When I turned The Big 5-0 this year, I knew I wanted to celebrate with the gift of travel. And what an adventure it’s been! Between some solo travel across Switzerland, including the Swiss Riviera, Paris with my daughter and a family ski trip at the Fairmont Tremblant, closing out this milestone year with one…
Swiss Travel Pass price, info + how to use it
So, you’re going to Switzerland and you’ve decided to ditch the car rental idea because this is a country best seen by train. Smart! And you’ve been looking into the Swiss Travel Pass. Even smarter! It’s one of the best-value options available to foreigners while travelling in what can be a fairly expensive country. And…
The best Christmas in NYC itinerary
Is there a more magical place during the holiday season than Manhattan? Maybe, but I haven’t found it yet. This Christmas in NYC itinerary has been a long time coming; I’ve been to New York during all four seasons, but never in the lead-up to Christmas. And I’m here to tell you that it can…
Leather gifts for men from GRAMS28
It may sound hard to believe with a name like “Mommy Gearest,” but about half of my site’s readers are men. And a good chunk of the other half are gift-buyers for the men in their lives, so as Father’s Day quickly approaches, this is definitely a post for all of you. And this year’s pick?…
Watching the 2024 solar eclipse at Fort Henry in Kingston — and more!
Now that most of the school boards in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) have declared April 8 a PA Day, many of you are probably considering using it as an opportunity to take your kids, tweens and teens to experience the 2024 solar eclipse. We’re making this a multigenerational family affair and heading to Fort…
7 personalized family gifts for the holidays
It was so much easier when the kids were little, right?! You could gift them LEGO, dolls or stuffed animals and they might even just as happy with the boxes they came in. Fast forward to the tween and teen years and they either want money or tech. For many gift-givers, though, handing over a…
The only ski trip packing checklist you need
Once we started skiing, we progressively ditched the sunny southern holidays in favour of ski trips. Now that I’ve really nailed our ski packing list and system after eight years of trial and error, I figured it’s time to share! Assuming you’re going on a five- to six-day ski holiday, here’s the ski trip packing…
Types of makeup looks to “unmakeup” yourself
The types of makeup looks that permeated my youth have, thankfully, evolved. I vividly remember sneaking turquoise eyeshadow to school in Gr. 7 to unabashedly and generously apply it across both eyelids when I was finally beyond my mother’s reach. She’d never know. It was 1987 and I wanted — nay, needed — that glorious…
BeautiTone paint colours in a beachy bedroom
The K Man started high school this year and — like many 14 year olds — thought about the possibility of bringing a girl home. And with it, the horror of one seeing his bedroom, decorated the same way for the 12 years we’ve lived in this home. From Scrabble-themed artwork to a bookshelf covered…
8 reasons the Apple iPhone SE is the best cell phone for kids
Whether you’re here because you’re looking for the best phones for 10 year olds or phones for teenagers that won’t eat up all of their birthday or holiday money, we’re about to give you eight reasons to take a closer look at the Apple iPhone SE. And since it’s my kids who have been testing…