Has your child been selected (or is thinking of trying out) for a “rep” team? Also called “travel” or “club” teams, these programs offer a more competitive experience than a local “house league.”
I’m a big believer in thank you gifts at the end of the school year. And not just because I used to be a teacher. I’ve given gifts of appreciation to coaches, babysitters, and swimming instructors, too.
I deliberately avoid using the term “staycation.” I don’t like it. It feels like a lame attempt to cover up the fact that my family’s not going away on vacation (which we aren’t) because it’s too expensive (which it is). Am I so desperate to feel like I’m part of the “vacation” scene that I’ll use a made-up word that rhymes with it?
Canada’s Food Guide has had an extreme makeover. Gone are the colour-coded food groups, age-specific recommendations and complicated serving sizes. In their place is an image of a plate, with the left side filled with fruits and vegetables. The upper right quadrant is reserved for “protein foods” (especially plant-based ones), while the bottom right section is for “whole grain foods.” There are no numbers or percentages anywhere. It’s a qualitative, not quantitative, approach.
It’s easy to find things to dislike about winter. There are the obvious ones, like the bone-chilling cold, the ever-present germs, and the dry, cracked skin. There are also the smaller insults, like unexpectedly stepping in a puddle of melted snow that the kids have tracked in.
I cleaned out my toaster the other day. It wasn’t out of boredom – in fact, I had a long list of other things I needed to do. But a rogue scrap of bread had become stuck in the inner metallic grid, which presented a fire hazard. After unplugging the toaster, turning it upside down and unleashing an avalanche of crumbs, I noticed that the outside surface was incredibly grungy. I scrubbed it until it gleamed.
Sunscreen should be a key ingredient of your family’s sun protection plan this summer. The lotions, sticks and sprays on the market today do an impressive job of shielding our skin – that is, when they’re used correctly. Before your family heads out for some fun in the sun, make sure you’re avoiding these sunscreen slip-ups:
Motherhood can do a number on a woman’s hair. Sure, it starts out great with the hormone boost during pregnancy – it’s thicker, fuller and shinier. Once baby arrives, though, it can change significantly in its texture, curl and volume. You might remember some post-baby showers when your once-glorious hair came out in handfuls and went down the drain (along with your hopes of a Pantene endorsement deal).
Mother’s Day is advertised as a day of relaxing and pampering, but what if you get stuck with (um, I mean, “receive the honour of”) hosting the gathering to celebrate it? Naturally, you’ll want to make the experience extra nice for the assembled moms, which may include your mom, mother-in-law, grandma, sister or sister-in-law, among others.
While stuck in an airport due to a delayed flight, I found myself feeling things I hadn’t felt in a while. To my surprise, I realized they were the same emotions I had experienced during the early days when my kids were infants. Inspired by this, here is a list of similarities between caring for a new baby and having a long airport layover: