As always I get tons of requests for my blog asking me to post something of interest sent to mommies-mail. I love reading each one. Sometimes I get behind a good cause and other times, unfortunately it is a cause I have to pass on because it's not something I currently believe in or time is too short to get into blogging about it. Well this is not a case of the latter.

So what is IAMS HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS? and WHY SHOULD U KNOW ABOUT IT?

Iams home for the holidays is one of the largest pet adoption drives world wide. The program started in the United States and has grown to 3,500 shelters and animal rescue organizations across the globe.

Last year 1.2 million pets were placed in good (forever) homes which is the main goal.  That's crazy!  Well this year the goal has grown to 1.5 million and they are well on their way.

My mother in law is a breeder with heart.  She loves what she does and places many dogs with good families, runs a program to help children with disabilities find furry friends to love and at any given time I can call her up and ask how many feet are pounding around in the snow up in PG where she lives.  One thing she has taught me is a respect for dogs, animals in general and how very much like humans they are, each one needing someone to love and someone to love them.



Many pets are sent to shelters for various reasons. Some abandoned, some beaten or mistreated and others strays born to the streets. All are searching for the same outcome. To find a good and safe home with someone to love them.  And many of these animals are purebred, believe it or not.

Did you know there are as many as 8 million animals needing homes?

That 4 million dogs and cats will be euthenised this year due to shelter over-crowding and lack of awareness of this situation.

That is what IAMS HOME FOR THE HOLIDAY'S is trying to do, reach their goal to find GOOD homes for animals in need.  And you can help. 








This is a great cause and a unique way for combined animal shelters to join forces and help all those animals find good homes.







This year the Canadian Drive of this wonderful campaign will celebrate it's fifth year, partnering with the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, Swiffer and Febreeze.  110 shelters across Canada are participating in this cause.

Hilary Swank (actress) is the ambassador for this amazing drive of adoption for animals.  She has brought awareness to many celebrities and continues to support this cause through videos, interviews and so forth.  But what can you do?

For a list of animal shelters near you participating in HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS please go HERE.   You can help by adopting a pet today!  Or if you are a blogger, visit the website and post the links, spread the word about this drive and allow others the freedom to this information.

If you are searching or wanting to have a pet to become a part of your family then please consider seeking adoption as form of your efforts rather than buying locally from a pet store.

You can follow IAMS HOME FOR THE HOLIDAY'S on Twitter.  They are half way to their goal 1.5 MILLION pets adopted with 713, 528 animals having been adopted so far.  Let's keep that number growing. 

As always I get things in my gmail box that I love to share here. Well today I found another gem. All the email said was if you watch this without getting emotional something is wrong with you...

Great! So Kleenex in hand I pressed play on the video, getting ready to watch another opra singer like from Britian's Got Talent. But what I saw instead was this 40 year old cabinet maker from East Sussex. And let me tell you; his story touched me.

Here is Daryl Markham from the X Factor UK Auditions Season Six

Ahhh I love finding places to go during Christmas and one such place I love to visit yearly is right here in the Valley @ Glenda's Christmas Cottage.

Glenda's holds a special place in my heart because it is where my husband and I purchased our unity bell which was integrated into our wedding ceremony. A beautiful crystal bell that unifies peace and harmony. When we argue or fight with one another, one of us rings the bell. It's to remind us both the vows we spoke to each other and the reasons why we got married.

Well, about a year after we married our son Gamer was playing and we heard a crash! Yep you guessed it. He broke the bell.

Now after six years together; DH and I are going to be celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary on December 22,2009 and we are going for a drive out to Glenda's to replace the bell.

The items at Glenda's can be a bit pricey but the items there are priceless. I cannot wait to go to pick out our new bell!

Glenda's Christmas Cottage is located @ 4557 Mt Lehman Road, Abbotsford, BC It's located on a hobby farm and it's gorgeous! You must check it out.

I was watching Global BC tonight when I saw this story on a woman and her family who each and every year at Christmas do up their land in Langley, BC. A place the young and old can visit, take in the lights, visit with Santa and see the glorious big blue castle resting on their property to welcome guests from every where. And what makes this woman so special is the fact that Cindy is battling Cancer.

We are going to visit Cindy and her family this weekend and take the boys. Admission is free, donations are accepted. The Land of Christmas is open 7 days a week from 5-10pm at 20169 32Ave in Langley, BC.

I will report back on my meeting with Cindy and the wonderful display after we see them. So make sure you check back!

You can read more on the Land of Christmas from the Langley Times HERE

There are few precious moments in a parents life between taking kids to school, paying bills, dentist and doctor appointments, timeouts and report cards. Here is one of mine.









