If you’re an art aficionado, you’re likely getting pretty excited for the upcoming International Artist Day, happening on October 25. This day offers a chance to celebrate established and up-and-coming creatives.

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I have a bit of a confession, and I know that I’m not alone in this.

Sometimes, when I sneeze (or cough, or laugh, or jump, or squat, or run, or breathe) I dribble a bit of pee. I also have to run to the bathroom 50 BAZILLION times a day, and sometimes there’s not even anything that comes out.

THIS IS NOT NORMAL.

Which is why I decided to do something about it (holla for prioritizing that self-care!) and recently went for my first pelvic floor physiotherapy session at West End Mamas. I’ll have a more thorough review on the clinic and my experience coming soon, but I wanted to share some thoughts that run through your mind when you’re in the midst of a session.

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Losing my mom when I was just 17 years old was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. While the pain of her death feels less acute in the day-to-day, I feel it now more in all those milestones she doesn’t get to be a part of. Graduating high school, earning my degree, that first real job, getting married, and especially when I had my kids.

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Back after my mom had just died and when I was deciding what the hell I was going to do with my life, I knew that writing was a passion and was also incredibly healing to me. I thought maybe being a professional writer would be fun (it’s a labour of love, not $, in case you think it might be glamourous) and tried my hand at a co-op placement at the local daily.

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OK so, those of you who know me IRL, and those who religiously read all my random musings here on the blog, probably know that I have a history of miscarriages. Try as we might, growing our family just hasn’t been in the cards for us over the last two years. After three losses, and a handful of chemical pregnancies, I honestly didn’t think it was in the cards for us.

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Those who know me know how much I love me a good wine, and more than that, I love a company or product that understands social responsibility.

So imagine my excitement when I found out the one of my favourite singer/songwriters, Dave Matthews, teamed up with an expert winemaker (Sean McKenzie) to create a vino that gives back.

The Dreaming Tree Wines donates proceeds from every bottle of wine sold in Canada to leading national environmental organizations, like Tree Canada, as part of its vision to provide high-quality, environmentally-friendly products to consumers.

Last week, while the Dave Matthews Band was in town for a concert at the Molson Amphitheatre, The Dreaming Tree Grove in Trinity Bellwoods Park was unveiled. The grove is a collection of 29 trees that were planted by Tree Canada to help with reforestation throughout the park. They will continue to plant trees in communities across Canada that are in need of reforestation as part of the brands’ partnership.

Other great things to love about Dreaming Tree wines include the fact that their labels (which include charming poems from Matthews himself) are made from 100% recycled craft brown paper; the bottles are lighter than regular ones in order to cut down on shipping fuel; and the wines — a Chardonnay and a red blend — pair nicely with food and come in at under $20 a bottle! Now you can give back and impress your friends with a premium wine at a budget-friendly price point!

Although I was sent a bottle of red for sampling, I won’t be imbibing until the new year (!) but if my husband gives it a go I’ll be sure to update this post with his thoughts.

The Dreaming Tree Crush is available at the LCBO for $17.95 and the Chardonnay is $16.95, also available at the LCBO.

Let me know what you think of Dreaming Tree wines if you give it a try! And tell me, does a company’s social responsibility affect whether or not you’ll buy their product? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

I’m a couple days late on this one, but I wanted to pen a little Father’s Day note for my hubby because he is just simply the best dad I could ever have asked for my child and I don’t want him to go unrecognized.

While my own father has been in and out of my life (mostly out) for the last 15 or so years, I know that there will never be a day that goes by where little D doesn’t know that you think of him and love him.  Continue reading →

Father’s Day is just over a week away, and if you’re still looking for the perfect gift to celebrate dad, why not get him a little something that you can both enjoy. (And not another tie or pair of socks!)

Don’t forget that sometimes the best gifts are from the heart, and anything homemade by you and the kidlets is sure to be a hit, but if you want to splurge a little bit too, here are some ideas.

Denver Hayes Short-Sleeve Baseball Tee and Levi’s 505 Regular Fit Jeans

Give dad a sharp new outfit perfect for playing with your children during his downtime, but also perfect for showing off that smokin’ hot dad bod you love so much! Available in all Mark’s stores nationwide and online. Suggested price: tee $13.29, jeans $64.99.

Gladiator® GearTrack® Pack 

Not sure what to get Dad for Father’s Day? Why not surprise him with the gift of an organized garage. Whether he’s a sports enthusiast or he’s into collecting tools, Gladiator® GarageWorks has a range of products perfect for every Dad. Most items in the garage belong to Dad, so help him make the most of his space with the Gladiator® GearTrack® Pack. Installable in just 15 minutes, the GearTrack® Pack provides eight feet of storage space and an assortment of hooks to help get clutter off the floor. You get your garage back and dad knows exactly where all his tools are. A perfectly organized garage is a win-win for everyone! Visit gladiatorgarageworks.ca to locate your nearest retailer. Suggested price: $77.99.

