The end of maternity leave is a very sad time for many mothers. It can make you feel sick with a mix of emotions: guilt, anxiety, sadness, and fear. It’s also liberating for some moms, those who feel the need to get their life and career moving again. Moms can be excited to have new challenges outside of the home. However you feel about it, we can all agree that the logistics are complex. From packing to pick-up times, it’s not an easy transition to make. Nobody can take the anxiety away, but we can help ease the logistical challenge and steer you in the right direction with getting more organized for the next step. Why Label for Daycare? This is a question we used to get quite often at Mabel’s. Today, in post-pandemic life. We want to avoid germy mix-ups. This is, by far, the number one reason for…

It’s the start of the holiday season! It’s still Fall-like weather! One of my favourite months! If you ask me, November rocks! Now, some might think I’m saying this because I have a November birthday, but that’s not the only reason. If you read my October babies post, you know that I’m a lover of all things Fall and everything I love about Fall just continues throughout the month of November. Then you add in the start of the holiday season, and everything just feels all merry and bright! Plus, I love all things peppermint, cinnamon, and cranberry. I was definitely born in the right month! Those born in November have some great things going for them. Like October babies, they’re destined to be great athletes. Due to the two astrological signs in November, they’re known for being great friends, and their birthday month is also Peanut Butter Lovers Month,…

Cis-gender, transgender, agender, non-binary, genderqueer. These are big and scary words. Worse, their use is seemingly fluid, and what was perfectly acceptable yesterday is suddenly offensive today. Some of the people who use these terms are remarkably forgiving when we make mistakes, but some aggressively enforce their ‘correct’ use at all times. All of these factors combine to make the topic of gender a seeming minefield of political correctness over what is a seemingly trivial thing that has only very recently become a prominent issue. The easiest thing by far is to avoid talking about non-standard gender topics entirely, right? After all, this wasn’t an issue when we were growing up. Why is it so important now all of a sudden? There has been an explosion in growth of studies being done on transgender and gender non-conforming folks. At the same time, we’ve opened our eyes as a society to…

Holiday cards can present an annual dilemma. Life is crazy-busy in December, and your to-do list is longer than Santa’s beard. But, you also want to send warm holiday wishes to the people you care about – something more meaningful than liking their latest post on Instagram. An old-fashioned holiday card is always a thoughtful gesture, and it might be even more meaningful this year. If you like the idea of sending out cards but aren’t sure where to start, read on for our step-by-step guide. Step 1: Make Your List The goal here is to establish who is on your “snail mail” list, since you’ve got to allow more prep and delivery time for them. You may choose to contact some friends and family by e-mail, text or social media, but you also instinctively know which ones will genuinely enjoy ripping open an envelope and unfolding a classic holiday…

We are just a few days away from Hallowe’en, and there are a few important points I’m considering and talking to my kids about before the big day! 1.Costumes When choosing their costumes, I ask my kids always to be respectful. Have them consider if their costume is making for or offensive of a culture or religion. Does it reinforce stereotypes about certain groups? My kiddos are generally very aware of cultural appropriation, but it’s still a meaningful conversation to have. Otherwise, if their costumes are safe and not too restrictive, I don’t police unnecessarily. Let them express themselves and have fun! 2. Inclusivity I try to ensure I have non-food items for kids with allergies or food sensitivities. Having a teal pumpkin on your porch will alert trick-or-treaters that you are a safe house for them. If you notice a child carrying a blue pumpkin for their treats, they…

Women are not safe. Anywhere. Not in our homes, our workplaces, our neighborhood streets, clubs, schools, or anywhere else we dare to go. We’re not safe alone, or with strangers; we’re definitely not safe around the men who claim to love us.As the media remains fixated on the story of Gabby Petito women everywhere are rolling their eyes at the wall to wall coverage because NOTHING about this story is new. It’s news but it’s not new news. If you don’t know that women go missing and get murdered all. The. Time. Then you haven’t been paying attention.Gabby’s innocence and zest for life captured our hearts. We mourned the loss of her mega-watt smile and giant dimples. Gabby was both familiar and aspirational – the girl next door, the girl we wished we knew, and the girl we wished we were, all rolled into one; and this is a large…

It’s the month of crunchy leaves, football, Halloween, and everything pumpkin! I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like October. In fact, I think October is one of my favourite months of the year. I love the weather, I love watching football with my boys, I love taking family walks to check out all the amazing Fall colours, and I’m a big fan of raiding all the candy in my kids Halloween bags. (Shhh! Don’t tell them!) October also hosts some interesting days including Global Cat Day, National Pasta Day, International Sloth Day, Halloween of course, and even National Croc Day. I might be one of the only people who still love and wear Crocs, so I’m pretty pumped there’s a day dedicated to celebrating them. I have a pair I call my “winter crocs” because they’re lined with fur. My boots are even Crocs. If anyone else wants…

When October rolls around, the kids start getting excited about all things Halloween! Our boys have always loved going out as a family to a local pumpkin patch and picking out their own pumpkin to carve. They love choosing a costume and dressing up, and of course…they love trick-or-treating! Halloween definitely gives kids plenty of fun things to look forward to, but if you’re a parent of a child with a food allergy, trick-or-treating can be stressful. Our boys don’t have a food allergy or intolerance, but I do. I know what it’s like to watch everyone else eat all these amazing treats and all I can do is, well, watch. As an adult it’s pretty rough. So, for a child…it must be even worse. Luckily though, allergy awareness has come a long way. You may have heard of The Teal Pumpkin Project in recent years. It’s an initiative that…

It was recently Teachers’ Day, and it allowed me to reflect on this incredible profession. (Sure, we can all talk about that one teacher who maybe picked the wrong career, but they are few and far between). I have had a lot of different perspectives on teachers. As a long-term student; after finishing high school, I went on and did three degrees – primarily because of the love of learning that teachers instilled in me (OK, admittedly also the student lifestyle)  As a mom of six kids, I have encountered countless inspiring teachers. I’ve learned so many ins and outs of working with them to ensure a positive experience for my kids. Most importantly, I was raised by two teachers. My Dad was a high school teacher in a rough end of town, and my mom specialized in teaching kids living with disabilities and were also often medically fragile. It was…

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month, and it’s important to acknowledge this, raise awareness, and allow mothers touched by special loss to come together and share their experiences.  1 in 4 women are touched by infant loss, which means that even if you haven’t experienced it, someone you know has or will. The difficulty with infant loss is the stigma and discomfort it brings to those around us. This discomfort stems from the stigma that we shouldn’t talk about it, that women should move forward as though nothing has happened. This couldn’t be more wrong. A big part of breaking the stigma comes from talking and understanding. A big part of healing is through the community.   We spoke with Sandra Kesselman, MSW, RSW, a Professional Social Work clinician, for forty years. The focus of her work has been in the areas of crisis intervention, grief, and loss. In addition, she…