If you live in Ontario, you still have a few days left to submit a nomination to the Premier's Teaching Awards for Excellence. Just being nominated means the world for a hard-working teacher! Below is my nomination and a public shout-out to a special teacher in our daughter's life. Please feel free to use my comments section to share your thoughts or memories of teachers that have made an impact in your life or the lives of your children. … [Read more...]
I buzzed over to Montreal this weekend
January 24, 2010 by 5 Comments
To push myself up into the higher ranks of the Mother-of-the-Year contest, I took Stella to Montreal this weekend. Yes, we went shopping and got Mommy & Me pedi's & mani's! Did I have you convinced -- even momentarily -- on that one? Okay, okay. We know my Stella would never entertain such notions. But I did go to Montreal. And I just may be up for Mother-of-the-Year, too! Because, surely, spending the weekend looking at tarantulas, … [Read more...]
NYC’s Bowery District
December 28, 2009 by 4 Comments
I haven't found a home for this article, so I thought I'd share it on my blog. Perhaps it will entice you to take a long weekend in New York's Bowery district? If you do ... please come back and tell us all about your adventure! Hubby and I have been desperate to run off for a weekend in NYC again, but I've already booked the grandparents in to babysit as part of my Winter Resolution, so I may be pushing my luck to expect two weekends sans … [Read more...]
Onward & upward! 250 of the best places to stay, cities to see and finds worth finding in 2010
December 26, 2009 by 8 Comments
The Christmas frenzy is now over and I love looking forward to a fresh new year full of possibilities. To get yourself dreaming for the year ahead, check out today's Ottawa Citizen's Travel Section (print). Laura Robin, the paper's Travel Editor, does an annual roundup of "best lists" -- 250 of the best places to stay, cities to see and finds worth finding. In the past, I've contributed "5 best men's rooms with a view" (don't ask me how I … [Read more...]
The Winter Resolution
December 4, 2009 by 13 Comments
Although I gave up New Year's resolutions ages ago, I have made a winter resolution for this year. I've got a terrible track record with resolutions, and thus why the New Year's ones were deemed a fruitless exercise. But I am hoping I can make some progress on this. For my own sanity as well as for my family. My resolution is this: Find a way to enjoy winter. I just don't like winter. My husband finds this "cute" since I am the Canadian … [Read more...]
Grown-up girls get to have sleepovers too
October 24, 2009 by Leave a Comment
"When I first attended a slumber party some 25 years ago, we prided ourselves on avoiding sleep. Sprawled out on the floor of a friend's basement with pillows and sleeping bags, my companions and I would heartily fight any drooping eyelids by ingesting sugar and cola. Fast-forward to this morning, and slumber -- in lush, high-end bedding no less -- resumes its rightful place in the term "slumber party." Tip-toeing down the stairs to join me in … [Read more...]
Caffeinated MacGyver to the Rescue!
October 19, 2009 by 1 Comment
If you're of my vintage, you'll likely remember the MacGyver television series. If you've never heard of him or if your memory would simply like a little jog, each episode went like this: Cute-guy lead character (i.e. MacGyver) would face a huge crisis without breaking a sweat. He'd calmly concoct a solution such as a bomb de-fuser from a paperclip and a piece of gum stuck on the bottom of his shoe. In our family, we like to refer to my … [Read more...]
Wordstock rocked
October 5, 2009 by 1 Comment
In 1969, hippies travelled from far and wide to attend Woodstock. They came to appreciate the vibe and the amazing music. They drank lots, they drugged lots. It was a good time. It's 40 years later, in 2009. Writers travelled from far and wide to attend Wordstock, at Ryerson University. They came to appreciate the wisdom and experience of amazing traditional and new media journalists. They drank lots of coffee. It was a good time. So that's … [Read more...]
Awesome autumn daytrip
September 2, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Pssst! Got kids? Then you won't want to miss out on this awesome autumn roadtrip. It's an easy daytrip -- or an overnighter, if you please -- so pack up some roadtrip snacks and get the kids ready! Pick up a copy of this Saturday's Ottawa Citizen (Travel section) to get the details. … [Read more...]
Letter from South Korea: Part 2
September 1, 2009 by 1 Comment
In my first "Letter from South Korea," we covered off the basics of who, what, when and why Meaghan Harrison chose to leave Canada and teach English overseas. Now, in Part 2, we can learn a bit more about this experience on a personal level. You’ve been in South Korea for six months now … what’s been the most challenging aspect so far? The most challenging is just the day-to-day life. The majority of Koreans don't know English, so … [Read more...]
Letter from South Korea: Part 1
August 30, 2009 by 4 Comments
How does a recent graduate stay hopeful? The unemployment rate for youth climbed to 14.9 per cent in May, says Stats Can. One in five young adults have moved in with a friend or relative, says Maclean's. Most are suffering from recession anxiety, says the Calgary Herald. If you're graduating soon, recently graduated or a parent of one of the former, I hope you'll take heart with this "Letter from South Korea" post. Below, you'll find Part 1 of … [Read more...]
Travel with Baby
August 20, 2009 by 9 Comments
There is many a parent I know who choses not to travel when their child is a baby. I completely respect this decision. But this post is for those who would like to continue travelling, even after baby, and might be looking for some tips. The tips here are a combo of practicality and inspiration ... 5 Tips for Travel with Baby Tip #1: Try and keep your bedtime rituals going for the evening, but flexibility is the name of the game during the … [Read more...]
Robson Rambling: A Recap
August 3, 2009 by 4 Comments
My "baby" brother Adam (he's 26) saved me from some expensive life insurance after I posted "His Next Great Adventure." The four of them were not, in fact, climbing Mount Robson, but instead were hiking Berg Lake Trail. They are all back safe & sound now, and thrilled with their adventure-filled time together. Even though Adam is supposed to be sweating it out on some kind of graduate computer-y thesis-y thing, I badgered him into … [Read more...]
His next great adventure
July 20, 2009 by Leave a Comment
People who meet us now, after 12 years of marriage, invariably like to say, "Opposites attract!" But it wasn't always this way. When we first met, we both shared a love of nature. Not a love from afar, a love that compelled us to trek deep into its midst. As far as we could go, to places where you really felt no other human had ever stepped before. The peace. The quiet. The conquest. My husband's thirst for adventure has only continued to … [Read more...]
Staycation? Um, no thanks.
July 7, 2009 by 1 Comment
I keep hearing about the popularity of the "staycation." The idea is that because of tightened family budgets, we're choosing to stay home instead of travel on our vacation time. I don't know about you, but if I have to sit around my house and look at the do-it-yourself projects we have yet to do and the growing clutter caused by two growing children, well, I'd rather stay at work, thank you very much. Plus, I do work from home so the allure of … [Read more...]
Solo vacation, anyone?
June 29, 2009 by Leave a Comment
I have a girlfriend who takes an annual vacation by herself. Nothing fancy ... she just picks a nearby city and books herself into a hotel room. Sometimes she meanders about the local sights and sometimes she just hangs out in her room, watching movies and ordering-in her favourite foods. She's a big believer that this kind of break is not only good for her, but for her marriage and for her energy as a stay-at-home mother. After exactly one day … [Read more...]
Errands from the Desktop
June 14, 2009 by 6 Comments
I love the internet. Like, REALLY love it. It is such an amazing invention that you no longer even need to leave the house for pesky errands. You know what I mean ... you've had a jam-packed week, the weekend arrives, and the last thing you feel like doing is spending your precious free time hunting down that perfect birthday gift or fighting with crowds at the grocery store. Okay, I know there are some of you out there who actually enjoy … [Read more...]
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