KitchenAid Pour Over Coffee Maker

Skip the predictable “I love Dad” coffee mug  and give your caffeine-loving pops the new KitchenAid® Pour Over Coffee Maker. It combines the flavour and control of a manual pour over process with the convenience of a traditional coffee maker. Plus, mom can caffeinate in style too! Available in Onyx Black. Suggested price: $229.99.

Samsung SUHD TV and Samsung Radiant-360 7 Speaker

Upgrade the family’s home viewing system (can you say movie night?!) with the Samsung SUHD TV. Get the absolute best in picture quality – incredible colours with images that are two and a half times brighter than conventional TVs. Pus, not only does the spherical speaker enhance your sound experience, it allows for a wireless multi-room audio ecosystem, which can be integrated with other Samsung TVs and tablets. Suggested price: television starting at $3999.99, speaker $599.99.

Club K Wine Club Delivery Subscription

Give dad the gift of 6 bottles of wine selected by an expert sommelier, available on a one-time only or 4 times per year subscription basis. You’ll also receive tasting and pairing notes to help him enjoy his wines like a pro. Plus, with their 100% happiness guarantee, you’ll both be able to enjoy a delicious glass of vino you both love together all year long. Order online. Suggested price: $119.

Kindle Paperwhite

Give dad a premium reading experience with the Kindle Paperwhite. Not only can it store thousands of books, but he can use it absolutely anywhere as it has no glare in the sun and is front-lit for reading in the dark. A single charge can last up to eight weeks, and it’s versatile: it can fit comfortably in one hand, it’s thinner than a pencil and lighter than a paperback – which means it’s also the perfect e-reader for tucking in your purse when you want to take your reading on the go. Available on Amazon.ca. Suggested price: $139.

2015 Ford Edge

Is it time to upgrade your family’s ride? The 2015 Ford Edge is loaded with driver-assistance technology to help dad and the whole family through every step of the day. Enhanced Active Park Assist parks itself! And the front 180-degree camera is perfect for those tight spots. Plus, it’s built right in Oakville, Ontario for the dad that demands quality local craftsmanship. Suggested price: from $31,999 at Ford.ca and at your local Ford dealer.

Keurig K200

The Keurig K200 is a colourful and compact way to decorate any counter top – its compact size is perfect for the condo or cottage, and its selectable size technology lets busy, coffee-loving dad (and mom!) save cash while brewing just a single cup. With the ability to brew a full carafe, both parents can enjoy a daily sip of coffee or tea together every morning. Available at Keurig.ca. Suggested price: $119.99.

Being a mom these days is tough. SO tough. It doesn’t matter whether you’re stay-at-home, work-at-home, work-outside the home or wants-to-run-away-from-home.

Whereas in years past a woman’s social circle would consist of immediate and distant family within a stone’s throw, nowadays we’re often separated from our families by many miles. Before, there would be a close support network of a woman’s sisters, aunts, cousins and own mother to assist with child rearing tasks, providing mama with much-needed breaks from the all-consuming task of motherhood. Not so these days.  Continue reading →

No, I’m not talking about the kid… though some days it might feel that way!

I’m talking about a creature that’s responsible for nearly 600,000 deaths each and every year – the mosquito!

While it might simply be more of a nuisance than a deadly killer here in Canada, around the world they account for more deaths than snakes, sharks, bears or crocodiles. But there’s a simple solution to stopping their deadly malaria-spreading infection – bed nets.

As part of an education/awareness campaign, Plan Canada is bringing its annual Spread The Net campaign to the Toronto Eaton Centre in a unique display to educate, motivate and inspire Canadians to raise awareness and funds for malaria-preventing bed nets in Africa.

Since 2007, Spread the Net has protected the lives of more than 7.2 million people including children and pregnant women and delivered more than 2.5 million malaria-preventing bed nets to families in Africa.

Canadians can help. For a donation of $10 to Plan’s Spread the Net campaign, one bed net can protect 2 people for up to 3 years. Thousands of lives could be saved every year if all children under the age of five in Africa slept under a bed net.

If you’re in the downtown Toronto area on Friday June 5, stop by the Eaton Centre from 10am-9pm to catch a glimpse of a wall of live mosquitoes and learn more about how you can help stop the spread of malaria.

When I asked my little guy if he wanted to go see a whole bunch of bugs, he replied, “Can I stomp on them?” While we can’t stomp every mosquito, through efforts like Spread The Net we can help stomp out the spread of malaria.

See you there!