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Child behind the wheelThe number one question I get in my parent workshops on bullying and Internet safety is how to effectively control the amount of time kids spend online. From the time they are old enough to swipe their sticky baby fingers across a touchscreen straight on through high school, parents worry that way too much time is spent in front of the screens of various devices.

Chicken Pot Pie in 2 Easy Steps

I have 2 weaknesses when it comes to the kitchen. The first are recipes that are "one bowl" or "2 steps" - but worse than that are recipes that are from name brands. At first I was a skeptic -that was until I tried my first. Now, I'm always ready to try recipes from the brands that make them. It kind of makes sense that they would know best, right? I would recommend starting with Kraft. The selection of recipes and amount of information on their website is incredible. Each recipe has it all: photos, prep time, total servings and best of all, nutritional info per serving. Check it out at: www.kraftcrecipes.com

I remember as a teenager going to a “jazzercise” class with my aunt, struggling to follow along in my Flashdance attire, doing my best grapevine to Lionel Ritchie’s “Dancing on the Ceiling”.  Ok so I’ve just dated myself with several key words in that statement. 

I am going to lay it all out there that I have an addiction to Pinterest. I sometimes (or always) get consumed for hours looking at images of just about anything for some inspiration. This time, I was searching ideas for a holiday wreath to hang on my front door that I could DIY. I came across two ideas that I loved and wanted to mesh the two together. One was a wreath made up of silver push pins (thumb tacks) and the second was using a frame instead of a conventional round wreath and hanging something inside of it.

If you are hosting a party and want to give  fun party  favors to your guests, decorated cookies are the perfect confection for the job. Highly customizable, you can make cookies in all shapes, sizes, flavours and colours. They can also serve several functions: make holes in the tops before baking, and your cookies can now be ornaments or name tags. You could also use decorated cookies as place setting cards.  All you really need to know is how to make Royal Icing.

Let’s be honest, the first few months of mommy-hood are ROUGH!!!
The sleepless nights….the physical and emotional fatigue….the zombie-like state of functioning….the unkempt hair….the Lululemon uniform…    Although this period seems like forever ago, for the past 3 months, I have been experiencing a similar but milder form of sleep deprivation c/o my wonderful son who seems to think he no longer needs an afternoon nap and that 4:30 AM  is a suitable time to start his day.

  [caption id="attachment_2952" align="alignleft" width="150"]Photo by: Vicky Doodles Photo by: Vicky Doodles[/caption] As you may already know, November is also fondly known as Movember; the month of awareness for prostate cancer. Although this topic may appear to be of interest to men only, I can assure you that as a nurse and woman having seen men very close to me (my dad at age 65 and life partner at age 52) diagnosed and treated for this disease, I find the subject just as important to women who have men they care for in their life.

Real Estate Boutique - Patricia Karchemny - 37 Simone-de-Beauvoire, Notre Dame Ile Perrot (98 of 141) All my single ladies... All my single ladies!!! Really... who needs a relationship when you can buy your dream home on your own? I’ve met many buyers in my career and as a busy real estate broker; one of the thing I’ve always admired was the single ladies buying their dream homes on their own. I bought my first condo at 24 years old. It was my first foray into real estate. I got a two bedroom, one bath, 700 sq.ft. condo near the Plateau. It did have paper thin walls, but the location was amazing and the potential to renovate was better. It was steps from Sherbrooke Street and six blocks from the Main.  It was my first big investment and when I sold it a couple years later, I made enough money to start my real estate portfolio - but I digress...

This is Elly.
She's my amazing mother-in-law, my children's super-star grandmother, and a GREAT dresser. You may have seen her around here before. I had to feature her here in Style 101 because she's great at adapting the latest fashion trends in a way that is age-appropriate. When I told Elly the theme of this week's post was leopard and stripes, she jumped all over it.

To put it lightly, being 27, single and attending an event where the ages range from 12 to 75 is rather challenging. So, to put you all at ease, and to let you know how it all went down, I encourage you to read this brief and to the point passage.

EGGPLANT MANICOTTI WITH RICOTTA, ASIAGO AND PARSLEY FILING: VEGETARIAN DELIGHT!     Eggplant. Really, what a terrible name you were saddled with. And what an identity crisis! To have an alter ego…the aubergine - which sounds exotic, foreign and sophisticated!! It’s a lot to contend with. The good...

bread glutenWhere to start in regards to month two of my self-imposed challenge – with the bad news, the good news, or the better news? The good news is I’m still coffee free and I’m feeling great about it. The better news is I’ve decided to recommit to another month (at least) of being gluten free. The bad news is that I was not as successful as I aimed to be with being gluten free the month of August. Of 31 days in the month, I had gluten about ten times. Given the numbers, some would say I did pretty well, and as much as I aim for 100%, the few times I slipped the underlying factors were because I was simply unprepared and I needed compassion. Sound like excuses? I agree, so please read on.

When my husband and I entered into this crazy world of parenthood together, I had no doubt in my mind that he was going to be an excellent father.  I vividly remember him changing my son’s first diaper as I helplessly recuperated from my C-section and anxiously watched over his shoulder.  He was calm and gentle and he handled my son’s little bum with such ease and confidence. 

There was a time when virgin women were considered the cure for a man who was afflicted with syphilis or “the pox”.  It was an unfortunate myth that put many innocent young ladies at risk for their own health and lives.  The Virgin Cure is set during that period in history (1871 New York), where we are introduced to Moth Fenwick.  She lives with her mother, who seems to be making a living from fortune telling.  When we meet Moth (an only child and fatherless), she is twelve and on the verge of being given away for a price.  We get the feeling that there is no love lost on her mother’s part, but Moth imagines that she will one day return home.

[caption id="attachment_2752" align="alignright" width="157"]Yours truly a whopping 80 lbs heavier!!!  A little younger too ;) Yours truly a whopping 80 lbs heavier!!! A little younger too ;)[/caption] When I used to think of circuit training I would picture myself almost twelve years ago trying to lose some of the 80 lbs (yup 80!! ) I gained during my pregnancy with my daughter - at Curves going around the circle,  dancing on the platform - in between strength exercises. It helped me get started and get moving again.  Now my circuits are a little more intense but the basic idea is still the same.