I’m basically haunted when it comes to mobile phones. I even wrote an article once about ‘The Curse of the Blackberry Pearl’ (please, GenY, don’t do the math here.) Point is: if something can go wrong with my phone, it will. Whether by drowning (ask my toddler why ‘mama’s phone needs a bath’), fire (resting it on a heater so the innards melted), innumerable technical malfunctions (I don’t think phones are meant to withstand the sheer number of photos I take and store), loss or theft (usually involving enough wine so that I have no clue which is which) or a number of other potential maladies, it’s a *thing* and my cell phones just don’t make it.
Today we were watching Freebirds, a movie about a pair of turkeys who travel back in time to eradicate Thanksgiving. My almost-two-year-old was captivated; he’s really into bird movies. Anyway, *spoiler alert* at the end of the film a tribe of early turkeys from the 1600s mourn the loss of their great leader by flapping their wings forward in a circular motion to create a swirling tribute of scattered feathers, spiraling up into the air. It’s a moving moment in the film and I looked down at my sweet son and saw that he was emulating their actions with his arms, slowly windmilling in a beautiful, almost spiritual show of empathy.
I was moved. It dawned on me that I thought of him as a baby still, incapable of understanding this subtle show of sadness and love. It’s true, his day-to-day temperament veers sharply from terrible toddler displays of frustration to sheer unadulterated joy, but this…this was something else.
We all know/love Aden + Anais for their delicious muslin swaddles, made famous by everyone—from just about every baby-toting celeb on the planet, to every mom in the know—but now they’re batting it out of the park again with their new muslin clothing line. With kimono tops, strategic snaps and covered zippers, I’m wishing they came in mommy sizes.
The first time I ever used Samsung Gear VR was reviewing new Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. My mind was boggled!! I can’t imagine explaining to my Mom, who still uses a phone book, that I could film a 360 degree view of my home or a vacation and these goggles would allow her to experience what we are seeing as if she were there. Maybe I’ll fix the flashing lights on her VCR before I break the news…
When I was a young teenager I had acne. It was bad – but not as horrible as my once-great self esteem. I was on Accutane, wore cover-up by the spatula-full, and yet still had to have my high school grad photos take three times. Airbrushing wasn’t as easy back then. There was no easy way to remove a blemish but I tried everything. Tea tree oil, toothpaste… even mud.
There was a long period after that where my skin was mostly fine and I felt slightly pretty and even went out without makeup. But then I hit 40. Yes. Don’t you all go fainting. It’s the truth, and I still get ID’d.
In a world where screen-time often outweighs actual face time, the internet has become the go-to source of information – and as we all know, websites don’t always give you the most unbiased and truthful advice… It’s quick and easy to search the internet for videos and how-to articles in seconds, but do the results truly give the answers teens really need? This Father’s Day, Gillette is reminding people everywhere to “Go Ask Dad” for answers to their everyday questions. While your Dad will certainly appreciate a card (or a new razor) for Father’s Day, taking a moment to ask his advice will mean more to him than you might guess.
Spring has certainly sprung across North America, but in my wardrobe—not so much. B.K. (Before Kids), I prided myself on keeping up with seasonal trends, but these days it takes an intervention before I realize that I’m still sporting maternity leggings and ratty nursing tanks. Rather than wait to be accosted by the proverbial Stacey and Clinton, I decided to get proactive and consult with some of my most fashionable friends, followed by an insane amount of “research” in the Pinterest hole. The good news? I’ve decided to share everything that I learned and thus have compiled this season’s ‘Must-Haves for Moms.’ That’s right—here are the crib notes on summer mom style.
Some time in my twenties my metabolism abandoned me. My nightly bowl of ice cream started clinging to my hips and it only got worse after having a few kids. It became obvious that my fitness regimen was failing—largely, because I didn’t have a fitness regimen. I knew that if I wanted to keep my waistline in check, I would need to get fit quick or stop eating so many cupcakes. And let’s be real—I wasn’t giving up cupcakes.
Summer means long family road trips, and also the onset of ‘Are we there yet?’ and ‘I’m HUNGRY!’. Parents can hardly get the car packed and still have time to come up with healthy road trip snack ideas for kids, but we’ve come up with a few cool ideas that gan get you out of a rut. Well, hopefully not a real rut. Maybe driving safety tips will be next…
Living near a large city has its perks; there is always something fun happening, indoors and out, and going into the city is a great way to spend the day together as a family. I know that’s how I should feel, but for years I didn’t. I work in that same big city, and couldn’t wait to get home to my suburban life at the end of the day. It’s not because I don’t love the city; I do. It’s not because I don’t know about all of the amazing sights, events, and activities the city has to offer either, and it’s not because we don’t have a pretty reliable transportation system to get us there.