12 Dec What Writing About Depression Did For Me
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He didn't freak out![/caption]
A few weeks ago, I published a blog I’d written about my fight against anxiety and depression. I’d actually written the post a couple of months before it went online, around the time of Robin William’s tragic death. It hung around in the back end of WordPress for a while until I found the nerve to put it out there for the world, or at least the West Island, to see.
11 Dec A LOVE LETTER TO MY DAUGHTER WITH A FEW LIFE LESSONS ADDED IN
Many years ago I was told by someone whom I admired and cared about very much told me, “Only the strongest women birth daughters”! From that moment on, I thought about the intense pressure it would be to raise a young lady. I also knew that growing up as a girl in my day wasn’t easy due to so much pressure on females to be pretty, skinny and popular in order to achieve success and be liked. Combine those two items and the birth of my daughter, and WHAMO! I was thrust into a lot of thought as to what lessons I wanted to teach my daughter so she would grow up feeling self-confident, strong, and loved and ready to tackle the world!
10 Dec Quality of Life and Alzheimer’s Disease
Memory loss and the diagnosis of dementia/Alzheimer's Disease can be quite devastating to a family member.But today, I want you all to understand that a diagnosis of dementia doesn't mean your loved one can no longer have quality of life.
Let us try and remove the stigma attached with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease!
09 Dec Why the holidays are not actually time off for high school students
The holidays are quickly approaching—count them—2 weeks until winter vacation! Woohoo! BUT that doesn’t mean that studying can completely stop for most high school students since they have exams to face upon their return in January. They are expected to clear their brains for two weeks and relax, and then come back and remember everything they’ve learned since September. These circumstances are not ideal to set up, even the most organized students, for success.
05 Dec Starting a Career in your 40s
Never in my wildest dreams did I think finding a job in my 40s would make me feel as though I just got out of college.
My job for the past 14 years has been being a Mom to my two wonderful kids. Little did I realize that these kids grow up and start having a life of their own, which is great! This is exactly what we want for them but the less they need from me the more I began to wonder what can I do to fill my time?
04 Dec Open Wide!!! My Son’s First Visit to the Dentist…
A few weeks ago, my husband and I took our son for his very first visit to the dentist. I was bracing myself for complete and utter disaster; protest, tears, uncooperativeness, utter mayhem. I was certain that the scary mask, the loud tools and the bright light would be too much for my sensitive three-year-old to handle. So when the visit went off without a hitch and involved lots of smiles, gigglesand a fluoride treatment to boot, I was in utter shock!
02 Dec RAISING CHARITABLE CHILDREN
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My first on air experience raising funds for the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at age 15.[/caption]
I was 8 years old when my Uncle Jeffrey lost his battle with Cystic Fibrosis. His life was cut short at age 27 but characterized by courage, determination and impressive accomplishments including graduating from Dentistry School.
28 Nov Raising My Daughters as a Single Mother
As many of you know by now, I am a single mother, and I have 2 amazing daughters. My daughter Grace is a full-fledged teenager, and my daughter Nora has entered her tween years. Our home is an all-female environment – right down to our cuddly dog, Peaches.
27 Nov Lemon Cream-filled Cupcakes
Lemon curd is one of my pastry items. First off, it's delicious; tart, delicately sweet, and refreshing with its vibrant citrusy flavour.
25 Nov Journey from Hate to Freedom
[caption id="attachment_20772" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Oma & Me ca. 2001[/caption] Margarete (Gretel) Marcus – her story is one which needs to be told often and by many, lest we forget. Gretel was my Oma (German for grandmother), she always asked me to write a book about her...
21 Nov A calendar that will change your life. Really.
As a mother of three children, I would dread the daunting task of filling in the family calendar month after month. I would start with my daughter writing week after week: Olivia: Ballet 4pm. My hand would start to cramp some time around November and I thought to myself, there had to be a better, faster way to organize our schedule!
20 Nov Individual Portobello Mushroom Salads
There are one bowl recipes and then there's really cheating. This is a SUPER cheat recipe because it's ridiculously easy to make and amazingly delicious. Think of the possibilities for this dish: appetizer, cocktail party food, meatless Monday main course with some other sides, light lunch...the possibilities are endless. The mixture of these fresh ingredients will satisfy your tastebuds, your busy schedule and will feel good for your overall health. This recipe serves 4 as a main dish. There are also mini portobello mushrooms available in most grocery stores which would be great as cocktail treats.
18 Nov A little about me – and my top 3 makeup products!
First and foremost – I want to say how honored I feel to be writing for Wise Women Montreal!!! I think it’s such an amazing resource and I feel so lucky to be on that list of contributors. Now, for you up to date followers – I recently wrote a little piece all about why art was good for children. It was received really well and the lovely ladies at Wise Women asked me to contribute on a more regular basis! Yippee!!! I could go on and on about art and all that (and I probably will post a couple things here and there about it) – or I could talk about another huge passion in my life – MAKEUP!
