There are many things that can evoke memories of your childhood. For some it is a smell or a song, for me it was a lamp post. I grew up on a quiet cul-de-sac in a small suburb in Montreal. In the center of the street was a small grassy island with a tall lamp post. Any free time whether it was weekends, after school, hot summer days or even in the freezing Canadian cold the young kids of D’Estree would be outside playing.
Abandoned heels at a party[/caption]
I really love this time of year, the lights, the picturesque snow covered trees..and the holiday parties!! Year round I can get away wearing ballet flats or a small pump when I’m dressed up for a party but there are two occasions that I feel a have to take it up a notch, by taking it up I mean the height of my heels. Weddings and holiday parties for me are really the only time I’ll wear a heel. The heel height I consider big to most of you might not seem very high at all. An inch and a half to two inches is really my maximum, and even at that I struggle to look ladylike as I walk (let alone try to dance) with these things on my feet. I am without a doubt more graceful with my hockey skates on then I am in a two inch heel. But on these special occasions fashion trumps comfort. I have yet to keep my heels on for an entire event, I bring backups and part way through the evening have changed into a more comfortable shoe, not as pretty but not as painful either.
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.
and a fluoride treatment to boot, I was in utter shock!
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.
[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...
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!
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...
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.
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...
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...
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.
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.
Creative Commons license by Tia.[/caption]
When my now 15-year-old twin daughters were little, we would pack crayons and paper for them when we went out to restaurants. Remember crayons? I challenge you to spot a kid using crayons next time you visit any family restaurant anywhere. Most of the diaper set will be swiping their ketchup-smeared fingers across touch screens, chewing on their parents' expensive smartphones, playing engaging games or watching videos on electronic devices. iPads are the new crayons and board books.
