"Off with her head!"The hottest trends around these days are inspired by Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland....and I'm not just talking about the colourful lips all over the Oscar red carpet inspired by Helena Bonham Carter's Queen of Hearts. "Curiouser and curiouser..."In bookstores, toystores, clothing boutiques and even the supermarket, we're seeing Alice everywhere....here are a few options for you. "Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it."Tetley is the offical Disney tea and they're offering limited-edition collectible tins and canisters of tea to celebrate the film's release. The products depict Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Red Queen and the... More »

Before we say goodbye to the mountains of Whistler and Cypress for good, you might want to consider bringing home this special dessert for your family to celebrate the hills of these Olympic games.Sobey's Sensations by Compliments Mont Belge Fondant dessert was recently selected as Canada's favourite new frozen dessert in the 2010 Best New Products Awards (BPNA) and I can taste why. The cone shaped desserts feature three different rich flavours of chocolate mousse topped with Belgian chocolate. The dessert was created by Sobeys and inspired by Canda's two most famous mountain ranges; the Laurentians and the Rockies.Enjoy them... More »

Last week was my husband's birthday. I like to pride myself on being a great gift giver, and in years past I've given concert tickets, airline tickets, surpise getaways, scuba diving lessons and other awesome presents. This year, however, I was a little stumped. Almost fourteen years into our marriage, and three kids deep, it's tough to remember how to spoil one another, and let's face it his priorities have changed.I think I knocked it out of the park in the end, by pulling our oldest kids out of school and sending the three of them off skiing for the... More »

Today is Pancake Tuesday (aka Shrove Tuesday), the day when all the Catholics in the world prepare for forty days of doing without with one last gasp at everything sinful all the world celebrates the deliciousness that is pancakes. Take the ingredients to make cake, mix the batter up and then fry it in butter, add fruit and whipped cream and then pour maple syrup all over them. Who doesn't love pancakes? Every single member of my family loves pancakes and if he could, my middle son would eat them every day for breakfast.And that's why for me, pancakes represent a... More »

I thought of calling this Trend Watch column the Urban Closet, but Ali's got that well under control over here. Instead, let me introduce the Olympic Closet...(aka what the Olympians in my family will be wearing in the coming days).My sister, who is the biggest Olympic fan I know. She'll be cheering Canada on in every event from skiing to skating to luging and skeletoning (are those verbs?)My kids, who have been enjoying their Olympic mittens during these cold winter days (my eldest got his in a loot bag back in November...what an awesome idea!). My sons are most excited... More »

In light of the fact that not all households are as football crazy as my own, and that not all readers are as savvy about the pigskin, I offer you all a little primer for this Sunday's big event. Tucked in between the Grammys, the Oscars and various other celebrity tearfests and fashion shows is one of the biggest shows on the man-calendar, the Super Bowl!This year's event is taking place in south Florida and is the 44th edition of this American classic (or Super Bowl XLIV for you Latin fans!). The competing teams are the New Orleans Saints and... More »

First of all, thank you to all for your helpful comments on how to stay better organized in 2010. I've tracked down Happeez products which stick to my stainless steel fridge. Not only do they make my fridge look a little friendlier, but I've been transferring all of our week's activities to a weekly organizer each Sunday evening. Now every morning the kids can check the calendar to see what's on, and ensure that they've got the right equipment/homework assignments/forms in their knapsack. I am very pleased to report that mornings are a little calmer and I'm making it to... More »

My kids tend to get chapped red cheeks and lips around this time of year. I blame the same Irish genes that make me crave potatoes and love beer. Over the past ten years I've been to dermatologists, tried expensive creams, cheap fixes, homemade solutions, humidifiers and everything else. Unfortunately, my then two-year old son said it best when I implored him not to lick his lips. He replied, "but I dike to dick my dips" (he has overcome the speech impediment, but still licks his lips around this time of year).This season my kids are trying a new product... More »

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSEDI made a couple of fairly simple new year's resolutions this year; the first is to try harder to make it to my bus on time in the morning. The second is not to sweat it if I don't. I've been pretty successful at the second resolution, but much less successful at the first. Getting myself and my three kids out the door by 8:00 am (a full hour after my husband has left) can feel like the ultimate Survivor challenge. When I've finally taken care of figuring out whether they need and have their lunches, homework,... More »

So does your new year's resolution involve hitting the gym, the treadmill or the streets? Are you looking for a quick snack that will give you a hit of energy to tide you over until your next meal? It might be time to check out Larabars.My husband and I have been fans of these snack bars made out of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices for a while. They're a staple purchase on any trip to Costco, and we tend to battle to get to our favourite flavours first (more on that later). I like to eat one late morning if... More »