02 Mar Infertility: A Constant Sense of Longing
I have been going back and forth in my mind as to whether or not I should write this…..whether this is too revealing…..whether I should take the lid off this box of emotions that I have been desperately trying to keep under control for so long. But I’m tired of keeping it together, of pretending that I’m strong, when on the inside, I feel like I’m crumbling.
28 Feb Good debt or bad debt? Do you know which is which?
Most of us hate the idea of “debt”. It represents something that is owed: an obligation we'd rather not have. And we always have the niggling feeling that the lender is benefitting much more than the borrower in the transaction. But not all debt is actually...
27 Feb 2014 Furniture Trends
What are this coming years furniture trends? Are we still into rustic chic, or have we gone back to super modern?
26 Feb HOW TO DATE THE RIGHT WAY
If you’re looking to meet someone, you should be putting yourself out there and dating all kinds. It’s fun and can be very rewarding! But there is a fine line between going about it the right way and the wrong way and by no means...
25 Feb Why letting our children fail (sometimes) helps them succeed
This is one of my favourite pictures.
My then 11-year-old daughter is showing off how well she rides without hands on the handlebars. You can't see her face but if you did, it would be the kind of pure exhilaration you only see in children. The absolute pleasure in the skill, the sensation, the slight frisson of danger. She is totally in the moment, in a way adults rarely are.
21 Feb Being a Single Mother
As a single mother there are two things that people often ask me: “How do you manage to do everything by yourself” and “Isn’t it hard to be alone all of the time?”
20 Feb Get Rid of Homework Wars, Part 2: The Schedule
After my last post, I’m sure you have all implemented the calendar system with your kids. How is it working? I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback! And now for part two: THE SCHEDULE.
19 Feb The Day I Cooked with Celebrity Chefs
I’ve often wondered about food writers. What makes us such authorities on food exactly? Whenever I tackle a new recipe, my respect for chefs grows exponentially. Who could have imagined the precision and care endowed on a simple scallop? When I review restaurants, I know how...
18 Feb Exhaustion and Selflessness: Symptoms of Motherhood
The other day, I was talking to my very pregnant friend. She was telling me that if she hears the words, “Sleep now while you can, cause once you have kids, you’ll never sleep again” uttered by one more parent wanting to offer her advice, she was going to scream. I totally understood where she was coming from. I remember before having my son, getting that same warning time and time again.
18 Feb Don’t Ask Me Why I’m Single
I am all about celebrating holidays, in fact, it's one of my favourite things to do. For crying out loud, I bought Chinese New Year decorations for my classroom! However, I do not like Valentine's Day.
17 Feb Is Wedding Lighting Important?
Aside from your centerpieces, linens, flowers and drapery, there is one element of any wedding that is often forgotten about, but can really help set the mood and ambiance for the night ahead, and that’s LIGHTING! Wedding lighting is often an area where people feel they can tighten the purse strings on, but honestly, it can be one of the best bangs for your buck when it comes to décor, for more reasons than one:
17 Feb Learning is your key to success!
We learn all the time. As kids, we learn the basics in language, math and sciences. As adults, we continue to refine our knowledge base, and add to it - learning all about the world around us, people's behaviours, social norms, and the complexities of everyday...
10 Feb When things don’t go as planned in pregnancy
This post was supposed to be about the trials and tribulations of creating a baby registry. Then two weeks ago, something unexpected happened. At 32 and-a-half weeks pregnant, I was still working, exercising and feeling great. Then one night, I started bleeding. A lot. I immediately...
07 Feb Tatiana’s top 5 no brainers for buyers
Guess what people?! It's 2014 and contrary to all those “Chicken Little” predictions of last year, the market is still sizzling hot!!
Interest rates are still at an all-time low with banks practically giving away their money and posting rates as low as 2.9% fixed for 5 years. Sales have gone up in most neighbourhoods and the prices of homes have gone up in many Montreal suburbs. Moreover, increase in supply of condos have softened that market and brought down prices, making it more affordable for buyers to get into the condo market.
07 Feb Double use spaces …
So we all have those rooms in our homes, condos, apartments, etc. that need to do double duty. But the problem is, how do we let the room serve one purpose but still serve another without one of them completely taking over ?!
