Does my new makeover make me look fat? Just kidding. I am not one to ask that ever, because I just don’t believe in sharing that silly weight obsessed message with my girls. Anyways, I had to share my new look with you. I am giddy I tell you, just thrilled that Greg was able to stay true to my ideas and change my logo to reflect health and care-giving as my themes. I asked for a more professional look and I think I got it. I asked him to help me highlight the fact that I am doing a…
Source: thriftymommastips.com via Paula on Pinterest Care-giving during the holidays can be stressful and joyful as well. Seeing a loved one taking part in the holidays and enjoying the spirit of the season can be very rewarding. But let’s face it, just getting to the holiday season with it’s added expectations and additional cooking and buying and dressing up the house, can take nothing short of a Herculean effort, especially when you are already often exhausted from care-giving. If your loved one is ill during the holidays that adds stress to your family exponentially. As hard as it can be…
An overwhelming majority of British Columbia residents believe public funding should be available for those who struggle with infertility and need the help of in vitro fertilization to build their family. A study released Wednesday in British Columbia stated that 73 % of all residents in B.C. think there should be public funding for IVF. The Infertility Awareness Association of Canada (IAAC) released the survey which clearly indicates that three-quarters of the province thinks help should be available and that the province should adopt a policy similar to Quebec’s. In 2010 the province of Quebec was first to provide universal…
Looking for last minute gifts still? Here’s one that any kid would love and you still have time to get. One of my girls will be getting this for sure. My kids love magazine subscriptions as gifts. They already have numerous subscriptions to French magazines like J’aime Lire, and also National Geographic Kids. I love giving and getting magazines because they are the gift that keeps on giving. Each month a new present arrives in the mail and my kids rip it open after school. My girls even take their subscriptions to school to share with friends and trade for…
The secret to a successful support group has been broken down and studied a lot in the last decade. Ideally annual meeting schedules should be divided: one third support, one third education and one third social. So, when a few parents and I transitioned our group of adoptive parents into a formal support group 5-6 years ago we took that to heart and made every third meeting a social affair. Christmas party, Easter egg hunt and summer picnic. This is our Christmas party. It’s often small, but an important tradition. Because when kids regularly see other kids who are just…
I did not hold her first, but because they did, I hold her now. Before I even met my baby girl, she was here in the care of so many angels, nurses, doctors, strangers to me. The people hanging inside a framed picture on the wall of my eight-year-old girl would have been the first faces she saw, but as she struggled, her little body hurting, rejecting the world, others appeared swooping in administering. Her first few days were here, inside a NICU like this one at Children’s Hospital of Western Ontario. It is a place I had the honour…
I may be embarrassing my kids by saying this, but even today at 8 and 11 years old, it is still often like pulling teeth to get them to wipe their noses properly. It’s true. Something about the tissue making contact with sore noses, or sensitive noses, drives my children to the point that they avoid blowing at all. This makes both my husband and I crazy. (I mean seriously? Just blow your nose already.) Anyways, how happy was I to get a batch of Boogie Wipes in the mail this past week? Well, I was giddy and ripped the…
Friday Finds are fast and furious this week because there are 10 days left before Christmas. The bundle of flyers in my mailbox today could act as a doorstopper. Honestly. Happy shopping and don’t forget to give also. This past week I had the amazing opportunity to tour Children’s Hospital and saw firsthand what the Children’s Miracle Network can do (more on that this weekend) But here in my shopping round up I wanted to take a second to say spend your dollars wisely this year and buy someone the gift of caring and health. Donate to the Children’s Miracle…
Amedeo Cristiano This holiday season the Cristianos have something to celebrate. After several years of trying to conceive, surgery, emotional distress and a devastating miscarriage just last December, Amedeo and his wife, Mayra, are about to become parents. Amedeo and Mayra were married six years ago. They both work at American Express corporate office and live in Vaughn. The couple knew they wanted to have children early on and they began trying almost as soon as they were married. At that time they were in their early 30s and both were healthy. In preparation for parenthood, Amedeo quit smoking. He…
Part of the London crew – Cyn Gagen, Wanda Lynne Young, Me (Paula Schuck) and the fabulous hostess Margarita Ibbott Take four friends, an elaborate but manageable dinner party plan, a heavy dose of twitter, a dash of wine paired well with a great new chicken dish and marinate. What do you end up with ? – a bit of magic. Honestly when Margarita Ibbott, my charming and talented friend who boasts the nicest kitchen of all the people I know, asked me to join her for a #winewithchieken dinner party recently I was giddy. We four haven’t been in…