18 Jun Ending the School Year on a Positive Note
Ahhh.. Take a deep breath. The last days of school have finally arrived! Summer vacation is now literally just around the corner and we can almost feel that fantastic relief of being able to breathe easier for two whole months!
13 Jun Lessons My Grandmother Taught Me
This month it will be two years that my grandmother passed away. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of her. I can honestly say my grandmother was one of my closest friends and her passing has left a big void in my heart. My grandmother was 93 years old when she passed away. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and as her disease progressed my love for her grew even more. I felt the need to protect her. Truthfully, I am not sure if she ever realized the impact she had on me but I do know that the bond we shared was mutual.
12 Jun Just Breathe
Breathing is something we do automatically, no thought required, it’s one less thing to worry about while exercising…well actually you should think about your breathing when training. While breathing is something our body does on it’s own when working out there are breathing techniques that will improve your workout and safeguard your health.
11 Jun Raising teens: Bittersweet when you do it right
Last week my husband and I got all three girls to go biking with us. This is a much more difficult undertaking than it used to be, when their social lives were completely under our oversight. I didn't appreciate it at the time, but it's been a while, and our twin almost 15-year-olds are constantly busy with friends, school and extra-curricular commitments. And while I like to think they do still enjoy hanging out with mom and dad and their younger sister, it's probably not as high on their list as it used to be.
10 Jun The ABCs of RESPs
Post secondary education in Canada has always been was pretty inexpensive compared to our neighbours south of the border. Historically, the provincial governments across Canada subsidized schooling to such an extent that there wasn’t much need for our parents to worry about college tuition from the time we were babies. Fast forward 20-30 years and things have changed – big time.
06 Jun Single Mama’s Favorite “Quotes.”
I came across a quote the other day that really rung true for me. I’m always amazed by the power that words can have – they can inspire us, make us stop and think about our lives, make us break out into uncontrollable laughter and sometimes even make us cry.
03 Jun STI/STD: Breaking the Taboo!
Before getting cozy under the sheets with your partner, remember that your sexual and reproductive health is essential for your overall well being. Anyone who is sexually active can get an STI/STD (sexually transmitted infection/sexually transmitted disease). STI’s can be detrimental to the health of women (and men)...
29 May FOOD Myths… what advice is true!
Magazines, Internet, iPads...everywhere you reach there is information both positive and negative flooding the market about food! The question is what is fact, what is a myth and finally what stands true within you?
27 May Finding the right talent…is a talent
Finding the right people to hire can be challenging.
I have recently spent the last couple of months looking at resourcing plans and preparing to bring on-board new talent for a big initiative at work. On one hand, it is reassuring that you have support to help do the work, and that it is not expected that you do it all yourself. On the other hand, it is a tremendous responsibility to make the right decision.
A poor decision can significantly delay the progress of a project and upset the dynamic within your already established team. Both talent and inter-personal skills need to be carefully assessed. Most often, there is a lot at stake.
26 May Is there really a summer learning gap?
Summer is just around the corner and the debate about whether kids should take the summer off and have fun, or whether they should be enrolled in an academic enhancement or remedial program is at the forefront of Mom conversations everywhere.
21 May The Importance of Validation
My name is Stephanie Mitelman, and I am a certified sexuality educator. In this blog I will be addressing readers’ questions on sexuality, health, and relationships. Please don’t be shy to send me a question you have! I will be happy to answer one every...
20 May How to begin a running routine
The nice weather has arrived and you’d like to get outside in the fresh air to get some exercise, you’d like to start running but you don’t think you can do it. As long as your doctor hasn’t advised you against running, then put on your sneakers and let’s go.
14 May 8 Tips: How To Enjoy Your Time With Someone Who Has Memory Loss
Growing up I was fortunate to have a very close relationship with my grandparents. My relationship with my grandparents is what gave me the itch to work in the field of geriatrics. My grandmother and I shared a very special bond and after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease it was very difficult for me to face the effects of the disease on a personal level.
13 May Me Want It (But Me Wait): Appreciating your child’s amazing qualities
“Me get this feeling when a box of cookies are on the shelf, Me want to grab it, want to eat it, can’t control myself.” Please watch this video before reading: [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PnbKL3wuH4?rel=0&w=560&h=315] Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster has always been somewhat of an impulsive character, having an insatiable...
12 May Oh no, not my bum!
We all seem to shy away when it comes to talking about colorectal cancer screening. Something about having our anus under the microscope makes us feel uncomfortable, but some quick and easy steps can help you take a proactive approach to early cancer detection. The Canadian...
12 May Single Mama’s thoughts on Mother’s Day
Mother's Day has always been something that I have felt proud and privileged to be a part of. In May 2001, I was 6 months pregnant with my my oldest child and I remember a friend of mine giving me a Mother's Day card designed specifically for a "mother-to-be." I was so excited for the new adventure in mothering that was about to unfold.At that time, I was married. I expected that my "mommy experience" was going to follow the intact family path - one with a mommy and a daddy living under the same roof and raising their children as a unit.
