Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

Family

Kids in the Kitchen: Make this Easter EGGcellent!

By Leave a Comment

Friends, read on for two simple ways to get the kids involved with Easter prep!
There comes a point in most children’s lives where they sincerely want to help out in the kitchen. (And let’s be honest: mini chefs are the best.) Whether it’s baking with mom or helping dad prepare breakfast in bed, the enthusiasm with which kids stretch their culinary expertise is downright precious.

So, what better time to let them shine than holidays? Involving kids in special occasion meal prep not only facilitates family bonding and expands picky palettes, it helps children hone a necessary life skill – cooking. …

Read More

New Year: A New Way to Invest in Your Child’s Future


By Leave a Comment

Happy 2020, friends!

We’re just a few weeks into the new year and I’m already feeling amazing about my progress. This year, I decided to shun resolutions and instead set goals for improvement that I’m willing to continuously work on. My plan to better nutritional, physical and financial health in 2020 includes:

1) Make better food choices for my family. This includes adopting a more plant-based lifestyle, reducing the amount of processed foods in our diet and making healthier substitutions when possible. It’s definitely a work in progress for me, but this year I’ve communicated my plan to everyone in the family and, so far, have buy-in. Fingers crossed!

2) Get physical, together. Although our family is moderately active, I realized last year that we don’t actually spend time together enjoying physical activities. This year, we’ll be skiing, canoeing, bike riding and ice skating as a family. Our days are busy, so I’m hoping to make this one work!
3) Focus on building the boys’ RESPs. It feels like I blinked and suddenly, my sons will be 12 and 10 years old! Although I created an RESP for each of them many years ago, I’ll admit that I’ve majorly slacked when it comes to contributions. …

Read More

This Season, Make Your Miles Count

By Leave a Comment

I know I say this every year, but where did the time go? We’ve snapped our fingers and poof! The holiday season is upon us. And this year, more than ever, I know that many of my friends and followers are looking for ways to give back. In fact, I’ve been so inspired by acts of kindness, generosity and selflessness that I’ve seen all year long! Whether it’s donating time to assist others or offering support to a special cause, there’s no better time to share in the true spirit of the season.

Need a little inspiration? Here’s a quick and simple way to help make a huge impact.

From December 2nd to 8th 2019, Aeroplan, through its annual Mile Matching week, will once again support the Air Canada Foundation Hospital Transportation Program. All miles donated to the Air Canada Foundation during the week will be matched, up to 500,000 miles. These miles help provide flights to children who need specialized health care not available in their hometown. Since the introduction of the Air Canada Foundation Hospital Transportation Program in 2003, hundreds of sick children, accompanied by a parent, have been able to obtain the medical care they needed away from home.Photo (and feature image): First Steps Photography

I’m blessed to live in a city where medical assistance for both my children is readily available. However, for many parents across the country and beyond, their situation is quite the opposite. In fact, for those children currently undergoing treatment, long road trips can be strenuous for both the child and the parent, especially when several visits to the hospital are required each month or when treatments last several months. …

Read More

Mom Health Talk: Catching Up to Stay Ahead


By Leave a Comment

Every so often, I crave mom-to-mom time. I seemed to have an abundance of “mom talk” opportunities when the boys were younger; between play dates, online forums and yes, even Twitter, there was always a chance to ask questions, vent about setbacks or share parenting wins. However, as the boys grow, I’ve found myself less inclined to reach out to other moms. Perhaps it’s because I’ve become more confident in my decisions or I’ve simply “been there, done that” – nevertheless, I’m aware that I’m reaching out less and less as the years go by.

