That time of year is upon us again, ladies, when we ask ourselves the age-old question: tie or socks? I usually like to go rogue and get him both but this Father’s Day, I want to think outside of the ‘workwear accessories’ box. My partner is a great dad and an incredibly thoughtful man; he does the things that I don’t even realize need doing, like restocking the fridge with cream for my coffee and making sure our toddler treat cupboard is well-stocked. And he is always ready when he knows I need a break, a few minutes to decompress. I keep these things close to my heart when I come home to his dirty socks on my living room table: because marriage, right?
While travelling this bumpy road on my journey with CRPS and chronic pain, I’ve had a lot of time to think about stuff. It’s not a huge stretch to imagine that it’s difficult and uncomfortable to have someone in your life who has to deal with chronic pain or illness—especially if you’ve never dealt with this kind of thing yourself. It can be hard to know how to act around them or even support them if you wanted to. So, I figured that since I’ve been ‘lucky’ enough to have acquired this knowledge over the past few years, perhaps it would help to share what I’ve learned with anyone who wants to know how to support a friend that’s in chronic pain.
Spring has certainly sprung across North America, but in my wardrobe—not so much. B.K. (Before Kids), I prided myself on keeping up with seasonal trends, but these days it takes an intervention before I realize that I’m still sporting maternity leggings and ratty nursing tanks. Rather than wait to be accosted by the proverbial Stacey and Clinton, I decided to get proactive and consult with some of my most fashionable friends, followed by an insane amount of “research” in the Pinterest hole. The good news? I’ve decided to share everything that I learned and thus have compiled this season’s ‘Must-Haves for Moms.’ That’s right—here are the crib notes on summer mom style.
For part two of my great stain challenge, we headed to the kitchen to try and remove red wine, tomato and teriyaki stains. And after the arts and crafts stain cleanup last time, mommy needed a glass of wine. Because Tide Ultra Stain Release has challenged my family to a little game, we continued the fun with foodstuffs. After donning white t-shirts, we made tomato soup, a teriyaki stir fry and mommy had a glass of wine in order to put Tide Ultra Stain Release to the test.
Some time in my twenties my metabolism abandoned me. My nightly bowl of ice cream started clinging to my hips and it only got worse after having a few kids. It became obvious that my fitness regimen was failing—largely, because I didn’t have a fitness regimen. I knew that if I wanted to keep my waistline in check, I would need to get fit quick or stop eating so many cupcakes. And let’s be real—I wasn’t giving up cupcakes.
We’ve all had relationships that didn’t work out, for one reason or another. Maybe he liked to go out more than you, or you liked to borrow his underwear, whatever—we (eventually) accept that the relationship wasn’t meant to be, they weren’t The One, maybe learn a lesson or two about ourselves and what we really want, and ultimately, move on. Friendships are different. Sometimes they fade when life gets in the way, sometimes you grow apart because you’re headed in different directions. It doesn’t always mean you love each other less, it just means your activities aren’t compatible any longer. But sometimes, a friendship can end abruptly and without warning, leaving you with the same bitter hurt, despair and resentment that comes with the terminal end to a romantic relationship. Here’s how you deal, with some tips for surviving a BFF breakup.
Take a walk down memory lane with me, won’t you? It’s the end of August (or perhaps July, depending on where you live). The new school year is fast approaching and you are STOKED, my friend. Because, while your summer break was all sorts of wonderful, you and your kids are SO READY to get back to your routine.
I remember many shopping excursions to the United States with my mom—outlet stores filled with clothing and jewelry were thrilling, and buying unique back to school supplies made me feel like I was in a candy store. As I have aged, shopping is still a delight and yet my store preferences have evolved. As a new homeowner I would get excited about tools, and then after my kids were born I visited garden centres and kids’ gear shops more and more frequently. As a super busy Mom and business-owner, I now demand a ton from my shopping experiences. The stores must provide great value, include many items that I need, and allow me to research my purchases digitally. I have honed my passion for shopping and no longer trek south of the border to get my heart palpitating.
Welcome to the Global Tea Renaissance. With a single sip from a humble cup, together we embark on the most exciting, healthful, delicious and revolutionary journey of discovery in our lifetime. Tea is experiencing a massive shift in consumer awareness that will fundamentally change how every one of us views this glorious infused beverage. Tea is the new wine.
Comparing tea and wine is not a novel notion; more precisely, today we can explore this experience with tea because of our past, passionate experience with wine. Wine has served as our sipping apprenticeship.
“Here should be a picture of my favorite apple.
It is also a nude & bottle.
It is also a landscape.
There are no such things as still lifes.” ~ Erica Jong
Dear Mr. Whitten,
You probably had no idea.










