If I'd actually had enough spark left in me at the time, that's precisely what I would have cried out to the world almost ten years ago. But I didn't. Because it was too hard just to get out of bed, let alone care for my new born baby. I'd been smacked hard with a postpartum depression stick and was completely and utterly overwhelmed. I knew other mothers didn't feel like I did. And that made things feel worse. I distinctly recall observing … [Read more...]
Beaches Boscobel, Jamaica: A Tween’s Perspective (Day 3)
May 6, 2012 by 4 Comments
Stella, who is almost 10 years old, and I have just returned from Beaches Boscobel in Jamaica, where we were invited to experience the resort. This resort is all about providing a full family experience, so I am sharing Stella's journal -- spelling mistakes and all -- with you so that you can get an older child's perspective, not just an adult's. On Day 3, we had a really special experience because we left the resort and had a visit to a … [Read more...]
Beaches Boscobel, Jamaica: A Tween’s Perspective (Day 2)
April 30, 2012 by 2 Comments
Stella, who is almost 10 years old, and I have just returned from Beaches Boscobel in Jamaica, where we were invited to experience the resort. If you’re a parent and you travel to the Carribean during winter, then you’ve likely heard of Beaches Resorts. This chain of resorts is known for providing an above-and-beyond experience to families and their young children. But what about the “tween”? When your child is not a “little kid” nor are they a … [Read more...]
Beaches Boscobel, Jamaica: A Tween’s Perspective (Day 1)
April 29, 2012 by 7 Comments
Stella, who is almost 10 years old, and I have just returned from Beaches Boscobel in Jamaica, where we were invited to experience the resort. If you're a parent and you travel to the Carribean during winter, then you've likely heard of Beaches Resorts. This chain of resorts is known for providing an above-and-beyond experience to families and their young children. But what about the "tween"? When your child is not a "little kid" nor are they a … [Read more...]
Everything’s Amazing and Nobody’s Happy
April 25, 2012 by 16 Comments
Hello my lovely bloggy friends, Stella and I are now in Jamaica (my Jamaica 101 post)! We were invited to come and visit the Beaches Boscobel resort in Jamaica and it's actually our first "girls' trip" together. Beaches Resorts cater specifically to families, so we are here to experience the resort and its activities to the fullest. I will be telling you all about it ... but first, I want to tell you about the trip to get here. To fully … [Read more...]
Jamaica 101
April 17, 2012 by 17 Comments
Stella, my 9-year-old daughter, and I are going to Jamaica next week. I know ... awesome, right?! We are really excited, despite the realization that we actually know very little about this country. So, won't you join us as we teach ourselves a touch of geography, history, and social studies? Where in the world? First of all, the WHERE! Below is map showing the island of Jamaica in red. From our home town of Ottawa, if you were to catch … [Read more...]
I have Cloud White walls! (And other notes on my Dining Room)
April 6, 2012 by 238 Comments
I know that I am supposed to be sharing some cute Easter egg craft with you but that's not happening. There are no Easter crafts in this house. Sorry to disappoint. It just didn't happen. But what did happen is white walls. Three to be precise. Hubby and I decided to "test" the white wall concept by painting the dining room (since it irked me the most at the moment). Here is how our dining room looked before we (the royal "we") started … [Read more...]
Reader Review of Great Wolf Lodge (Part 2 of 2)
March 28, 2012 by 13 Comments
This is post is a continuation of this one here if you'd like to catch up. Coffee with Julie reader Sarah McCormack of Photos with Sarah is sharing her recent experience at Great Wolf Lodge with us! ************************* The water park itself was incredible, lots of slides for all age groups. I would recommend it for children ages 3-13. Although there are some big, thrilling slides, they may not be as thrilling for … [Read more...]
Reader Review of Great Wolf Lodge (Part 1 of 2)
March 27, 2012 by 7 Comments
This week, I am so happy to introduce you to one of Coffee with Julie's regular readers and commentors (bloggers love their comments!). I first met Sarah when long-time friends were proudly sharing their professionally taken family photos. I immediately asked for the photographer's contact info, because the photos were just that good! (Warning, one look at Sarah's newborn portfolio makes me clucky and might do the same to you!) I booked Sarah for … [Read more...]
Love. Your. Body. Now.
March 7, 2012 by 10 Comments
When I turned 40, I had a celebration with my girlfriends. There were no gifts allowed, but a girlfriend gave me a gift in what she wrote in a birthday card. She wrote: "Remember when you were 30 and looked back on the photos of yourself when you were 20, and thought - wow, I looked great. You will be thinking the same thing when you're 50 looking back at yourself now." At first at thought ... "Gee, thanks for the reminder of how much I am … [Read more...]
