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Jennifer Taylor
 
 
 
 

An Olympic Adventure Part Three – Being There | March 31, 2010

Micah and Jon set out for the Richmond Oval to see speed skating, while Mom and I set out to see more of the city.  We had a great time walking through Kitsilano, a cute part of the city filled with shops, restaurants, bakeries, cafes and florists. Since it was the day before the Valentine holiday, all of the flower shops had lovely displays on the sidewalks under their awnings. We saw several men carrying bouquets and vases.

We meandered into different stores and were impressed by the shopkeeper’s friendliness. They all wanted to know where we were from and if we had … Read More »


 

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Tracking Your Teenager | March 31, 2010

By Joanne Kimes and R.J. Colleary with Rebecca Rutledge, PhD,
Authors of Teenagers Suck: What to do when missed curfews, texting, and “Mom can I have the keys?” make you miserable

Once upon a time, a parent was left to their own creativity to come up with new and clever ways spy and snoop on their teenagers. Listen in on the extension phone? Sneak a peek at their personal diary? Check for contraband stashed in the underwear drawer? Your current teenager might actually injure themselves laughing at your Neanderthal ways.

“Wait a minute,” your teen says, while gasping for breath, “Didn’t … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Beth Anderson
 
 
 
 

First Warm Day of the Year Brings Change | March 31, 2010

A day with warmer temperatures and sunshine brings out a whole new attitude in people.  After a very long winter with below freezing temperatures and snow fall amounts that broke all the standing records to date, the temperature outside hits 68 degrees and people rejoice!  It’s almost an over-exaggerated jubilance in some cases, but a much needed boost to people’s psyche.

Some people think of New Year’s Day as a time for bringing change to their lives. Others mark holidays as yearly scheduled days for affirmation and reflection.  Though not a specific date on the calendar, the first day the thermometer … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Casey Roon de Pacheco
 
 
 
 

Depression Has Me Thinking… | March 31, 2010

Last week I sat through lunch with several women of different ages, backgrounds, and walks of life and we had the most interesting conversation about clinical depression. One of the women in the group opened up about how her widely popular anti-depressant doesn’t seem to be doing a darned thing to help her, and we started talking about depression and its devastating effects.

I found myself nodding my head vehemently throughout her explanation of how she feels (or maybe more accurately: how she doesn’t feel) and how nothing seems … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Christie Ressel
 
 
 
 

LG fashion week – Gaudet | March 30, 2010

Yesterday afternoon marked the preview of “Gaudet” fall/winter collection 2010. Featured in the Allstream venue in Toronto, this show was surely something to see.

In a beautiful opening, there was a tribute made to the fallen Olympic hero and athlete Nodar Kumartishvili – singers and dancers from the athletes home land were performed. They were beautiful and true to the country’s roots.

Shortly after, Gaudet’s show began – what a beautiful show it was!

Like many of the collections this fall, there was a certain vintage element that ran through the collection (immediately winning me over, as most of you now know). Not … Read More »


 

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Returning Fashions | March 30, 2010

Over the last 50 years we’ve seen a huge change in fashion. The swinging 60’s with the punk and peace influences, the 70’s with the miniskirts and outrageous flares. And now it appears our fashion designers have come in big circle bringing back many of the statement fashions from the last few decades.

One statement fashion item that seems to be sneaking back onto the shelves is shoulder pads. Shoulder pads are a type of fabric covered padding used in women’s clothing to give the illusion of having broader and less sloping shoulders. They were a big fashion hit in the … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Lori McNally
 
 
 
 

A Mini Guide to Boston | March 30, 2010

Boston has always been one of my favorite cities. I enjoy history, and since Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States, I consider it one of the must visit cities in this country. Plus, I love the look and feel of some of the streets and areas in Boston- some spots will remind you of being in Europe. It’s also easy to get around on foot (with a good map, of course) because downtown is reasonably compact. In fact, Boston has been nicknamed “The Walking City,” so “pahk the caar,” put on … Read More »


 

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Beth Anderson
 
 
 
 

Phobias Not Just an Issue for Children | March 30, 2010

I’m not a fearful person, per say.  I will go shopping at the mall by myself, speak in front of crowds and visit new places without a lot of apprehension.  I have the “normal” fear of heights and I’m not a big fan of small spaces.  I usually have to picture myself on the beach and breathe deeply during an MRI, but I get through it without panicking.  I do however have a couple of phobias.  I never thought much about them until I saw the same phobias develop in my daughter, so I decided to Google them.

