Sunday, September 29, 2013

Taking Time for Mom and Dad

For the first time in over three years, the hubs and I had the opportunity to get away for the weekend with good friends and no children. As much as I love my little boys, to say Mom and Dad needed some time away is a major understatement.

Our weekend away was just what we needed; peace, tranquillity, good food and good people.

And I'm certain the grin on my face was huge when we came home to our two little men bounding towards us with hearts full of love and happiness.

It's amazing how much more connected the hubs and I feel, after hanging our Mom and Dad hats up, for just a few days. After four and a half years of parenthood we have days, even weeks where we barely talk. Our lives circle around the amazing little creatures we have the honour of raising into men, but in so many ways they strip us of ourselves. Of the people we fell in love with and the traits that make us unique.

I knew that a weekend away would help us find ourselves, but for some reason, I didn't expect that we would find each other.

And I'm so happy we did.

There's no way we're waiting that long for another weekend away.

Friday, September 27, 2013

RESP's for our Children's Future | #SaveWithRBC

When my Mom graduated high school, she wanted to go to art school, but she had no money. There was no scholarship, no savings, no student loan. She never went to art school.

When I graduated high school, I went to University and I earned my degree; quite simply because my Mom saved money when there wasn't enough to go around, so that we could have the choice. She put away a little bit of money each and every month, sometimes only $5, to give us the opportunity she never had. And for that, I thank her (and my Dad who was working his tail off to make the money in the first place).

When my boys were born, one of the first things I did was apply for a social insurance number on their behalf and opened up a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) to start saving for their future education, whatever that may be. If my Mom taught me one thing, she taught me that every penny counts and the earlier you start saving, the more time that money has to grow.

Are YOU saving for your child's future education?
Did you know that as a Canadian, YOUR CHILD could receive FREE money from the government?  The Canada Education Savings Grant will match up to 20% on the first $2,500 that is contributed annually. Your child can earn up to $500 a year, to a lifetime maximum of $7,200!

Here's a tangible example, if you contribute $25 a week into your child's RESP, that money can grow to over $50,000 in 18 years, which should be enough to at least get your child started on the education of their dreams. And that includes a career in the trades or an apprenticeship program. If your child doesn't pursue post-secondary education, the funds you contributed can be transferred to an RRSP or a sibling's RESP depending on your plan.

Growing up with a Mom who worked in banking, it was instilled in me early on that it was important to 'pay your bills before you spend your cash', so our RESP contributions are on automatic payment and have been since day one. The good folks at RBC can help you set up an RESP-matic if that sounds like just the thing you need to start getting money in the bank.

I know talking money and saving for the future in today's economy sometimes feels like a bit of a a pipe dream, but I know first hand that every little bit can help your child make their dreams a reality and I'm very excited to be part of the select blogger team that has teamed up with RBC to spread the word about RBC RESPs.

If you are ready to #SaveWithRBC you can check out their website and chat with them on Twitter at @RBC_Canada .

“Disclosure: I am part of the RBC RESP blogger program with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.”

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

5 Things You Don't Know About Me

I recently had the honour of being nominated as one of Vancouver's Top Mom Bloggers by Vancouver Moms; it is an absolute honour to stand among so many talented and unique local women. Since attending GLAM I have found myself inspired to continue with the development of the Momma Stuff Blog and perhaps more importantly, I feel a sense of community and camaraderie with my fellow nominees that I hadn't even realized I was missing.

In the spirit of sharing, I have joined up with 9 of my fellow nominees to link up and share 5 Things You Don't Know About Me. To find out more about my amazing new friends, you simply need to click on a face below to delve into someone else's secrets.


Now that's you've learned a little bit more about me, click around and discover a little bit more about some of the other local ladies!
|Raj at Pink Chai | Shannon at Truthfully | Danielle at Motherless Moments |
| Cher at EcoBravo | Heather at Mother Your Business | Sarah at More Than Your Average Mom |
| Salma at Real Life For Mom | Jackie at Savvy Suburban Mama |