• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

  • All
  • Family
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Decor
  • About Lena
  • Contact

RESP

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


January 15, 2020 By Lena 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

Filed Under: Family Tagged With: bright plan, Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation, cst spark, Registered Education Savings Plans, RESP, RESPs

Put a (Virtual) Bow on It: Top 3 eGifts

December 1, 2015 By Lena

Near… far… wherever they are… some kids are just a little bit tricky to shop for.

Maybe he’s a newborn. You could do a teddy bear, or…  (Yeah, the kid’s going to receive a teddy bear, admit it.) Maybe she’s a tween. Now *what* are tweens into this year, besides 5 Seconds of Summer? Or perhaps you have – gasp – teens to shop for. Cash in an envelope? So 1990. Don’t even think of it.

Today, I’m happy to share my Top 3 eGift picks, guaranteed to put a smile on the face of even the toughest-to-shop-for kiddos. The best part? You don’t have to leave the comfort of your home. That’s right! No fighting crowds, no panicked trips to the mall. Just complete Christmas gifting mastery!

1. A Monthly Subscription Box. It’s the gift that keeps on giving! Today, you can find a monthly box for virtually anyone on your holiday list: the vegan, the fashionista, the candy lover – there’s even a monthly box for Super Geeks. For a low monthly fee (as a gift giver, you can pay this in advance for a period of six months to one year), a special child in your life will receive brand new, themed products every four weeks or so.
boxJust be sure to do your research; read reviews, watch unboxing videos, ask questions about a brand’s customer service and most importantly, verify the quality and selection of products included. And, of course, double check the cancellation policy! …

Read More

Filed Under: Family Tagged With: eGifts, Heritage eGifting Program, holiday 2015, RESP

Primary Sidebar

Lena Almeida

Toronto Blogger, Social Media Strategist for Listen to Lena Inc. Television & Radio Personality, Columnist and Speaker. Family Travel Expert. Star Wars Fanatic. Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion. Read More…

Connect with Lena

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Featured

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Virtual Queue Strategies

Five Cool Tips for a Backyard Ice Cream Bar

Beaches Turks & Caicos: Your FAQs Answered!