1. Fear of … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Michelle Lehman
 
 
 
 

Organizing Artwork “Stuff” | March 30, 2010

It seems as though our kids have more crayons, markers, coloring books, and stickers than they can possibly use in one life time.  I thought I would give you a couple of ideas as to how to keep all of their artwork “stuff” organized or at the very least accessible to them without making it a huge burden on you.

I am have been very blessed with a large laundry room.  I keep a three drawer Sterilite from Wal-Mart.  Here is a link as to what I am talking about but mine is not the wide one, I have the narrow … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Lauri Rottmayer
 
 
 
 

Banana Rum Cake | March 29, 2010

I had some dead bananas sitting on the counter and I also had the leftover rum that I soaked the raisins in for the rum raisin muffins a couple of weeks ago. I thought, “there must be something I can do with these two ingredients”.  I found this nice little recipe for a Banana Rum Cake.

First I preheated the oven to 350 degrees, buttered and floured a fluted pan. Then I mashed the bananas.

I then added the teaspoon of baking soda to the sour cream so that it would dissolve.

Cream the butter and sugar.

Add … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Nadia Murdock
 
 
 
 

Interview with Vanilla Clouds owner Josephine Latorre | March 29, 2010

Josephine Latorre is a talented young lady and not to mention a  good friend of mine.  She has always been artistic and has put that talent to work with her new company Vanilla Clouds.   Check out the interview below to learn more about Josephine and her company.

How did you come up with the name Vanilla Clouds?

A friend and I were brainstorming one day in a cafe and I thought the best way to go about deciding the name was to jot down all the things I loved in the form of adjectives and nouns so that they could be easily matched … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Heidi Ducato
 
 
 
 

Bridal – Specialty or Mainstream? | March 29, 2010

Recently, I just saw that White House Black Market is opening their doors to the bridal industry. Don’t get me wrong, to a certain degree, they have always been “in” the bridal industry, because they were the perfect place to go to get a dress for ATTENDING a wedding. But, now, they have opened their doors to the bridal party AND even the bride. JCrew has been doing it for awhile too. They offer some beautiful colors in bridesmaid gowns and some great options for the bride.

Is this becoming a trend in the marketplace? As the economy changes, are mass … Read More »


 

POSTED by
 
Beth Anderson
 
 
 
 

Giveaway: Betsey Johnson Champagne Sunglasses | March 29, 2010

I am admittedly blind as a bat.  This is obviously not a good thing since I work at a computer all day, but I have my bifocals to aid me.  I’m always on the hunt for fashionable glasses and can’t resist Betsey Johnson.  Every time I see a new style of sunglasses from this fabulous designer, I get a little tingle down my spine.  Recently I purchases a pair of Betsey Johnson Champagne Sunglasses.  I hurried to my friend Jane who works for an optometrist and asked her to put my prescription in them.  Needless to say, I lost my … Read More »


 

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Book Giveaway: Queen of Your Own Life | March 29, 2010

Discover the Seven Best Gifts You Can Give Yourself

Queen of Your Own Life is a philosophy, a decision and an invitation to happiness for women who have made the tough but rewarding journey to the midpoint in their lives. Kathy Kinney (best known as Mimi on The Drew Carey Show) and Cindy Ratzlaff (marketing genius behind the launch of The South Beach Diet) have been best friends for more than thirty years, and have helped each other navigate the ups and downs of their lives with humor and grace.

In this entertaining and inspiring book, they share the tried-and-true … Read More »


 

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Editor
 
 
 
 

Book Giveaway: The Mommy Files | March 29, 2010

SheKnows.com Presents: The Mommy Files: Secrets Every New Mom Should Know (that no one else will tell you!)
by Jen Klein

Published by Adams Media

Because SHEKNOWS® Parenting and Jen Klein knows motherhood. She’s survived changing a soiled diaper in a truck-stop bathroom while suspending a baby in mid-air. She’s witnessed the judgment of the so-called “Mommy Mafia.” She’s found dried applesauce on her shirt. And in her hair. And the baby’s hair. And the dog’s fur.

Here she reveals secrets she’s learned along the way about mastering the art of motherhood, from how to handle strangers who ask how much weight … Read More »