Becoming a parent is such a beautiful gift.  I welcomed my first child into the world in May of 2011 and it's been such a wonderful experience.  A friend and I started a moms group in our area a few months ago and we're having a really fun time with it.  I plan special guest demonstrations/speakers for baby-friendly activities and we celebrate holidays with special parties for our little ones.  It has been a lot of fun and I would highly recommend joining a group for any moms who haven't yet done so.  I feel so blessed to have my... More »

Four eyes! Fatso! Thunder Thighs! Giraffe! SLUT!!What do you think about these words? Did they affect you when you read them? Did you wince? I did. And, I heard them over and over all through my young life. These words, these epithets, are what I grew up hearing. They are the curses that slapped me and the designations that defiled me. You see, I was the kid with the coke-bottle glasses. You remember me, the girl whose eyes looked like saucers behind the often scratched and eternally smudged lenses. Sports were my nemesis. I was victim of my inability to... More »

By: Heather Von St. James"You have a tumor." 

Dr. Flink clutched my hands, saying it in a way that immediately led me to believe that this was far more serious than I had thought. I could feel in his gaze that this one was truly bad. As I tried to process his words, my mind was consumed with thoughts of my newborn daughter, Lily. Would she grow up without a mother?


The cancer I had is called mesothelioma, a malignant cell mass that develops in the lining of the lungs. Because it's usually reached an advanced stage by the time it's... More »

I am a blogger and I love it. I consider it a vocation and it is almost (but not quite) the best vocation I have ever had. There is only one job I have held that is better than blogging, and that is being a mother. And when push comes to shove, I will always be a mother first and a blogger second.Recently I attended BlissDom Canada in Toronto and while I was there, I got the chance to attend a screening of the fabulous documentary Miss Representation courtesy of UrbanMoms. I must confess, I am a big fan of... More »

I'm a huge cake lover.  There really isn't a cake that I don't absolutely adore.  But lately I've found that my kids and their friends do not share my same passion.  Their lack of enthusiasm  is especially apparent at birthday parties.  While they still enjoy selecting their birthday cake they have little interest in eating it.  After blowing out the candles and slicing into the cake I find their are few takers.  You won't be hard pressed to figure out who ends up eating ALL the leftovers.  The giant party cookie is the great solution I came up with to... More »

By: Shelly ShaperoMonday is Canadian Thanksgiving and that means I am "Talkin' Turkey".  Nice thing about these turkeys is that all the fixins are included and there is no fear that they will be dried out because I used my chocolate brownie cookie recipe.  Materials Needed for Decorating:Candy caramel corn - I used the Thanksgiving colours that you can sometimes find but if not the Halloween one will look just as cuteSmall heart sprinklesCandy eyesTweezersMelted chocolate in a squeeze bottle if you want royal icing will also workRoyal icing - orange and white -- as always I stress how much... More »

Today people around the world are celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.  Literally translated Rosh Hashanah means "head of the year".  Families and friends will get together to rejoice, enjoy festive meals, pray, and reflect on the past year.  Rosh Hashanah is the first of the High Holidays celebrated ten days before Yom Kippur.  Last night on the eve of Rosh Hashanah my extended family got together to celebrate.  We began our meal with a few symbolic foods, honey and crown loaves of challah. Apple slices dipped in honey represent our hope for a sweet new year.  Challah, which... More »

Looking for a delicious after school snack?  Here's an easy recipe that is good to eat and fun to make with your kids.  This recipe is very versatile so feel free to make substitutions.  My preference is to double up the raisins and omit the chocolate chips.  I'm sure many of you out there are cringing right now.  Over the years I was surprised to discovered that many people have a great dislike of raisins.  Children often fall into this group.  So if this is true for your kids make their granola bars chocolate chips only.  There are also many... More »

When I was 12 years old, I remember sneaking chicken wings into my room as a midnight snack.  I remember hanging out in the den watching memorizing Pretty Woman when I should have been doing math homework. I remember calling a "cute" boy and hanging up when his mom answered.  Repeatedly.  These are things I never told my mom and yet, even without her guidance and insights, I managed to survive my antics.Fast forward 25 years and my almost 12-year-old son is following closely in my footsteps, telling me about the chocolate-marshmallow concoctions he made himself after we all went... More »

By: Cayla from Running, Recipes, and ReadingYou know what I think of when I think of the first day of school?  It's the optimistic odour of freshly sharpened pencils.  Sharpened pencils standing at attention in recycled jars, along with chairs tucked under child-sized desks, and a chalkboard that says, "Welcome" in perfect cursive.As a teacher, there really is nothing more exciting than the first day of school.  I truly get butterflies in my stomach as I wait for my new students to shyly show up in my classroom. But the only reason I am able to be so excited and... More »