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It's every parents worst fear, worst nightmare. Your child goes missing and you can't find them. It's cold outside and they don't have a jacket on. People are searching, over 100 people out in the freezing cold as a storm settles in and you don't find him, not on the first day.

The second day brings you hope. The family dog your child ran after returns home and rescue ground crew follow the dog and discover the body of your child with a weak pulse. Hope is alive.

This is the story of James Delorey, a seven year old autistic child who went missing in Nova Scotia after chasing the family pet out into the woods right before a winter storm hit the region.

With great sadness, Halifax Children's Hospital made the announcement today that James Delorey has passed away. His parents wish to thank everyone who participated in the search for them and I can only imagine the pain and suffering they must feel. Nobody's fault. Children wander sometimes and can disappear in a split second.

But what made James's situation worse was the boy's condition. James was unable to call for help which left him completely at the mercy of his surroundings without protection.

Halifax Children's Hospital would not make a statement about what measures were taken to resuscitate James, and there have been rare cases of patients with hypothermia surviving but not without severe damage to the organs. Hot fluids and warming blankets are used to warm up a patient suffering from hypothermia. James had a very weak pulse and his small fragile body swept away in the cold most likely could not come back from the damage already done.  The hospital instead is honoring the parents wishes for privacy while they grieve.

My family and I send out our thoughts and prayers to the Delorey's. We as parents know what it must be like to try to survive your worst nightmare the loss of your child. We hope God grants you the strength to carry on without James and pray for your suffering and pain to ease.

The seven year old austic boy who wandered away from his home in Cape Breton Saturday has been found!

James spent over 48 hours in the blistering cold with his dog Chance. James followed Chance which later led to a massive search for the missing boy, not wearing a winter coat or mittens, just his jeans and vest with 100 people helping to find the boy.

James was found with barely a pulse and has been taken the Halifax Children's Hospital. No word yet on his condition improving other than he's suffering with injuries due to the elements.

James was found one kilometer away from a command post that was set up during the search, after his dog Chance finally came home. RCMP followed Chance's footprints which led back to James found lying in the snow bank.

Finding the boy became a grave situation after a snow storm his Nova Scotia hours after the boy went missing and with his debilating austic disorder, James was unable to call out for help.

I am glad he's been found. Our son has aspeger's (not austism) but we are aware of the disease and it's horrible to be trapped inside and not have a way to communicate. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Delorey's and the family has asked the press and public for privacy while their son recovers.

PB (Pickleboy) our three and half year old luvvvvvvvvvvvvs HSM (High School Musical) and yes we have all three and today was marathon day.  By marathon I mean we watched 1 and then 2 and then 3 Senior Year and then did it all over again.

He loves the music.  He knows the characters (Troy, Sharpay, Gabriel, Ryan) and the rest of the Wild Cats!  He sings the songs, hides during the kissing scenes between Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens lmao.  But he mostly loves it when Troy (Zac Efron) sings alone.  That's when PB really grooves.

Here he is dancing to "Bet on It" sung by Zac Efron in HSM 2.  Watch what he does at the end and in the middle when things get serious.  It's too cute!

Pickleboy has Cerebral Palsy.  It's mild compared to thousands of other children who suffer with this debilitating condition.  PB suffers with sore legs daily.  He cannot walk for extended periods of time, but he walks to which we are thankful and he's not confined to a chair.  Cognitively he's fine.  So to see him dancing to something he loves MUSIC warms my heart and makes me emotional.  I will cherish these times during the challenges and struggles we face daily.

Okay for those of you who don't know the sexy, easy on the eyes, gruff voiced, hilarious actor/comedian Dane Cook - well shit let me tell you.  He rocks!

a.) he's sexy

b.) he's sexy and

c.) yes you guessed it he's sexy!

Why is he sexy?  

Because he's funny and I'm the kinda gal who lovessssssssss funny men.  That's why I married my husband because he makes me laugh my ass off when I need it the most, sometimes even shocking me into hysterics with his comedic repertoire toward bellying me out of my depression episodes and into a good mood.

You can follow Dane on Twitter here

View his website here

Ahhh to be a young driver. You have your license and it's new. You are driving mommy or daddy's car or suv and you are at school. You decide "hey I can handle anything." and you step on the gas a little harder than you might normal or what you were taught during those driving lessons from friends or family.

I got a call from a neighbor of mine who was laughing her butt off, not because the situation was particularly funny. But because she couldn't believe how stupid some teenagers are today when placed with the responsibility of driving.

She sent me these...

Pictures courtesy of Kit-Sheila Jantzen