The best hotels in North Vancouver, British Columbia, including which areas of North Vancouver to stay and which North Vancouver hotels we personally recommend. I was born in North Vancouver, grew up in North Vancouver, and – after living abroad and having many overseas adventures – live in North Vancouver again, since 2020. Despite spending most of my teen years desperate to leave, now that I have my own kid, I have a new appreciation for North Vancouver, and have trouble naming another place in the world that is so safe, and so naturally beautiful (although most of Norway probably qualifies ..read more

Creating a family mission statement is a worthwhile family activity that helps foster happy, healthy relationships with one another. By working through the process together as a family, you’ll have to define your values, priorties and expectations of one another, and come up with a plan to live your values and stay on track with family goals. Embracing the Why’s in Life I don’t know about you, but I’ve always had a bit of an independent, anti-authority streak. If someone – a teacher, a boss, any authority figure, really – wanted me to do something that I thought was unreasonable, I always want ..read more

A list of home bar essentials. Home bar checklist to make awesome cocktails at home, including spirits, mixers, liqueurs, garnishes & tools. When my husband and I bought our first home, we were excited to start entertaining friends. And, I must admit, having a good home bar stocked with all the essential spirits and accessories felt like the epitome of great entertaining. There’s really something special about pouring yourself or your friends a favorite cocktail in the comfort of your own home. And learning the difference between a Negroni and a Cosmopolitan – and developing some basic bar ..read more

Best dishwasher detergent for every family. Testing, comparison, and reviews of 10 brands, with 3 clear winners (that are environmentally friendly, too)! About a year ago, I noticed our dishes were…kinda gross. Somehow, whatever brand we’d been using was leaving residue on our glassware, dishes and utensils. It resulted in a bit of a soapy taste being added to pretty much everything. Not ideal when you’re hoping for clean dishes! Needless to say, we switched brands. But honestly, I just kind of randomly chose an unscented “natural” brand, figuring that would fix the problem. Since then, I’ve s ..read more

This faux pallet wall makes a gorgeous wood feature wall to hang your TV (and hide the cords), and is an easy DIY that can be done over one weekend. This post contains step by step instructions how to make a faux pallet wood accent wall and wood plank TV wall mount, using store bought planks instead of pallet wood. Faux Pallet Wood TV Wall At our last house, our living room had vaulted ceilings with a brick fireplace that formed a perfect accent wall and natural focal point in the room. Having a natural focal point made it easy to know where to center furniture, and was the perfect s ..read more

Meet your new favorite cleaning hack: the steam clean oven! My steam clean oven method is the best natural way to clean an oven, and is so very easy. This method uses a steam cleaning machine and very little effort to clean your oven without chemicals. It will also work on surfaces throughout your whole home! Clean Your Oven: A Cautionary Tale I vividly remember buying our first house, and the process of heading into other people’s homes to see if it would one day become our home. On the day of our first showing, I was so excited to get there. Me being me, I was super excited to check out ..read more

Frozen onion rings in air fryer is the secret to perfect onion rings, every time. Step-by-step instructions for easy air fryer onion rings. Onion Rings Are an Ultimate Comfort Food! When I want pub grub, most of the time I’ll choose french fries as my side. There’s something so delicious about a great burger with fries…it’s hard to beat! Once in a while, however, I love (LOVE!) to add onion rings to my order. Or, my favorite “I need a treat” move, half fries and half onion rings. Frozen Onion Rings and a Side of Nostalgia For some reason, onion rings remind me of my childhood. I have this very ..read more

Spiked Dole Whip with Rum Disney Copycat Recipes. This Boozy Dole Whip with Rum cocktail recipe is the adult version you’ve been waiting for! If you love the Disney Dole Whip, but would like a more grown up (aka: with alcohol) version, this Boozy Dole Whip with Rum cocktail recipe is the adult version you’ve been waiting for! A blend of pineapple, banana, coconut milk and rum, it’s a refreshing, summer drink that will make you feel like you’re on permanent vacation! Let’s get this party started! Fact: Disney Dole Whips are Delicious It’s been a couple years since I’ve been to Disney and ..read more

This vodka orange crush cocktail is a copycat recipe based on the Ocean City, Maryland, classic. Made with fresh orange juice, vodka, triple sec, lemon lime soda, and crushed ice, these Crushes are as close to the original orange crush cocktail recipe as I can find! Easy, delicious, and so refreshing on a hot day! Nothing says I’m enjoying a hot day better than sitting seaside with a refreshing summer cocktail in hand, am I right? And if you can load up on Vitamin C while you’re at it? It’s practically healthy! The Orange Crush cocktail is a delicious and refreshing treat on a summer day, just ..read more

Nothing says game day like a plate piled high with super crispy chicken wings, fresh carrot and celery sticks, and some yummy dip! If you want to make perfect air fryer frozen chicken wings (or fresh), this is the post for you! Instructions for both air fryer frozen chicken wings and homemade fresh chicken wings in air fryer. I’m not going to lie…I love chicken wings. In fact, I’m a huge fan of pub grub appetizers in general. Back in our childless days, my husband and I would hit the pub and share a plate of chicken wings and a plate of nachos for an ultimate, not at all healthy, but oh so del ..read more