Some say music makes the world go round.  For me, music gets me through hours of exercise and training every week.  It can get me across the finish line of a 10 km run, other days it pushes me to lift more, to do one more push-up or the last 5 squats.
For me training and music go hand and hand. I don’t remember a single workout when I didn’t have my music pumping.

kids classesThe best. That’s what we all want for our children. The best? What does that even mean? Talk about putting a ton of pressure on ourselves, right? When my daughter was born, I remember thinking “I want to do everything I can to make sure she has the best…” Now, between work, school, drop off and pick up, story time and bath time, birthday parties and more – I keep thinking “Let me just get through the day!” Of course I still want to do everything I can to help my daughter develop, so I recently put her in sports so she’s active and, of course, I read with her every chance I get. She started Pre-K this year so we’ve got the social part covered. What else? How can I teach her patience, improve her hand-eye coordination, and work on her self-confidence, amongst other things? How many activities should I put this kid in?

Luckily, there’s one that hits all of the markers mentioned… and it’s simple: ART.

Currently, my family is in full-on potty training mode and I have come to terms with the fact that for now, our lives must inevitably revolve around my son’s unpredictable peeing and pooping schedule.  I have been patiently waiting for this time to come, dreaming of a day where I would no longer have to add diapers to my shopping list.  But now that it’s here, I am realizing that helping him achieve this momentous milestone is a TON of work involving patience, creativity, perseverance and many pairs of underwear.

I have always been what others would consider to be an "overprotective mom" to my two boys.  Being a worse case scenario thinker has made me "one of those moms". 

When my son was suddenly diagnosed with an anaphylactic peanut allergy at the age of 6, this pre-disposition instantly transformed me into a one person army defending his peanut-free safety.

My grandmother and I were very fortunate to be so close.
Not close in terms of physical or geographical distance since there was always about 500 km between us.  But rather, the rare type of close where not only could we finish each other's sentences but start them as well.  As years went on, our very special bond transcended onto my husband and children who loved Big Bubs  with as much heart and soul as I did.

i-h-1I just recently opened a letter to myself that I written at the age of 22.  That is now over 20 years.  I did not expect to wait so long to open it but I never felt ready.  At 22, I was caught up in a vicious food cycle that had basically taken over my life. I remember age 22 being a very tough time in my life; a time of feeling very unworthy and incomplete. I was open to change; I desired change.  It’s hard to believe how a simple exercise would truly impact my life.

Kids-Being-Bullied I recently came across an article in Psychology Today called The One Emotion That Really Hurts Your Brain, which discusses a study’s findings that humiliation makes the brain feel very uncomfortable. What struck me about this article, however, was not the outcome of the study, but rather the fact that we, as a society, experience humiliation on a regular basis, sometimes without even realizing it.

[caption id="attachment_19746" align="alignleft" width="255"]I'm getting my nerve up to dive into my not so warm pool. I'm getting my nerve up to dive into my not so warm pool.[/caption] I’ve had days that I’d rather go for a bikini wax than actually put on a bikini or bathing suit - but I’ve put my bathing suit induced anxiety aside to hit the pool for a swimming workout.

Three years into this motherhood gig and I feel I have finally mastered the art of “me time”.  I get my nails done religiously. I have fairly regular nights out with friends. I even find moments to sip my Starbucks alone, uninterrupted.
I do all of these indulgent things with a clear conscience.  I feel zero guilt. It has become crystal clear to me that in order to be the best mom I can be, in order to sustain my sanity, I’ve got to set aside moments in the week to prioritize myself.

cocktail-doctorjenn_comBeing a mother myself of two young kids, 5 and 8 years old, I participate in a lot of mommy talk.  There’s my parlor group, the ladies at PTA, at soccer, ballet, hockey, etc. etc.  Some of the most common discussions often revolve on how to prepare our kids for the world.  How to shelter them but also how to help them handle the stresses that will surely affect their lives as they grow and develop as people.

[caption id="attachment_19707" align="alignleft" width="200"]Sky and Joel Ovadia Sky and Joel Ovadia[/caption] When my son, Aidan, was about 10, he started asking for drum lessons. My response was somewhere along the lines of, “No freaking way!”. The mere thought of having a drum kit in my house was enough to give me a massive headache. Also, we’d had a previous unsuccessful stint at piano lessons that required the purchase of a keyboard - which now serves as a musical dust collector.

logan_self_esteem1When I look at my son, I see a lot of myself in him.  And for the most part, that fills me with an immense sense of pride.   He’s got my eyes.  He’s shy around strangers, but is a serious show-man/entertainer around the people he trusts.  He’s gentle and a bit passive. He’s super smart and retains everything. He’s an observer.  I love that he has inherited these parts of me.  These are things I didn’t necessarily teach him, they are just an inevitable part of his DNA, of who he is.

I cannot begin to tell you how many people have come up to me over the last 15 years and told me they think they have Alzheimer's Disease. People of all different ages, young and old, will say, "Trish, I can't remember where I put my keys, I think I am losing it"; "Trish, I walked into the kitchen and forgot why I went there";  "Trish, I lost my phone twice this week, but thank goodness I found it"; "Trish, what is wrong with me, do I have Alzheimer's Disease?"  The answer is 99.99% of the time "No".  I don't take these comments lightly, but lets not confuse what is normal memory loss with Alzheimer's Disease.

In a few weeks I will be celebrating a birthday,  a big one!! I’m not gonna lie… I’m dreading it!!! I know it’s just a number.  I know it shouldn’t define me.  No I don’t feel older, as a matter of fact most of the time I feel like I’m nineteen years old and that’s part of the problem… Where did the last twenty years go?
In a blink of an eye I went from adolescent to middle aged!!! Somewhere along the way I picked up a husband, two kids, a mortgage etc… What freaks me out is what if the next twenty years go by just as quickly???

As a sexologist, I have been teaching about bondage, dominance, sadism, submission and masochism since the beginning of my career. To be clear we are talking about binding someone or being bound, dominating someone either psychologically or physically, submitting to someone fully, and the receiving of or giving of pain.