*** Important: If you are thinking about suicide or experiencing a crisis right now, don't wait: Call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest hospital emergency room. There are professionals available who can give you immediate help. *** I've been deeply moved by the recent movement "It gets better." In response to some recent high-profile teen suicides, Dan Savage, a well-known writer and openly gay man, sparked a tremendous viral video campaign in … [Read more...]
The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Packing Lunch
October 13, 2010 by 6 Comments
Call me crazy, but there's something almost soothing about packing children's lunches ... all the little containers, and bite size bits, snugly tucked into a brightly coloured lunch bag. And yet, this does not translate at all to the act of actually packing a lunch for myself. There are countless good, solid reasons for me to pack a lunch: there is no convenient lunch spot near my work, buying lunch is expensive, I need the time to work-out … [Read more...]
Sometimes the best birthday present for your Mom isn’t a present afterall (or a night out in Ottawa: Allium restaurant and Lynne Hanson CD-release concert)
October 11, 2010 by 9 Comments
Lately, I'm finding it tough to pick out gifts for my Mom. It's not that she's picky or hard to find things for ... it's just that I feel like she already has the things she really wants. With all four of her birds out of the nest, she has the freedom to buy the things that catch her eye. So for her birthday this year, I decided that I'd take her out for a night on the town. To come up with ideas, I did what now comes natural to me -- I asked … [Read more...]
And my Canadian heart smiled
October 8, 2010 by 2 Comments
I received an email the today that made my Canadian heart smile. It was from a good friend who remembered my blog posting titled "Excuse me, but you're stepping on my Canadian pride." This post, from March 2010, was an open letter to Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney. The guide for new citizens to Canadians had finally be given a re-haul (it had not been updated since 1995). But not only had this revised version of the … [Read more...]
“Old fashioned” party games
October 3, 2010 by 16 Comments
I've told you about this year's birthday pinata (here goes the mighty angler fish!), but I have yet to tell you about the actual party. Generally, birthdays around here have gone like this: one casual gathering with the family over a BBQ plus one birthday party just for the kids. I don't know about you, but I'm not all Martha-Stewart-let's-have-a-birthday-party kind of gal. In fact, I am all for forking out large sums of money to avoid having … [Read more...]
Things that make you go “hmmm”
September 30, 2010 by Leave a Comment
I have a new post up over at Life As A Human titled "Air travel and things that make you go hmmm." Why not click on over and be my BFF by leaving a comment? Either that or watch this video. Or both. It's a free world, I guess. … [Read more...]
Saguenay series, Part 5: How I learned to let go and love my hiking boots
September 25, 2010 by 6 Comments
In Part 2 of my Saguenay series, I lamented spending my hard earned money on hiking boots instead of super-cute shoes. I also wondered aloud: "...what age the other women would be on the trip? And what level of fitness would they be? Or if maybe I am over-estimating how “rough” the trip will be and they will all be wearing cute yoga pants and flip flops while I stand there like a dork all outfitted up. And mostly, if I looked this ridiculous in … [Read more...]
Pelvic exam without my consent? No longer!
September 23, 2010 by 2 Comments
Photo credit: The Globe & Mail Back in January, I wrote a bit of a concerning post titled "A pelvic exam without my consent?" The concerning part is summed up quite well with this description from a Globe & Mail article: Imagine that you are undergoing a fairly routine surgery – say, removal of uterine fibroids or hysterectomy. During or right after the procedure, while you are still under anesthesia, a group of medical students … [Read more...]
Glamping?
September 21, 2010 by Leave a Comment
In the tradition of Bradgelina (the nickname given to the celebrity couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie), jeggings (a pant that combines the fit of leggings with the look of a jeans) and tweeps (your “peeps” on twitter), we now have “glamping.” Glamping, or glamorous camping, is where one pays the equivalent of a 5-star hotel rate to sleep in a tent. Are these people mad? Maybe ... but I'm one of the converted! Find out why I'm willing to pay … [Read more...]
Winter: If you can’t beat’em, join’em!
September 19, 2010 by 1 Comment
Photo credit: Jean Tanguay I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but winter is just around the corner. My husband thinks this is fantastic news indeed and has already equipped the kids with snowsuits and good hats and mitts. You might recall that I, on the other hand, am not quite as fond of winter. In fact, I spent most of last winter trying not to hate it. And although I still don't love it, to say the least, I did find that joining in … [Read more...]
Saguenay Series, Part 4: Vive le Québec! Vive le Saguenay!
September 19, 2010 by 3 Comments
Okay, so! My trip to Northern Quebec! There is a lot to tell; I almost don't know where to start. But I guess the beginning is always a good place ... I was invited by Quebec's Ministry of Tourism to attend a press trip which would share with me six different family travel ideas from the Saguenay--Lac-Saint-Jean area. But in reality, the trip was so well-organized and the area has so much to offer that I've come home with countless things that … [Read more...]