Therefore, I make it a point to connect with my “mom friends” at least once every few weeks. Whether it’s over coffee, for a shopping date, or better yet, both – I think it’s important to continue the parent-focused conversations, especially with those who have children at different ages/stages from my own. It allows me to be both the pupil and the teacher; I can seek advice and “what to expect” from my girlfriends who have tweens and teens, and I can offer comfort and perspective to those raising toddlers and primary-aged children.
What dominated our conversations this month? I recently got together with my friend Georgia from Extra Sparkles Please, who also has two boys (ages 2 and 4). Here’s what we chatted about this time around! …

Read More

Messenger Kids: Where Kids Connect

By 3 Comments

The new school year is underway! For my boys, now in Grade 4 and Grade 6, it means that evenings are filled with homework, lessons and of course, trying to fit in a little screen time. While we tend to argue about how much and how often they are in front of their devices, I can’t deny that electronics are now an essential part of a youth’s life. Simply put, they learn, connect with others and explore boundaries while plugged in.

However, at ages 9 and 11, I’m still not entirely comfortable giving my boys their own devices. I know that many would consider the tween years a responsible age for a first phone, but I also know that my boys are not yet able to demonstrate responsible device usage (they’d play all day and all night if I let them). Therefore, it’s a “no” for now.

Yes, I’m a mean mom. *Rolls eyes*

I do appreciate that they’d like to stay in touch with their peers beyond the classroom and playground, and I’ve been looking for a safe, simple way for them connect – while still having eyes on them to ensure responsible usage. Recently, I was introduced to Messenger Kids. You may already be familiar with Messenger from Facebook; the app works similarly, but is wholly designed with kids in mind. …

Read More

Fall in Love with The Westin Ottawa

By Leave a Comment

Fall, besides being my favourite season, is also my favourite time to take a road trip! The cooler weather makes long drives more comfortable; the changing leaves offer a breathtaking backdrop, and the absence of humidity ensures I’ll have better hair days. (Okay, so the last one has nothing to do with road trips.)

We were recently invited by The Westin Ottawa to experience the family-friendly features of their hotel, and we happily accepted! Ottawa is only about a 4-hour drive from the Greater Toronto Area, making it an easy option for weekend getaways. I did some light research about the hotel and its amenities before we arrived, just to have an understanding of how we could pass the time while there.

Translation: I had expectations.
Spoiler alert: Those expectations were exceeded.
Here are three reasons to fall in love with The Westin Ottawa. …

Read More

Kia Canada: The Power to Surprise

By 1 Comment

Around this time, every four years, our dinnertime conversations are peppered with words such as panoramic moon roof, heated seats, horsepower, trunk space… Yes, we are in the market for a new family automobile.

This year, we have a jump start on our selection process, as we were recently treated to an extended, two-week test drive of the newly redesigned 2019 Kia Sorento SXL. Admittedly, I had no prior experience with Kia automobiles, making this partnership the perfect opportunity to experience the brand with no previous biases. Today, nearing the end of our test drive, I can sum up my thoughts on the Kia Sorento quite simply: Yes, Kia – I AM surprised.
Here are my Top Five Surprises with the 2019 Kia Sorento. …

Read More

Back-to-School Shopping: Old School Edition!

By 1 Comment

Tell me back-to-school isn’t the most wonderful time of year. Change my mind! I dare you.

Just like every summer, it seems the time has flown by and we’re already starting to prep for the new school year. Admittedly, I’ve eschewed the mall in years past, preferring to complete my shopping online (often, without input from my boys). I mean, it’s all the same to kids, right?

Except, this year, I don’t have kids. I have young men: Ryder is entering grade 6 and Reid is entering grade 4. They’ve both reached the age where they care about their clothing, shoes (excuse me, “kicks”) and absolutely every accessory that I’ll be sticking a label on (they may be young men, but they still lose stuff all the time). For the first time, they’ve asked to actively participate in back-to-school shopping! Because I have wonderful memories of shopping for all my “must haves” with my mom, I decided to forgo online shopping and take the kids to the mall. The experience? Priceless.
This year, I’m sharing my best tips for back-to-school shopping – the old school way! …

Read More

LG Kitchen Memory Rescue: My Mom’s Carrot Cake

By 5 Comments

To fully appreciate the depth of my excitement over my recent LG Kitchen Memory Rescue experience, I’ll have to share the following background information:

1. Growing up, my mom wasn’t the traditional “pleasantville”-type nurturer. She cooked, yes, and she kept a wonderful home, but baking was not her strength. For the first 20-some years of my life, she only baked one particular cake – semolina-based with raisins. (I disliked it.) Later, in the early 2000s, she expanded her repertoire to include a carrot cake and banana bread.