05 Feb The Truth About Speed Bumps
Lately my life seems to be filled with lots of twists, turns, and obstacles.
It’s natural that with our busy and often non-stop routines we are bombarded with a multitude of daily challenges – some of which can be compared to tiny pebbles and others which feels like enormous boulders. As I have mentioned before, as a mother, I spend a great deal of my life behind the wheel of my car. While in the car this week, I found myself having to drive over many speed bumps, and lots of things became very clear to me…
03 Feb Technology: Friend or Foe?
I am a huge TV watcher…..always have been and probably always will be. My husband designs video games for a living and could easily be described as a “techie”. We have all the latest gadgets and gizmos: PCs, several laptops, iPads, tablets….you name it, we have...
31 Jan Location… Location… Location!!!
The three repeated words that seem as obvious as the word itself, Location.
The official definition based on the Merriam-Webster dictionary is “a position or site occupied or available for occupancy or marked by some distinguishing feature”. Therefore, the position of the property, in relation to the area, that has distinguishing features to buyers is what makes the location so important. When one thinks of Beaconsfield South along the Lakeshore or Westpark area in DDO, we associate it with well to-do people or families because there location has prestige and sells well because they are in high demand for wealthy professionals.
30 Jan DIY: Vintage lamps makeover
For quite some time I was hunting for vintage or secondhand matching lamps for a DIY project to transform them for my twins' rooms. I wanted to make one for a girl's room and one for a boy's room to show how one lamp can look two different ways. I finally came across a pair at an antique shop in Saint-Sauveur. As I was walking back to the car empty handed, I spotted them outside on the porch of the shop.
29 Jan The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
I was always fascinated by the story of the Titanic and her tragic fate ever since I was a little girl.
When I heard about this novel, I thought it might give me an idea of how things could have went down, even though it is fictionalized. This book is not only about the Titanic but about the well known British fashion designer, Lady Lucile Duff Gordon, who actually survived the sinking of the ship. The more unfortunate reality of the situation is that she had apparently saved her skin but did not allow others to join her rather empty raft, which carried her husband and several other passengers. Alcott's novel focuses on what happens to Lucy Gordon and her secretary (or in this case, her maid and later seamstress) once they are safely on American soil.
28 Jan Getting Rid of Homework Wars: Step 1
When I meet with students and tell them that they will have to spend time doing “planning work” before doing their actual homework and studying,they often look at me like I’m crazy. I’ve actually become used to that look and usually respond with, “I know you...
23 Jan Chickpea, Sweet Pepper and Bocconcini Salad
22 Jan Mommy Friends: An Essential Component to Surviving Motherhood
Last week, I went out for dinner with some mommy-friends. I had a double espresso at 7pm in order to fight off the exhaustion that normally sets in around 10pm . I blow dried my hair, did my best attempt at a smokey-eye and left...
21 Jan Making Eclairs Part 2
Continuing on from my previous article where I explained how to make the Choux pastry shells, in Part 2, I will now explain how to assemble your eclairs.
21 Jan Single Mama’s thoughts on Gossip
People love to have all of the facts. They hear a tidbit of information or half of a story and find it necessary to ask as many questions as possible in order to feel as though they have all of the details. Then they piece together the information that they have gathered, add in anything they feel is missing and share the “story” with others. Sadly, much of what they share is fiction, and that is how rumors and gossip are created.
20 Jan Finding the Perfect Venue
Have an anniversary, milestone or wedding coming up? Before getting into the nitty gritty of planning your event, one of the first things to do is find the right venue. With Montreal acting as your backdrop, you are privileged to have a vast amount of...
17 Jan I work from home. And yes…I work!
Every woman desires freedom to make the choices she needs to balance her life. We harness many responsibilities as mothers, sisters, friends, lovers, breadwinners, community volunteers, and caregivers. It's a balancing act.
17 Jan How to Maximize a small space
When I recently asked my followers what they would like tips on, a few asked how to maximize small spaces ... There are several different answers to this question, but what I find most effective is using furniture pieces that serve a dual purpose.