Samantha McKeag | Product Reviews

Product/Service Reviews & Editorials

As a new mother and a newish writer at the time, I entered into a collaboration with Ottawa Mommy Club Blog in which I would provide product/services reviews related to family-centered products and services. I also was given the opportunity to publish a number of blog articles through this blog, as well.

A few years back, I also ran my own blog called The Pensive Mama. If you would like to read articles from this blog, click here

Product/Service Review Articles

Service Review: Titus Mountain, Malone, New York

Three days on a snow-capped mountain experiencing the top-notch, high-quality service at Titus Mountain Family Ski Resort

Product Review: Kidslox

Before doing this review, I was not “with it” when it came to app blockers and parental control app. My son, who is 6, is generally pretty limited on what he does on his tablet – by his own choosing. He can’t spell on his own yet and he hasn’t fully grasped the idea of the world-wide web. But as he’s getting older, I am starting to think it might be good for me to become familiar with these parental control apps in case I need to find one in a hurry.

A boy on his bike posing with his camp counsellor

Service Review: Pedalheads Bike Camp

My son just loves his bike. Well, anything with wheels is his jam, really, and anything to do with sports. He is, what I call, a cautious risk-taker, calculating and analyzing the risk before taking it. I made a point of teaching him one thing that he could carry through his life in more areas than when: When you fall, get back up and try again immediately – before fear sets in. He’s also been gifted with a sense of coordination I have never before seen in a child.

Product Review: Ottawa Children's Festival Machine De Cirque

The Ottawa Children’s Festival is an event Ottawa families wait all year for and in it’s 33rd year, this year was no different; except that this year I was offered an opportunity to see a performance I may not have otherwise seen – and it was exceptional! I was asked by Ottawa Mommy Club to attend a performance put on by Machine de Cirque – a group of five guys from Quebec who mix acrobatics, theatrics, and comedy to put on a show suitable for every age – and did they ever!

Editorials

Mother with newborn baby curled up on chest

"Breast Isn't Always Best"

Since the dawn of time, women have produced life-sustaining nourishment for their babies. This nourishment helps a baby grow, creates a bond between mother and baby, alleviates financial stressors, and is said to have many life-long benefits. But, what if breastfeeding was such a bad experience that you would rather accept “failure” then continue, regardless of the potential benefits?

Should Your Next Home Be a New-Build or an Existing Home?

When you have finally figured that part out, there are even more questions: Where do you buy – Kanata, Barrhaven, Orleans? What do you buy – a townhouse, a bungalow, a single family home, a duplex? Why is a house in Kanata $600,000 for the same kind of house you would buy in Convent Glen, Orleans, for $320,000? And one of the biggest questions facing many new buyers these days: Should You Buy a New Home or an Existing Property?