When I first thought about getting braces – again, in my 40’s – a lot of people thought I was crazy.
“But your teeth are straight!” they’d say.
“Didn’t you already have braces?” they’d (correctly) state.
“You’re seriously going to spend $$ on a few wonky teeth?” they’d question.
Well yes, yes I am.
Let me rewind. As an adolescent, I needed braces – badly. My teeth were crowded, I had an extreme overbite, and one tooth (sadly, in the front) was positioned at an unfortunate angle. However, my immigrant parents didn’t really see the need (nor have the money) for orthodontic treatment, so braces were put off until I could pay for a portion myself. This didn’t happen until I was 19 years old – one month before entering university.
Nothing like being a freshman with a mouth full of metal, eh?
Truthfully, I loved it. I had been insecure about my smile for so long; just the thought of having beautiful, straight teeth was enough to keep me euphoric about the experience in its entirety. And, when the braces did come off, this then 21-and-a-half year old felt like a million bucks. Nah – a TRILLION bucks. I had a permanent retainer attached behind my bottom teeth, and a removable retainer was created for my top teeth.
Spoiler alert: I didn’t wear my retainer. Maybe for the first two weeks… and then, NEVER.
It was my mid-thirties, about 15 years after orthodontic treatment, when I first noticed the gradual shifting in my top teeth. I was at a social media conference where they were offering free head shots, and of course I jumped at the opportunity. However, when the photo was sent to my phone, the only thing I noticed was that my front tooth – the tooth that previously lived at an unfortunate angle – had begun its pilgrimage back home.
Can you see it? Perhaps I should ask, if I hadn’t pointed it out, would you have seen it?
It bothered me… enough to raise my concerns with my husband. He scoffed; it was one tooth, barely noticeable. Hardly a reason to spend thousands of dollars for braces! It was a hard no from him. Wanting to believe he was right – it wasn’t THAT bad – I dropped the subject. …
Worldwide, they perform over 2.5 million treatments per year, and have curated a dedicated client base thanks to their experienced medical teams and tailored treatments. With their expansion into the Canadian market, Laser Clinics Canada offers affordable, accessible and reliable aesthetic treatments….
With love on my mind: a recipe for Wild Mushroom Risotto, one of my go-to “Date Night In” meals. Risotto is easy to make but requires patience and persistence. There are no shortcuts, but with care and attention, it is always worth the effort.
This tax season, I’m taking steps to turn that dream into reality: by getting my taxes done from the comfort of my home with a 
I know that many new mompreneurs are in the same boat. Especially if this is your first or second year identifying as self-employed (congratulations on officially elevating your side hustle to replace your full-time income!), you may not have the time or expertise to ensure you’re taking advantage of every tax credit, tax strategy or tax savings available to you. Listen, I get it! The thing about passion projects is that it’s easy to focus on what drives you, and usually, that doesn’t include calculating the depreciation on the car you use to drop off your homemade welcome mats….
1. Psoriasis is a lifelong condition.
However, things weren’t always so simple. Let me rewind:
I was first persuaded to 
Be sure to pin the following recipe cards for a taste of paradise at home – I’m sure you’ll feel all the vacay vibes while recreating these popular cocktails! (Tip: Simply leave out the alcohol for a delicious mocktail.) …
Conversations that I’d convinced myself I could put off for months (years?) suddenly became a priority. And while I know that my boy’s father will take the reins for much of the “talk”, as a woman, and as a Canadian mother to boys who may choose to become sexually active in the coming years, it’s my responsibility to openly discuss HPV infection, cervical cancer and how to help protect against both. By getting vaccinated to help protect himself against HPV, his own risk of getting infected is reduced and he may, in turn, be less likely to transmit HPV to his partner(s). …
First impression: the styling is gorgeous. I expected the 2021 Toyota Sienna to be spacious – but I didn’t expect it to be sexy. The interior boasts a clean and streamlined design with a sleek dashboard, a 9-inch floating touchscreen infotainment system and the innovative Bridge Console, which is the key to allocating personalized space to the driver and front passenger. …
There’s no doubt it’s more important than ever to file correctly and get every dollar we deserve. However, finding work/ life balance in COVID times is also a challenge; both my kids have been learning from home for almost a year, and in between being a parent, entrepreneur, photographer, at-home chef, armchair therapist… sigh, the list goes on!… I don’t necessarily have the time or energy to prepare my own taxes. My main goal heading into this tax season was to obtain the largest possible tax refund while staying safe at home. …
The brand-new 
The HUAWEI P40 Pro boasts a Quad Vision Leica Camera, which allows you to take extraordinary photos at any time of day and at any distance. In a world where we use “the Cadillac of…” to describe the cream of the crop, ladies, Leica cameras are the Cadillac of smartphone cameras. Let’s talk specs:
Enter 
Now that we’ve officially spent 3/4 of the year getting used to our “new normal”, there’s an unspoken willingness among friends, family and fellow parents to simply move forward. No, 2020 isn’t what we expected. Yes, we will pivot and adjust.
