This Mother’s Day I’ll probably celebrate in the usual way. I’ll sleep in. Around 11am I’ll be gently awakened to the aroma of chai tea at my bedside. There will be cards from my kids and husband and I’ll receive flowers and gifts, surrounded by family. After that, I’ll take several hours for myself and get a mani-pedi or relax with a book—whatever I want. But it wasn’t always like this. I’ve been a mom for almost 19 years, and for the first half of that, I was a single mom. Mother’s Day used to look very different then.











It’s always a great idea for your health to take a break from the alcohol, even for a bit. Bartender Bobbi Kay, formerly of the Fairmont Pacific Rim Vancouver’s Boneta is a mocktail wizard. If you love the Mojito but desire not to drink alcohol or have a bun in the oven, so to speak… here’s a special recipe.
My Halifax elementary school, Sir Charles Tupper, produced a cookbook and this recipe for Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake was in it. We still serve it for holidays every year. I remember my mom entertaining, and eating this for breakfast the next day! I don’t think there’s anything more decadent than cheesecake for breakfast. The richness is delicious and satisfying. It’s amazing when you stop to think about how many memories we have that are tied to food! What food holds special memories for you?
A few years back, during a Cityline filming I had the pleasure of re-acquainting with Trish Magwood, Food Network host, creator of Dish Cooking Studio and all-around supermom. She shared this amazing salad recipe on the show and it is absolutely delicious. There’s nothing quite like a great spring salad to help celebrate the change in season. You can keep it in the fridge for a few days as well, and add the dressing each time you need a snack. If you time it right you may be able to find flowering pea shoots. They make a beautiful addition to this perfect springtime salad. Serves 6
Get your head out of the gutter Mom. Learning how to drive a stick shift (or manual transmission for the techies) is a perfect skill to add to your bucket list. Not only does the manual shifting of gears give you more power and control, but it could be necessary in an emergency (think James Bond in Die Another Day), renting a hot European driving machine in the South of France, being a DD to a friend in a race car, or driving on icy roads (last but not least). I have owned a couple of manual cars and was fortunate to learn on my Dad’s before I ruined my own clutche(s) (thanks Dad). But I must admit, the control over the car and the jaw-dropping stares by people as I stepped into my car in stilettos and didn’t stall was worth every ounce of effort.
Choosing the best sunscreen for your family isn’t easy. The number of brands – new and old – packing the shelves seems endless and researchers are constantly churning out new findings on what ingredients are deemed ‘good’ and ‘bad’ for our health. For safe, effective protection for your family, here are 7 tips to keep in mind when choosing your sunscreen this summer.
Ostrich. That’s what I can be when it comes to anything mechanical. Planes, trains and automobiles are amazing, as long as they work. Lately, I’ve had a boat engine not start, my Vespa not engaging into gear and the brakes on my son’s bike falling off. I need to do better. I need to understand maintenance on a much higher level – or at the very least be diligent about getting my vehicles serviced regularly.
Every mom deserves a sanctuary. We work hard in so many ways, for so many people, and we all need a beautiful place where we can close the door on the rest of the household and feel completely relaxed. For me, that beautiful place is the master bedroom.
It’s that time of year again, when taxes are looming and we keep hearing about deadlines to invest! Most people say RESPs are the way to go in terms of saving for your child’s education, but that’s not necessarily the case. In fact, there are many different ways to save for your child’s education and RESPs are just one of the vehicles. My answer to the question is always, “It depends.” It depends on how much money you want to put away, what expenses you currently have, how much free cash you have on a monthly basis, what tax bracket you’re in … and the list goes on. Here are some options for you to save money for your child’s education.
The first flakes started flying last week and it got me thinking that the days where it starts to stick aren’t very far around the corner. Winter can be such a magical season but some times all that white stuff means leaving the house just isn’t going to happen. For those days, here are some ideas to keep the kids busy and entertained.