Jill Amery is a mom of 2 small boys and the Publisher of UrbanMommies, a stylish digital lifestyle magazine filled with fitness, style, health, recipes and savvy mom advice to help you through pregnancy, birth, and raising your kids.
In the third instalment of our gift guide, I want to focus on local. Tech and toys will come later, but for now, here are a few ideas to support businesses on the ground in Canada!
To continue the ‘shop local from a distance theme to our gift guide, here are a few more ideas from Canadian-owned businesses with great products. When you buy Canadian, you help to bolster the economy and support many fellow citizens. In the photo above, I am wearing a dress from Simons and mask from Narces, which was also featured in Vogue magazine. Happy shopping!
What a crazy time! I am gutted for performing artists, small businesses, restaurant owners, and all of those who have lost loved ones this year. I’ve decided to focus for our main gift guides on small business in Canada. These are all brands that ship, so you can support local, but from a safe distance.
With the economy always at the forefront of our minds, we always try to simplify the holidays in some way. We’ve put together a list of gift ideas that may keep you hooked even when the world is booming again.
1. Snowman in a Can. Take a clean paint can and paint the outside of it with a snowman scene (or leave it silver with white dot stickers). Put inside: a toque, mittens, buttons, plastic carrot and a scarf. Voila! You have the finishing touches to your snowman.
It’s almost the end of an epic-ally horrid year, and time to set some goals and evaluate all that is amazing in life. What better way to connect with your kids than sitting down to a new classic Disney film! Mulan is the story of a fearless young woman who risks everything to become one of the greatest warriors China has ever known.
There is little as special as a peaceful bath with soap you have made yourself. Try different scents, and let the kids experiment with their own colours and smells. Handmade soap is spectacular hostess treat for the holidays, or perfect for holiday gifts. Once you are comfortable with the basics, you can try different recipes, or interesting moulds to create amazing one-of-a-kind soaps.
Recently, we have been feeling so much pressure to register, to organize play dates, to structure. What about spontaneity? Learning through play? We have been soliciting ideas for fun, learning-enhancing activities that can be done with little or no cost. Pretend play offers young children a chance to practice skills within their own frame work and rules, letting them set the boundaries. You can always make suggestions if they need it but follow them, not the other way around.
After searching for the perfect nanny, how are you going to pay her? In determining the nanny’s status as an employee or as an independent contractor, the Canada Revenue Agency does the following tests:
1. Control: Are you specifying the work to be done? Are you specifying the working hours and are you reviewing the work that was done?