17 Nov The Gruesome Threes!
So….I am proud to say that I survived the “terrible twos” that everyone seems to rant and rave about. To be perfectly honest, the twos weren’t so terrible after all; a few short-lived tantrums here and there, a handful of embarrassing moments at the mall, a little sprinkle of defiance. But nothing outrageous. Nothing as heinous or gory as I expected. I have to say, I spent most of my son’s second year waiting for impending doom, thinking, any day now, I’ll be living with the kid from the exorcist. But it just didn’t happen. I thought to myself, how lucky am I to have gotten away scot-free, avoiding that dreadful, bratty phase that makes you want to gauge your eyes out.
16 Nov Sugar-Free
“Hello my name is Kelly and I’m a Sugaroholic (this is where you would say Hi Kelly!) …It’s been 35 days since my last piece of candy or chocolate.”14 Nov Where did summer go?
Baby, it's cold outside! We'll help keep you toasty this winter with some great blogs that will warm your heart. So grab a mug of tea and hang out with us as we count down until spring...
14 Nov Anti-Aging Fruit
While there is no such thing as a fountain of youth, there certainly are things that you can do to keep yourself looking youthful and healthy for as long as possible. Delicious ways to stop the aging clock is to eat high antioxidant fruit that...
13 Nov I’m ok with being a size 14!!
I have always been associated with being BIG. A big voice, a big personalty and big boned. Being a size 14 has never really bothered me. I know that may seem strange to many, but it's the truth.
At 43, I'm finally secure with myself- and I accept that my body is not perfect.
12 Nov My Marriage is OVER…..What Now?
My marriage is over…..what now? Is this a question that you would ever imagine asking yourself? It certainly wasn’t for me. I never imagined that it would be ME.I had never thought that my marriage would end and that I would have to go through the steps to a divorce.
I knew this was something that happened regularly, too regularly, but not to me. I am someone who always believed that I would be in a long-term marriage – sure there are ups and downs in every marriage, but if you had ever asked me 5 years ago if I thought I would end up divorced, my answer would have been a strong and bold NO!
11 Nov Finding compassion
Compassion. The Merriam-Webster definition is as follows: "a sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it." Compassion, an everyday word that is often taken for granted. Compassion is one of my favorite emotions. Every day, all of us are faced with examples...
10 Nov Letter from a Struggling Student
Dear Teacher, I know you might not think that I care about my grades, but I do. I’m the one about whom everybody always says, “If you just try harder and apply yourself, you would get such high grades,” and “You’re so smart and not living...
06 Nov Live Each Day To The Fullest
This past summer was a summer that I will never forget. I wish I can say it was due to some amazing adventure I experienced, however, the reality is, that was not the case.
05 Nov The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman
I found this novel very interesting because it involved mixing the past with the future, by balancing rare books with technology.
Who would think that both could be featured seamlessly in the novel together? It takes place before, during, and after September 11, 2001. Many issues are brought up in the story that weave their way around two sisters, Emily and Jess, who lost their mother at a very young age.
04 Nov Fitness Trackers: Worth the Investment?
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My husband looking fit.[/caption]
Almost two years ago my hubby decided he needed to get in better shape. He started looking for different apps as a way to log all his activities and achievements. He decided to try a fitness tracker which were relatively new on the market. He absolutely loved knowing how many steps he took, how many calories, and how many hours he slept at night. He would go to bed with this little electronic device which I couldn’t help but tease him about it by calling him a cyborg. He would get up in the morning and check his stats. He would study the colourful charts of his activity and would plan his goals for the day ahead.
His fitness tracker really did help him stay accountable.
03 Nov DEMYSTIFYING THE USE OF SEX TOYS
There is no shame in using sex toys!
So why do myths still abound surrounding the use of toys? Part of the problem is that as a society we still have trouble talking about sex and pleasure openly. Thankfully, I am noticing a trend toward more sex toy exploration for the young and old. This is evidenced by the rise in online sales of sex toys and the appearance of boutique-like sex shops in many neighbourhoods. Yet, still, a knowledge base is clearly missing for many.
31 Oct What’s age got to do with it? Everything!
I didn't ever really care about age... I always looked young, felt young and was often told that I looked like my daughters' sisters! All that changed when I received a birthday card with a giant 65 on it and I thought -that can't be for me!!!!! But alas, I am aging just like everyone else! I'm not complaining, really, I know exactly how fortunate I am to be healthy and actively involved in life. .. I never forget it. It's just that it hit me- big time - I'm finally realizing that things are rapidly moving in that other direction.
So I had better take full advantage of my good health and fulfill some dreams!
30 Oct The Scars That Bind
Scars are intriguing and fascinating. Each one tells a story.
Some people's scars invoke a beautiful memory such as the moment they entered motherhood. Others may stem from a more somber place such as war, abuse, surgery, or other injuries. Scars should be celebrated. They remind us of our body's incredible ability to heal. They are badges of honor that we acquire throughout our lives. Many spend a significant amount of money trying to minimize or eliminate their scars. To me, scars should not be erased. This would be akin to tearing a chapter out of a book and still expecting to understand the story in its entirety.
29 Oct Kindergarten: The Big Day, Just Around the Corner
There are many BIG days in our lives but once we become parents, one of the most memorable is our child’s first day of Kindergarten. As parents, it’s in our nature to worry—but wouldn’t it be nice to feel completely at ease on the first day of kindergarten?