The good news? I really, really love carrot cake.

2. You know who else loves carrot cake? My childhood best friend, Victoria. In fact, in our early 20s, while everyone else was ordering slices of chocolate truffle and caramel crunch cakes, we were the “uncool” girls enjoying a slice of densely spiced, heavily frosted carrot cake. The combination of earthy carrots, crunchy walnuts and sweetened cream cheese was too irresistible to pass up. In fact, I went on to select carrot cake as my wedding cake and Victoria as my maid of honour.
3. At some point in my mid-twenties, inspired by Chef Anna Olson’s hit television show, “Sugar,” I decided to supplement my Bachelor of Commerce with a Pastry Arts Diploma. I know, polar opposites! But I was lacking motivation in my 9-5 job and decided that pursuing outside interests would be a great way to reinstate passion in my life. When I read in a local newspaper that Anna had opened an artisanal boutique in St. Catharines, Ontario, I was one of the first to visit her in-store and purchase a signed copy of her newest cookbook. …

Read More

Make this Valentine’s Day Priceless


By 13 Comments

Confession: I’m not obsessed with Valentine’s Day. Frankly, it’s not really on my radar at all.

I guess I’ve just never been a candy-and-flowers kind of girl. Early in our relationship, I shared with my then boyfriend (now husband) that I’m mildly allergic to chocolate and inevitably kill all living foliage. This remains true to this day! Therefore, Valentine’s Day for me has always been about spending time together, doing something we love – or maybe trying something new – and remembering that our hearts belong to one another, with or without a fancy greeting card.

Hence, I make it my mission to counteract the commercial-ness of Valentine’s Day with thoughtful gifts and gestures. Some cost money, some don’t cost a thing – (I’m sensing a JLo song in here) – but here are my suggestions for making Valentine’s Day priceless.

1. Time, not things. It’s been a growing trend among my sons’ classmates to attach candy, school supplies and/or removable tattoos with their store-bought Valentines. It’s a fun little treat and I don’t begrudge the goodies for a second. However, this year I encouraged the boys to create “coupons” to attach to their Valentines. These coupons offer their time and expertise, customized to their classmates and how they normally interact with them.
For example, Reid is somewhat of a Beyblade champion, so he has offered a coupon for Beyblade lessons during recess to those friends he thinks would enjoy learning from the “master”. Ryder, who has a vast knowledge of Pokémon, has offered to share trading techniques and intel to those who are interested. The coupons are an out-of-the-box way to show love and kindness on Valentine’s Day, and I hope to make it a tradition! …

Read More

Do Try This At Home: Guinness World Records 2019

By 38 Comments

Ah, fall and winter. We’ve been expecting you.

While the two seasons may be the perfect time to huddle and hibernate, the demands for family-friendly entertainment are actually at an all-time high:

#1. Kids will spend almost all their free time indoors, and, unless you enjoy hearing “I’m bored” approximately every 20 minutes, the responsibility for keeping them busy and happy falls squarely on your shoulders.

#2. The holidays and sprinkling of PA days during the colder seasons create several opportunities for play dates, family get-togethers and reunions with extended family. More kids = more #1 noted above.

You know what? Bring it! I’ve found a way to take family fun to the next level with Guinness World Records 2019!
(Above: Reading about insects and arachnids, obviously.) …

Read More

Summer FUN with AIR MILES!

By 6 Comments

It’s just about the midpoint of summer and I know some mamas are currently in the same boat:

1) The kids are bored. They’ve told us they’re bored. We know they’re bored.

2) The ratio of play time to screen time, previously planned to be about 75:25, has slowly crept up in favour of screen time. The ratio’s about 10:90 now, let’s just be honest.

3) You’d love to plan a family outing, but it’s not always easy (read: affordable) to do everything you want on a limited budget.

