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Teachers’ Gifts: The Bi-Annual Conundrum

whatyouneed

Every Christmas and end-of-year, there is the conundrum: What should I give my children's teachers? I like to give a little something as an expression of thanks, but what to give is often a challenge because I don't want to be giving something that will end up in the lunchroom with the tag "free!" on it. And, well, I also don't want to go broke either. Max has three teachers at his preschool and Stella has two teachers at her elementary school … [Read more...]

Attention soon-to-be authors!

When I wrote a post about the new world of book publishing, a number of Coffee with Julie readers told me that they hoped to author their own books one day. I know some of these peeps in real life, and some only from my blog. But regardless of how I know them, I hope they all manage to make their dreams come true. And if I can help push them along -- heck, I will! So, here is what I want to share with you my dear soon-to-be author friends: a … [Read more...]

School for Bloggers: QR Codes: Like a Bar Code, but Better! (#BWENY)

Have you noticed these black and white boxes showing up everywhere these days? From magazine advertisements, to business cards and even on massive outdoor signage, these boxes are called "QR Codes," which is short for Quick Response code. Like a bar code, but with the ability to hold up to double the number of alphanumeric characters, QR codes are rapidly becoming the latest marketing darling. I recently had a chance to learn more about these … [Read more...]

Dads Rock!

Max's present to his Daddy

Happy Father's Day to all the Amazing Dads out there!!! (Yep, that includes you Dad! And you too Hubby!) … [Read more...]

Getting your feet wet with LinkedIn

Despite the constant use of the words “social media” in every second conversation these days, a very large proportion of people have not yet taken the plunge. I don’t blame them, frankly, because even just the term “social media” is starting to grate on me too and I’m a big fan! But if you think you might like to get your feet wet, I think that LinkedIn is a good place to start. It takes very little time and the "unwritten rules" of engagement … [Read more...]

Googling “buckle fracture”

My feelings of maternal guilt were successfully lifted by the stories of my Coffee with Julie friends. Ouch! One almost forgets how injury-prone the young can be! As for my dear little Stella, she came home with the following verdict from the hospital: buckle fracture. Buckle fracture? Okay ... never heard of this! The physician we'd first seen at the clinic mentioned the possibility of a "greenstick fracture."  Beyond these two, there … [Read more...]

Random thoughts on “tough love” and parental guilt

I am waiting to find out if my daughter Stella will be getting a cast on her arm. In fact, I've been waiting anxiously since 4 pm. If she comes home sporting one, she will be the first of our children to have one. Not the first to break anything, since, strictly speaking, it could be said that she broke her two front teeth (baby ones, the adult ones have since grown in). And as I wait, I am having a lot of random thoughts. Many of which return … [Read more...]

Monday Moments: Change

This blog post was prompted by Capital Mom and her "Monday Moments" project. This Monday's theme is "change." By the time I was nine I had lived in three different provinces and spent a year overseas. These were exciting, positive years. And I think that’s why the word change is ingrained in me as an exciting and positive thing. As child, I didn't have any control over these changes. And most research will tell that change is easier when … [Read more...]

Come on out to Dickinson Days this weekend!

happy birthday mr. dickinson

Bear with me as I tread through some nostalgia .... On June 5, 2009, I wrote my first blog post ever and it was titled "Happy Birthday Mr. Dickinson!" This brings back fond memories for me because not only does it mark my 2nd-year anniversary for blogging, but our village's annual celebration, called "Dickinson Days" (check out all this year's details here), which has always been a highlight for us. Imagine our delight when we moved … [Read more...]