08 May Holding on to my little boy
Last week my 14 year old son, Aidan, called me from school to bring him his rugby uniform. He had a practice that afternoon and he'd forgotten his stuff. I was really aggravated. It wasn't the first time I'd have to bring him something he'd accidentally left at home, and I 'd just reminded him, THAT MORNING, to bring whatever he needed.
07 May What does being fit mean to you?
When you think about of being fit what do you think of?
I know many people have the misconception that being skinny equals being fit. That is definitely untrue. I have trained many many unfit thin clients. I can also say that I've had clients who were fit but possibly had a slightly higher BMI than is recommended. The thin clients often tell me that it's actually frustrating for them that everybody just assumes they are fit and question why on earth they'd be seeing a personal trainer; they are thin therefore they must be fit.
07 May Keep Calm and Keep Waiting…..
There are so many quotes about patience and waiting…..“Good Things Come To Those Who Wait” happens to be a favorite of mine. Perhaps this is because I spend so very much of my time waiting for people and things. I like to believe that I am a very patient person.
My children may choose to argue that I am not always patient, but that is the result of a being a mom, a single mom, who asks her kids to do things repeatedly until the initial patience gets lost.
For the most part, I have a great deal of patience. Sure, I get impatient waiting in long lines at the grocery store or sitting in traffic when the radio is playing lousy music, but that’s normal, right?
06 May Would Have…
Today is Brandon’s 38th birthday. That is, it would have been Brandon’s 38th birthday…had he not gotten Leukemia…had he not died four years ago at age 34.
I miss my love every single day. But it is on these anniversaries that his absence is that much more pronounced – the birthdays, the holidays and our family’s significant moments.
28 Apr Surviving the Beast of all Viruses: GASTRO!!!
Daycare….. On the one hand, it’s a wonderful place for my son to interact with his peers, do all kinds of fun
activities and learn new skills. But on the other hand, daycare is also an environment infested with NASTY, DIRTY, toddler germs. After a few months of being in the daycare scene, I finally came to the realization that there is just no way of getting around the fact that if your kid is in daycare and exposed to other children, he is going to get sick….ALOT!
27 Apr Social media 101 for parents – Evening workshop @McGill April 29th
Often at my parenting workshops I will ask for a show of hands from parents who feel their kids' technical skills online have outpaced their own. I'm no longer shocked by the number of hands that go up. With them come guilty confessions from parents who need their six-year-old to turn on the Apple TV, their eight-year-olds to figure out why the printer isn't working, or the ten-year-olds who help them download and set up apps on their smartphones.
25 Apr Welcome Spring!
In Quebec, spring has been long-awaited and it seems we Quebecers have had a long hard winter this year. Although I’m certain every year we feel this way. At 0 degrees , I’ve seen people outside shivering in t-shirts as they stubbornly want to believe that...
23 Apr A little rant about sports bras
[caption id="attachment_9386" align="alignleft" width="275"]
The encapsulation style sports bra.[/caption]
Anyone who knows me knows how much I dislike going to the dentist. Well, going shopping for bras, especially sports bras, is a not so distant second.
Usually after spending a few hours and a lot of money on one or two bras that I think are going to be the bra of all sports bras, I am always disappointed. Bouncing up and down in the dressing room for 4 seconds is just never a good enough test (I know you’ve done this too) as actually running, stepping or skipping. Somehow from the store to home my boobs seem to have either grown or shrunk and I am no longer staying in the cup!!!
22 Apr Grandma’s back!
Hi Everyone! I'm finally home from Florida and right back in the swing of things. [caption id="attachment_9138" align="alignleft" width="300"] Spot the Grandma[/caption] I was lucky enough to have visits from all those grandkids of mine - two weeks with the older ones and a whole month with my...
16 Apr What are your POUNDS made of?
Did you know that people generally eat between 3 and 5 pounds of food each day?
The BIGGER question... What are your 3-5 lbs made of?
14 Apr It’s Never Too Early To Start Packing for Summer Camp!
Can you believe that it is already time to begin thinking about packing for sleep away camp? After all, in my neighbourhood there's still some snow in my backyard and on my front lawn, and the looming threat of one more snow storm is in the...
11 Apr Women and Friendship
'There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.” -Linda Grayson I definitely feel that when it comes to friendship, quality trumps quantity. My friends are a VERY important part of my life. I can count my good ones on one hand,...
10 Apr Do you suffer with acne?
Rest assured knowing that you are not alone and there is help! A considerable amount of people suffer from acne problems; in fact one in five women aged 20 to 40 suffer from acne. If left untreated acne may lead to permanent scarring, but also, (and...