And to that I say… AIR MILES Summer Fun to the rescue!
Three cheers for the best time of year! There are tons of things you can see and do with the fam this summer using your Dream Miles. In fact, there’s more selection than ever for Dream Rewards under 1000 Miles, in addition to “show your card” perks where you’ll get instant savings on merchandise and experiences. This is in line with AIR MILES’ ongoing commitment to Canadians to offer new ways in which they bring Collectors closer to what matters to them! …

Read More

LG: Dream a Little Dream (Kitchen)

By 7 Comments

Looking at the calendar, I realize with a start that we’re less than two months from moving into our new house!

Truthfully, this year has been a blur. Between putting our current home on the market, travelling at least once a month and juggling the responsibilities of – well, LIFE – I haven’t had much time to think about how I’ll make the shiny new abode my own. Of course I’ve developed one or two (or 20) to-do and wish lists, but with our closing date just around the corner, it’s all beginning to feel very real.

At the top of my list? Building my dream kitchen. So when I received an invitation from LG Canada to come preview some of their efficient, aesthetically superior and technologically-sound kitchen appliances, you know I was all over it. Hosted by media personality Rick Campanelli and celebrity chef Chuck Hughes, I was treated to a demo of some the dreamiest innovations in home appliances I’ve seen in a very long time.
(Don’t be alarmed if you are irrationally excited by the following images and text – I’m legitimately just as enamoured!)

First up: The LG InstaView Door-in-Door® Refrigerator. Simply knock twice and see what’s inside. No, really! …

Read More

Your Summer Family Destination: Niagara-on-the-Lake!

By 20 Comments

My husband and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary this past weekend! I’d say that time flies but it feels like an understatement; somewhere along the way we collected a couple of kids, a home or two, and hundreds (thousands?) of incredible memories I’ll always hold dear.

Last year, for our 10th, we returned to Niagara-on-the-Lake where we were married. At the time, we couldn’t envision making the destination “family friendly” – but perhaps that’s just because all our memories tied to region were pre-kids. However, when invited to check out a new adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s The Magician’s Nephew at The Shaw Festival, and scanning over a masterfully-planned itinerary, we quickly realized that we can enjoy our favourite getaway as a family! Here’s how to spend a magical weekend in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
1. What to Do: See The Magician’s Nephew by Michael O’Brien.

The synopsis:

“Tricked into using his Uncle Andrew’s (Steven Sutcliffe) enchanted rings, young Digory (Travis Seetoo) and his new friend Polly (Vanessa Sears) stumble into a magical portal that takes them to other worlds. Before returning home to Victorian London, they travel to the desolate world of Charn and unwittingly unleash Queen Jadis (Deborah Hay), a malevolent sorceress bent on domination. With the assistance of Aslan (Kyle Blair), Digory must undertake a valiant quest to the mysterious locked garden that holds the key to defeating evil and defending the new world of Narnia.” …

Read More

This Father’s Day, boost his MOJO with Costco.ca and Masterpass!

By 199 Comments

Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

Decades ago, the iconic soap-on-a-rope and striped tie represented the hallmark of Father’s Day presents. After all, dads were branded as toiling away in either a factory or office, so the selection of gifts represented his “need to have” versus a “nice to have”.

Today, gift giving for Father’s Day isn’t focused on what dad does; rather, it’s focused on what dad does for us. He shows unconditional love and likes your post on Facebook. He solves math problems and makes the best marinara sauce. He changes dirty diapers and orders the biggest slurpee at the ballgame. He’s AWESOME.
Also? Let’s pay homage to his style, his MOJO and his always efficient approach to online shopping: 1) great selection, 2) fabulous price, and 3) a quick, convenient and secure transaction.

Thankfully, Costco.ca and Masterpass offer all of the above – a shopping experience dad can get behind! …

Read More

Together Outside: Spring into Summer with Springfree Trampoline

By 221 Comments

Note: The following giveaway is open to residents of Ontario, Canada only.
Summertime is the absolute best.

