My daughter Payton took this picture of me with Ainsley. It makes me happy because this was the day we were heading to see Katy Perry in Ottawa. It was our girl’s week in Montreal and Ottawa, right before the kids went to camp. It was also a reminder that your arms are never empty when you are a mother. That is one of life’s biggest blessings.
Looking for a fun adventure in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico? Canopy River Tours is the perfect way to spend a day exploring rain forest from above. If the flip flops fall off, they will most definitely plummet 600 feet to their demise in the Sierra Madre mountains. I find myself wondering: will they whirl like maple keys do, or dive straight down into a rocky canyon below? Together? Or one at a time? Flip flops were the first questionable choice we made this morning. I am excruciatingly hopeful that this two hour zip lining Canopy River Tours adventure is not the second. Comfortable…
They tell me I am a veteran because this will be my third tour of Blogher. I don’t really feel like a veteran, because the word makes me feel kind of old and I am definitely not that. (Cough) Anyways, as I head off to my third Blogher conference I wanted to share a few things I have learned about this epic conference experience. Each conference is precious and they all have their own merits and strengths. Type A was my first ever. Blissdom Canada is always inspiring and special. Mom 2.0 was a great experience for me this May…
Seasonal entertaining sometimes is a challenge here. I am anything but a natural at entertaining. But summer, plus a house with a pool, and half a dozen birthdays, anniversaries and celebrations here at the Schuck house all add up to numerous chances to practice getting summer seasonal entertaining just right. This year, our new house, new neighbourhood and new pool are all beautiful opportunities to build new friendships, cement old ones and have a summer that is memorable for everyone. My kids have had multiple summer pool parties with friends already and we are getting the hang of that. Plus…
I am $1.20 in the hole. My youngest daughter made me a bet that I had to take for the weekend. She challenged me to quit swearing. Ten cents a swear word. So I set up a swear jar. A dime? A couple of my friends huffed angrily that I was taking advantage of my daughter by not advising her that she should have made it a loonie a swear word, but the amount wasn’t the point. I am not proud that I swore twelve times over the weekend (within hearing range of my child. She might have missed a…
This summer I am trying my hardest to trick my brain into forgetting summer math. June plus July plus August equals my three favourite months. Summer is fleeting, especially in Canada. It’s a blink-and-you-miss-it-kind-of-season. Time flies, but summer time well that’s like a Concord whipping by at breakneck speed. how many more weeks do we get to enjoy this beautiful weather? How much more time off school? How many more summers with my kids at home? Only 6 more years and one will be in college or university. That’s tween Mom math. Summer math. In my experience, the only way…
I had beautiful nails for months. It’s true. They were gorgeous. And I got a lot of comments back when I was using gel polish, getting my nails done professionally. My professional image is part of my business. When I look good, I present a more professional image to the world as a strategist and entrepreneur. I feel more confident and I land more contracts. Confidence is important. I had lovely, coloured, polished, shiny nails for maybe even the greater part of a year and I enjoyed having them done. So, what’s the problem, you ask? Well, I mean,…
Think they don’t care much about what is written on report cards? Think that little people are oblivious to how the teacher sees them and feels about them? Words matter, and never more so than when someone is assessing a child with special needs after a year of school. This is our first experience with a really accepting and lovely teacher who clearly understood and liked my youngest daughter. I am driving both my kids to Build-A-Bear to celebrate their last day of school when the little one cracks open her report card and starts reading it word for word.…
I am the daughter of a teacher. My memories of marking papers and playing games at the back of my mother’s grade two classroom are strong. Many August days at end of the summer, I worked with my Mom, steadying the ladder as she lovingly decorated her classroom. Teaching is a calling I respect. A teacher’s job can be hard, rewarding and trying all at once. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock However, as the parent of two girls in the school system and I am very often frustrated with education. Funding decisions, allocation of resources, and even teachers in my kid’s lives sometimes don’t…
Until recently I assumed Puerto Vallarta was simply a cruise ship stop. I was so wrong. Puerto Vallarta Mexico is a destination with a rich culture, amazing food and a host of activities for travellers of all sorts. This is another post in my Puerto Vallarta family travel series. This month I visited Puerto Vallarta for the first time ever. I have been to Mexico a few times now. We travelled to Cancun as a family and we toured Chichen Itza a few years ago. I find Mexico to be extremely affordable and enjoyable for family travel. We have also stayed…