When your 11.5-year-old son leans over 20 minutes into a musical and says, “Mom, this is so cool,” and your 50-year-old brother-in-law announces “this was better than Wicked!” at intermission (which he’d seen on Broadway), and your mother-in-law calls your husband the next day in tears because she just loved it all so much, you…
18 of the best experience gifts for kids, adventure gifts & unique gifts for friends
I know, I know. I put out a Holiday Gift Guide every year full of…STUFF. And there’s nothing wrong with wanting things for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or whatever beautiful holiday you and your family celebrate with presents. I’m pro-thing. But I’m even more pro-experience, and the trend of giving experiences instead of things is one…
Hot gift ideas: my 2019 holiday gift guide
Can you believe this is my 8th annual holiday gift guide? It’s hard to believe that what started as an already-pretty-intense process has grown every year. Thank you for your continued anticipation and for sharing this with your friends and family — you always make all the hard work worthwhile! What is THE hot gift…
Teaching kids about the importance of saving money
Look, I’ma be honest: I’m probably not the right person to come to for financial advice. So this is really more of a we’re-in-this-together kind of post, where I’m learning right alongside you and doing my best to teach my kids about the importance of saving money. Because they haven’t exactly had the most frugal…
Scouts games, team-building games for kids & more
As my kids inch closer to starting their first year of Scouts in Canada, I’ve been taking a look online to see what kinds of Scouts games they’ll be doing and how those play-based activities will help them develop skills to conquer the “real world” as they get older. From team-building games for kids to…
Where to find Mommy and me clothes
(This Mommy and Me Clothes post was updated on July 2, 2021.) When I found out that Miss Q and I were heading to Club Med Punta Cana together, I asked her if she wanted me to get some mommy and me clothes. At an age where this request could have been met with a…
2019 back-to-school shopping deals
Back-to-school shopping was always one of my favourite things as a kid. Scoring the latest acid-washed jeans and pastel-coloured leather North Star high-tops ranks high in the memory bank. But times have changed, and when you can find the best back-to-school shopping deals from the comfort of your living room — AND earn Aeroplan Miles…
The best tablet for students is also the best tablet for note-taking
Back when I was a student, I took notes ferociously — eating up every word and condensing it into bite-size bullets to pore over later. Never in my wildest dreams could I have predicted the laptop tablet hybrid market or stylus pen category that make student life so much more efficient now. And having tested…
My kids are joining Scouts Canada & here’s why
My father-in-law, who grew up in New Zealand, was a Queen’s Scout. This is the highest award you can get in the Scouting world across the Commonwealth, and to say he’s proud of this achievement would be an understatement. So imagine his disappointment when not one of his three boys joined Scouts here in Canada….
17 things to do in Niagara with kids
I’ve been going to the Niagara area for more than 40 years, and it just never gets old. The crashing force of the Falls, the Vegas-like lights of Clifton Hill and the throngs of tourists from around the world are still just as novel every time I visit. Since having kids, though, we see Niagara…