for, but that doesn’t mean the future isn’t bright It looks like better days are just around the corner. Given all that’s happened recently, we’ve been thinking a lot about our future, our finances, and our retirement. Are we making wise financial decisions today that will give us the freedom we hope for tomorrow? With so much uncertainty lately, The Co-operators want you to know that they have your best int...erest at heart with their Segregated Funds. These investments guarantee protection on 75 to 100% of your contributions. They can help you achieve your financial goals while providing safety and security during uncertain times in the market. We may not know how the rest of this year will play out, but it is possible to have confidence in your financial portfolio. Insurance for our investments means less time worrying about what our money is doing now and more time enjoying life with these kids making memories that will last forever. #protectyourmoney The Co-operators See more

EDUCATE // Black Lives Matter Have you ever gone to buy band-aids, only to find none that matched your skin colour? Have you ever tested numerous foundation shades only to realize there is not a single one that matches your skin?... Have you ever tried to buy nude undergarments but realized that the colour nude actually looks white on you and doesn’t blend in? Have you ever looked down the doll aisle and found none of the dolls looked like you? If you answered no to any of those questions, you have lived with privilege. When I think about it, I’ve NEVER wonder about any of these things. Band-aids have always matched my skin tone, I’ve never struggled to find the perfect shade of foundation, nude undergarments are actually nude on me and the doll aisle at the store is filled with hundreds of dolls that look just like me. Today I had wanted to focus on education when it comes to #blacklivesmatter. I thought about all the books and tv shows I could share with you or letting you know all the stats I’ve learned the last few days about the history of black people. But I’m a visual learner and sometimes imagery is worth a thousands words and can open your mind to see things you’ve never really seen or understood before. I’m still hearing so many say But all lives matter! Yes, you’re right. We all matter. But for so many years our black friends haven’t mattered. They haven’t had the privilege of having band-aids made for them, nor foundation colours that match nor toys that look like them. Obviously the history of oppression goes far beyond matching products and inclusive garments and dolls. It’s far more nuanced and complex and worth you studying and understanding all that has led to this point where we are today. But when my friends go to the store and can’t find readily accessible items for their needs like so many of us white people can, we can’t keep screaming but my white life matters too. We know it does. It always has. But their’s hasn’t for far too long. And it’s time we change that. 1st image: @ohhappydani / 2nd image: @lifewithlibby / 3rd image: @colourpopcosmetics / 4th image: @thirdlove / 5th image: @barbie

It’s been rough and we aren’t even halfway through. But what if changing our perspective on this year could help it go from one of the worst to one of the most important?

#blackouttuesday

Dear Black Community, On behalf of all silent white people, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that we’ve stayed silent for so long. I’m sorry that we didn’t understand (or pause to understand) the full extent of what was happening until now.... I’m sorry that we let our privilege dictate our stance on the matter - if it’s not happening to me, then it’s not happening at all. I’m sorry it’s taken #GeorgeFloyd #ChristianCooper and #AhmaudArbery to finally get us to see what’s been happening for years to the black community. I’m sorry that we live in a world where I grew up believing the police were here to protect me but you’ve been taught how to fear them. I’m sorry that we haven’t spoken up for fear of saying the wrong thing, now knowing that not speaking up at all IS the wrong thing. I'm sorry. On behalf of all of us who have stayed quiet for far too long - I really am truly sorry. And I won’t stay silent any more. It’s not ok. And today we vow to stand WITH you, to help rally with this army that will no longer tolerate this kind of treatment (and even the lesser injustices that don't make the news) for ANY person of colour. We vow to check our own biases on the daily - because we all have them and we don’t realize how those little seeds in our minds can affect our views on important matters like this. We vow to keep talking about this - long after it’s disappeared from headlines. We vow to see you, to listen to you, to understand you and to become your greatest allies. We vow that make your fight our fight too. Because injustice anywhere, is a threat to justice EVERYWHERE. - MLK, Jr.

Noooo!! Not again! But out of curiosity what colours do you see? Pink and white or grey and blue? * my answer in the first comments

And there you have it - Not surprised, but definitely have some very sad kids over here

Sweet & Tangy Meatballs I grew up eating these and so it’s only natural that I’d make them for my kids now. Even my pickiest eater eats these with zero hesitation! Check it out for an easy meal tonight!

Week 2 of the One Room Challenge is live on the blog! We are sharing all about the Peruvian theme - how we came up with it (hint, it actually wasn't my idea) and how was are starting to plan and source for the project during this pandemic!