This year, admittedly, it took a little longer for Mother Nature to nudge the temperature over to double digits. But that’s okay – Canadians have short memories (and short summers!) so you know we’ll make the most of the warm weather while we can. …

Read More

Hand Me Downy: The Ups of Hand Me Downs

By 84 Comments

Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

My boys wear hand-me-downs, it’s just a given. As a mom, I care about value and sustainability – so being able to reuse clothes in our family means things can be worn and enjoyed for many years to come. Friends and family are amazed that I can still swap clothing among Ryder and Reid! Usually, once kids reach school age, the first child is much too rough on his or her outfits, making a second round of use almost impossible to pull off. That’s why we use Downy Fabric Conditioner. It’s specially formulated to protect against stretch, fade and fuzz and helps our kids’ clothes last longer, so they can be worn, re-worn and handed down, instead of worn out, thrown out and end up in a landfill too soon.

Meet Ryder. He’s our first born; tender, sensitive and always fussing after others. He gets first dibs on mostly everything, simply because he’s an early riser and an eager apprentice.
Meet Reid. Born almost two years to the day after his older brother, he loves cake and loud noises and operates on two modes: energetic and sugar rush implosion.

He’s also spent his entire childhood wearing hand-me-down clothes. …

Read More

Your Spring Adventure Awaits: Join Springfree Trampoline and Earth Day Canada for Earth Day!

By 23 Comments

Nothing but sun and crisp, spring weather. Friends, this is NOT a drill.

Just in time for Earth Day on Sunday, April 22nd, 2018, it looks like Mother Nature has decided to play nice! I’ve checked the weather forecast and good news – GTA folks are in for a bright, pleasant day with seasonal spring temperatures. How will you make the most of it? I just happen to know the perfect way to celebrate our beautiful planet!
Springfree Trampoline and Earth Day Canada have partnered to host the Springfree for Earth Day POP-UP Adventure Playground. It’s an outdoor family-focused event intended to highlight the link between outdoor play, physical literacy and environmental action!…

Read More

Summer Camp – Do it Because You Love Your Kids AND Your Sanity

By 17 Comments

…. and maybe not necessarily in that order.

I had a very short-lived experiment last week. It was called “let’s keep the kids home for March Break.” The outcome? We had fun (most of the time), but I wouldn’t exactly call it a success – mainly because by the end of it, I found myself wondering where my husband keeps the hard liquor. (It’s fine! It was only a fleeting thought.)

Look, I love my boys – but I love them more when they’re mentally stimulated, physically motivated and experiencing life-changing fun, growth and accomplishment… close to (but away from) home.

Oh yes, they will definitely be returning to Muskoka Woods CITYCAMP this summer.
If your child is not quite ready for a full-fledged summer camp experience, a day camp like Muskoka Woods CITYCAMP may be the perfect solution for you (and me, too!). Day camps encourage kids to try new things, develop skills and foster positive social and emotional growth when interacting with other kids their own age. They often offer a broad range of activities or specialize in one or two niches, allowing children to develop their interests in a fun and supportive environment. And, most importantly, day camps encourage young children to get a feel for a camp experience without traveling too far from home. …

Read More

Grossest. Smelliest. Weirdest. Nosiest… FUN!

By 106 Comments

Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

When I tell guests to excuse the mess because I’ve got two boys, ages (almost) 8 and 10, I’ll usually receive a knowing look. “Oh yeah,” they’ll say. “Boys are fun at that age.”

Of course, we both know what “fun” really means… it means gross, smelly, weird and noisy. Everything I both love and cringe over as a mom of boys. Normally, I’m an expert at finding ways to contain their energy, but with a whole week of March Break ahead of us, I decided if I can’t beat ‘em… yup, I’ll join ‘em!
Introducing Guinness World Records: Science & Stuff – a super fun and highly interactive book featuring the astounding, record-breaking world (and universe) around us, with an intro from TV science educator and author Science Bob. It’s written especially for curious little minds and is packed with gross facts, smelly anecdotes, weird trivia bites and noisy activities for the whole family to try. Translation: it’s right up my boys’ alley! …

Read More