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Are we there yet? (or why the heck do people go camping with their kids)

I've been more of a scattered mom than usual lately. The kind that forgets doctor's appointments and perpetually arrives late or unprepared for the kids' extra-curricular activities? Yeah, er, that's me. This life with young children, and work, and household maintenance ... it really does feel like a hamster wheel sometimes, doesn't it? Everyone TALKS about how to achieve balance, but I'm pretty sceptical about it being even possible. So, for … [Read more...]

Ballet and Domestic Violence?

The concept of a ballet troupe undertaking cause marketing intrigued me. So I was really pleased to get the chance to attend the global premiere of Ghosts of Violence last week. With it, the Atlantic Ballet of Canada aims to raise awareness of domestic violence against women as it brings its performance across Canada and then overseas. I share some thoughts from the experience in the e-magazine Life As A Human today. Clicky on over to check it … [Read more...]

In honour of my first kiss

So, I was late to this kissing game. It was at a grade 9 dance, Bobby (yes, that really was his name!) and I slipped outside of the gymnasium and went for a little walk. He was a gorgeous boy, with dark hair that fell into his eyes. I'd been admiring him in Science class ... sitting there all tall and handsome in his football jacket. And now, here I was, holding his hand in the dark. We leaned against a wall where we couldn't be seen and … [Read more...]

Countdown to the Oscars

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Every year, one of my BFFs hosts a very fun Oscars party. It's just girls and we all show up in our pjamas with tiaras and boas. (And somehow, every year, my hubby forgets this and asks if I'm really going to wear my pjamas outside the house.) As you can imagine with any gathering of women, the food is plentiful and so is the wine. Plus, the hostess gives us each an old fashioned loot bag -- like you would receive if you were a kid going to a … [Read more...]

Artifacts and the passage of time

An artifact from the Museum of Science and Technology's collection. Look familiar?

My colleague and I were talking about great outings for toddlers, when I asked if he'd ever taken his young son to the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa. He paused slightly before explaining that he didn't quite enjoy pointing out all of the "artifacts" on display: "Daddy used to use this ... and this was the phone Daddy used to have ... oh, and here is the television I used to watch ..." and so on. That got me chortling. I … [Read more...]

Monday morning inspiration

I thought you might find this little snippet from the Canadian Business Special Issue: Outlook 2011 inspiring as you begin your work week: The country's best-paid CEOs earned an average of $6.6 million in 2009, according to a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. The average salary fell from $7.3 million in 2008, but is still far above the typical Canadian income of $42,9888. And ... wait for it .... By 2:30 p.m. on the … [Read more...]

I may not be writing, but I’m always reading

Between work, and illness and, oh ... that little time-consuming thing called child-rearing, my moments of blogging bliss have been very infrequent. But just because I'm not blogging, that doesn't mean I'm not reading blogs! Blogs are perfect for snack-bites of exquisite writing. And one of the best things about blogs is that you can find writing that is not found anywhere else -- topics that mainstream media simply doesn't cover. The intimate … [Read more...]