Mark is a very popular boy
September 18, 2010 by 1 Comment
It looks like I'm not the only one who fell in love with Mark's for women's clothing! You can check out other outfits and opinions at the following Ottawa blogs as well: Andrea at a peek inside the fishbowl has turned out to be my twin sister (albeit a 5' 10" twin sister with supermodel cheekbones!) with the almost identical outfit. Christine, on the other hand, over at Coffees and Commutes is likely in the petite sizes and I'm sure you'll … [Read more...]
My new BFF is named Mark
September 15, 2010 by 17 Comments
When I was younger (and er, smaller), I loved clothes shopping. But now, I only like (love!) shoe shopping. Everything else leaves me feeling very, very grumpy. It is simply not fun to try on 10 pairs of pants just to find one that looks "okay." Not "great" and "fabulous" -- but just okay. And when you have very little spare time, I think you'll agree that this is pretty much the last way you'd want to spend it. To add insult to injury, you … [Read more...]
This Year’s Pinata: The Angler Fish
September 12, 2010 by 18 Comments
The pinata is a bit of a birthday tradition around here. Each year, Stella gets to pick a favourite creature and then she and her Dad create a pinata in its likeness. I'm not sure if we started making them because that's just the way Hubby likes to do things or if it was because we could not find pinatas that appealed to Stella's eccentric unique taste. Either way, this year we have The Angler Fish. Apparently, this is now Stella's favourite … [Read more...]
Saguenay Series, Part 3: The Trip Just Got A Whole Lot Less “Rough”
September 5, 2010 by 4 Comments
I've pretty much done everything possible to avoid packing for my Saguenay trip. I really don't know why I do this. I just do. Once, I left Canada for a whole year and didn't get around to packing until the night before. With school coming up it's been really easy to procrastinate. There are hundreds of thousands of other things to distract myself with. Like labelling. Oh, how I have labelled today! You name it, I've labelled it. Hubby was … [Read more...]
Saguenay Series, Part 2: Getting ready for my adventure
September 4, 2010 by 3 Comments
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I'm the kind of girl who packs the night before. Okay, sometimes even the morning of. So hubby reviewed the itinerary for my upcoming adventure to Saguenay, Quebec on my behalf and suggested that I'd better buy some hiking boots. And also, some waterproof pants and proper rain jacket. Seeing as how I don't think I'll be heading out on lots of adventures involving lots of rain over the next few years, I told him I'd buy some boots, but that … [Read more...]
Saguenay Series, Part 1: It seemed like a good idea at the time
August 31, 2010 by 10 Comments
Once upon a time, I was an adventurous girl. I travelled with a backpack, I slept in forests unknown, and brought big souvenirs home from countries that I loved (my hubby!). I look back at photos from those times and I don't recognize that girl at all. Not one bit. If I look around, I can see that most of my fellow adventure seekers from that era have also mellowed out considerably too. I guess it's simply the passing of time, I suppose. But a … [Read more...]
The Dreams We Have For Our Children
August 27, 2010 by 5 Comments
I overheard this conversation last night: Father #1: My kids are going to be on the Yearbook Club. For sure. Father #2: Oh, were you on the Yearbook Club when you were in high school? Father #1: God no! That was for losers. Me: *laughing hysterically* … [Read more...]
Like a girl
August 24, 2010 by 14 Comments
I grew up in a household that did not tend abide by gender stereotypes. Both of my parents pursued careers. But both of my parents also spent time at home as full-time caregivers. In some ways, I was aware that not all households were like this. That not all Dads took their girls outside to learn to throw a ball properly. And that not all Moms gave their girls Adventure People instead of Barbies. But in many ways, I was oblivious. I think the … [Read more...]
A Conversation with my Grandmother
August 21, 2010 by 7 Comments
Me: Hi Gram! I got a new car! Gram: Oh, that is good, dear. What colour is it? Me: Black. Gram: *crickets* Me: You don't like black? Gram: No. I don't like black or green. Me: Really? Those are my two absolute favourite colours. Gram: I like red. Me: Yes, Mom has a nice red colour car, doesn't she? Gram: *crickets* Me: What, you don't like the colour of her car, either? Gram: No. I like FIRE ENGINE red. I … [Read more...]
Twas the night before birthday
August 18, 2010 by 7 Comments
'Twas the night before birthday, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse (okay, maybe a fruit fly or two). The tent was hung in the backyard with care, In hopes that St. Birthday Fairy soon would be there; The child and her father were nestled all snug in their sacks, While visions of Pokémon and DS games danced in her head. Now mama was draped in her flannel pjamas, And had just settled down … [Read more...]
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