Oh the Babies!
February 29, 2012 by 5 Comments
There is a huge influx of new babies arriving at our office. The first arrived last week. A beautiful little girl, who arrived early at just over six pounds. And I saw her. I touched her little toes. Oh my ... And there are more babies arriving! Three more on the way, to be precise. I can clearly remember being a young 20-something gal and rolling my eyes so hard it hurt when the women at my office would rush out to greet a colleague … [Read more...]
Day 2 at Smuggler’s Notch Resort, Vermont
February 20, 2012 by 10 Comments
This is a post is a continuation of a short series on Smuggler's Notch. To catch up, you can find the first post in this series here, and the second one is here. Our family's accommodation and activities were provided by Smugg's, while extras like food and whatnot were paid for ourselves. (Image below, credit: Smuggler's Notch, Vermont.) Gooooood morning Smuggler's Notch! In contrast to the first morning, when the kids had been up early and … [Read more...]
Day 1 at Smuggler’s Notch Resort, Vermont
February 13, 2012 by 7 Comments
This past weekend, we were hosted at Smuggler's Notch Resort in Vermont. The whole family had been eagerly looking forward to this trip -- some family time is always welcome, and Hubby and I were very keen to share some great outdoor winter experiences with the kids. Since Smugg's is known for its award-winning children's programs, we thought this would prove to be the perfect place to be able to do so. Below, I've tried to note down as many … [Read more...]
Dear Grammys: What message are you sending?
February 13, 2012 by 22 Comments
Dear Grammys, I'm not sure what message you're trying to send. But I can tell you what message I received from your show last night. For all the young and impressionable young people watching the Grammy's yesterday, one thing was made clear: If you can dance and sing, we're willing to turn a blind eye. Well, at least if you're a man. Dancing and singing trumps all, people. Chris Brown, who in 2009, was brought in on criminal charges (and … [Read more...]
Things I’d like to Bottle-Up Forever
February 4, 2012 by 7 Comments
As I sit sipping a coffee and enjoying some mellow time on a Saturday morning, I take in a deep breath and recall how much I have craved this -- and for so long, it seems. The kids, now 9 and 3 1/2, are so much more independent and are happy doing their own thing until we leave for Stella's drawing class at 9:30 this morning. The days of early wake-ups and diapers to change are now in the past. And knowing that they are in the past, makes me … [Read more...]
Smuggs — here we come!
January 17, 2012 by 4 Comments
Our family didn't downhill when I was growing up, nor did Hubby's. We'd like to introduce the kids to downhill while they're still young. You know ... before that fear factor sets in. Fear stops a lot of people from doing a lot of things. But when you start young, or at least have a little introduction to something when you're young, it always seems to make a difference. Like learning to swim as a kid versus an adult, or a new language, or sport … [Read more...]
What is the appropriate way to celebrate 15 years of marriage?
January 13, 2012 by 18 Comments
Last week, Hubby and I passed a pretty major milestone -- 15 years of marriage. When we celebrated our first anniversary, we went to a bed and breakfast in Kingston. Although it sounds peaceful and romantic, and that was certainly the intention, it really wasn't. A couple staying above us came in really late and made a whole lot of racket laughing and stumbling around drunk, which was followed by some other, ahem, "noises" that kept us up half … [Read more...]
The Homemade Gift
January 2, 2012 by 4 Comments
Us busy folks just love a homemade anything, don't we? Marketers, of course, know this and like to use the word to advertise their wares any chance they get. But the truly homemade gift is a special thing indeed. Some of the most cherished homemade gifts I've received include a quilt from my mother-in-law for each bed in the house, a quilt from my special Aussie girlfriend Nat, and a scrapbooked collage from my mom. As for gifts from Hubby, I … [Read more...]
2011: The Year That Was (Part 2 of 2)
January 1, 2012 by 4 Comments
In continuation from yesterday .... July 2011: By this time, our family had moved into a new home while simultaneously welcoming overseas family to Canada for the first time. It was busy, but we had fun! We shared as much of our area with them as possible, including Canada Day in downtown Ottawa and a visit to Toronto. A sense of relief was also felt by Hubby and I as we settled into our new neighbourhood and adjusted to the change. In total, … [Read more...]
2011: The Year That Was (Part 1 of 2)
December 31, 2011 by Leave a Comment
I'm going to be self-indulgent here and look back at the year that was on Coffee with Julie ... perhaps I'll learn something or perhaps I will learn that I need to learn something in 2012! January 2011: The new year started on a very high note when I found out that Coffee with Julie had placed 2nd and 3rd in two Canadian Weblog Awards. Then I started a thread of posts on over-consumption (I had so many other posts I wanted to write about on … [Read more...]
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