When I was a teenager, every so often word would spread that a “bush party” was going to take place on the weekend. Unlike the “house party” which took place at some poor unsuspecting parent’s home while they were away, a “bush party” involved no house, just a location in the woods somewhere.
The two types of parties still shared some [...]
Archive for the ‘Activities’ Category
March 7th, 2010
The Winter Resolution series: Bush party! (shhhh … pass it on)
March 6th, 2010
Extra! Extra! Read all about it …
Good morning! If you don’t normally buy an Ottawa Citizen newspaper, pick one up today to support not only your local paper but this caffeine-needy writer!
In today’s Travel Section, I have two articles for your morning coffee:
#1: What a woman wants: how hotels can cater better to women business travellers and a list of hotels going all out to do [...]
February 17th, 2010
Olympic dreaming? Not a chance.
In a world where parents are increasingly beginning to question the benefits of overscheduling their children in organized activities, the Olympics reaches right into a parent’s heart and makes you want to fire up that mini-van and start signing cheques. Almost. {read more}
February 2nd, 2010
The Winter Resolution series: The Shilly Shally
Ah, the infamous Shilly Shally. Stella has been raving about the charm of the Shilly Shally for years now. I’m not sure if she goes on about it unconsciously or as a conscious attempt to convince me to go cross-country skiing with her and hubby. Either way, I have always responded with something along the lines of “Have a special [...]
January 24th, 2010
I buzzed over to Montreal this weekend
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 [...]
January 6th, 2010
Invasion of the vibro-bots
The favourite after-dinner storybook at our house lately is this:
Basic Electronics by McWhorter & Evans
Remember how you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover? As if! Judge away! I think this cover says it all, actually. As my mother-in-law would say, “boring as batshit.”
But not to hubby and Stella. The dining room has been covered with all sorts [...]
November 22nd, 2009
Lovin’ the Lego
One of the absolute best things about living in Ottawa, particularly if you are a parent, is our museums. It’s something a lot of us take for granted, but they really are fantastic and make entertaining kids sooooo easy.
Yesterday we did a long-overdue family trip out to the Canada Science and Technology Museum. This museum is a perennial favourite at [...]
November 12th, 2009
Disney on Ice (4-pack ticket giveaway)
Do you have a daughter? Did you look into her face as a newborn babe and imagine all the things you would share together in the future … chick flicks, shopping, perhaps even doing each other’s hair?
A lot of my friends have daughters. I see their girls wearing pink, experimenting with makeup and nail polish, enjoying dress-up games and taking [...]
September 2nd, 2009
Awesome autumn daytrip
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.
August 22nd, 2009
I blame Dora
Although I like to blame Dora the Explorer for my daughter’s pinata fascination, the truth is that it’s become a bit of a cherished tradition around here.
It all started on her fourth birthday (yes, that time when all children exposed to a shouting girl in a jungle become madly infatuated and start learning Spanish at amazing speed). We were in [...]
August 3rd, 2009
Robson Rambling: A Recap
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 [...]
July 20th, 2009
His next great adventure
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 [...]
July 7th, 2009
Staycation? Um, no thanks.
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 [...]
July 1st, 2009
I Am Canadian
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kpW5A_8kCc]
HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!!
June 23rd, 2009
The Teacher's Gift
In past years I’ve struggled with the obligatory thank-you gift for my daughter’s teachers. I say “obligatory” not because I don’t feel genuine gratitude for the work and passion that my daughter’s teachers bring to the classroom every day, but rather because of the sense that a gift is a form of standard etiquette. And I don’t want to be [...]
