If you were to tell us parents, three months ago, that our kids would be on lockdown with no school and no access to friends for weeks and weeks, we would have thought: no way. No way can our kids handle that. They'll go squirrely. They'll go nuts. They'll make us nuts.

Creating a baby registry, especially when you're a first-time parent, can be extremely daunting - there are just so many products out there, and with little to no experience using any of them, how should you choose?

How many times do parents of children with autism wish we knew a meltdown was on its way? How many times have parents said, I never saw it coming!  If I had, I would have gotten in, and reminded my child about using their calming down strategies to nip it in the bud.

Having only one child who just turned 8 years old late last year, I’ve only had the pleasure (is that the right word?) of two back-to-school experiences. Kindergarten doesn’t count since that was a first-time deal, and all new from the get-to.  I am by no means a back-to-school expert.

I don't think I realized how difficult it is to be a mom until I became a mom myself. How could I? Plus, I had a mom who made it look super easy.

So dads: Mother's Day is all on you this year. The kids won't be bringing home homemade gifts from daycare and school, so you're going to have to step it up. But don't worry - I've got you covered.

I said it during my entire pregnancy, but don't we all: "I'm never doing this again." But when I said never, I actually growled it. Truth be told, I kinda knew deep down, while I felt the bean rolling around in there, that I really wasn't going to do it again. Not because it wasn't a good ex…

Hooray for spring and warm weather and being outside (and, when it's raining, crafting like we're outside)! My bean is much more grown now, but we always kept busy doing all sorts of fun activities when spring arrived and I thought we'd share our favourite springtime crafts.

We’ve all been here for the better part of 40 days, at least here in Quebec. Self-isolated, self-quarantined. Doing it for ourselves, for our neighbours, for our elderly relatives. For our healthcare workers. For our country.

Oh my goodness I want to shop!! I want to walk around a mall, ANY mall, even the crappy ones with just as many kiosks as there are stores. I want to buy senseless things I don't need and come home and open the packaging and not have to wipe it all down with bleach first. I want to eat in the…

Feel like getting out? Why not head to the museum... virtually, of course. You can tour some of the world's most popular museums safely from your own home, and take the whole family on an adventure filled with culture, art, science, space and more. Let's go!

Over the past few weeks, DK Canada has been sharing home learning and home activities for both adults and children on their different social media channels and in their DK Canada newsletters, and they recenrtly announced via media release the next phase of their Stay Home, Stay Curious campa…

Animals always provide enertainment, humour and some learning opportunities too! They are fun to watch for the entire family. Check out these incredible live zoo and aquarium cams to check out with the kids.

I, like most mothers, suffer from a huge amount of guilt every single day. I think it becomes part of our DNA the moment that sperm enters the embryo and the process begins. We question ourselves from that first pee on a stick until our children leave the house (whenever that may be), and as…

With spring right around the corner, Toys R Us Canada is unveiling the most sought-after toys of the season. With early access to hot toy inventory, 12-year-old Méganne Dagenais from Lasalle — Toys"R"Us Canada's Chief Play Officer — let readers in on spring’s hottest toys, plus how she got h…

We could all use a good chuckle, and April Fool's Day can be a silly, lighthearted way to get a laugh. Here are our favourite April Fool's Day pranks.

In an effort to provide a constant resource for families during the global health pandemic, Hasbro announced via media release that they will be launching #BringHomeTheFun, a global initiative providing parents and caregivers resources to help keep kids occupied, calm, and engaged during ext…

One of the silver linings of being quarantined in this day and age is that there is no shortage of fun ideas online on how to entertain your kids at home. Our household is a Disney loving one, and with that I thought I’d share some ideas on how to visit Walt Disney World from the comfort of …

I am a proud Canadian. I always have been. I was born on the West Coast under the shadow of the Pacific Coast Mountains, and later in life moved to the East Coast and now live just outside the city of Montreal. I adore my big little country that touches two oceans and contains so many cultur…

This entire ordeal is testing my "brave mom" face. I can put on a "brave mom" face when my son falls and scrapes his knee, and even though he's bleeding a bit and my mind is racing and I want to throw up, I smile and calmly tell him "it'll be alright." But this time, I tell him everything is…

I've been doing this work-from-home thing for 11 years. Seven years ago, when I had my son, I did what I could working from home with a baby, and by 2 years old, we enrolled him in daycare two times a week. I filled those glorious hours with emails and articles and brainstorming notes, and f…

My bean turns 7 this weekend. We had lots planned - a video game birthday party on the Saturday with his closest friends, family coming in for his actual birthday, etc. Well, our plans have definitely changed.

Ten years ago, if you’d asked me where I thought I’d be in my life right now, the answer would not have been a divorced mother of an 8-year-old boy, currently having to work from home and home-school because of a worldwide pandemic, while also trying to juggle co-parenting with my child’s fa…

In these crazy times, we all have a responsibility to stay home. Practicing self-isolation and social distancing is the only way we will limit the spread of the Coronavirus and support our health care system. If we want the world to heal, we must all do our part and take this very seriously.

For those who started to self-quarantine last Friday, we're on day 7 and everyone's starting to get a bit antsy. It would be one thing to be confined to our houses but still be able to see friends or have playdates, but the isolation is challenging. 

When they told you it takes a village to raise a child, they weren't entirely right. You can raise a child without the village backing you. But when you've got the strength of the village on your side, you can raise a really awesome well-rounded kid!

Two weeks home with the kids is challenging, especially for those moms and dads who are working from home as well. So here are more than 67 easy ways to keep your kids entertained, and not just for 7 minutes, but for a good chunk of time. Stay well, everyone.

I'll admit it: a week ago I wasn't really worried about Coronavirus. But in the last few days, when the toilet paper craze began followed by the dwindling items on grocery store shelves, I started to get a bit nervous. Truthfully, it's not the virus that scares me - no, it's the mob mentalit…

Sometimes, the best vacations are the ones that are close to home, the ones that don't take too much planning and effort.

A family move is a big ordeal – there’s lot of planning and prepwork involved, and the whole process can be a bit daunting to a little one, who is trying to wrap their heads around switching houses, rooms, and maybe even schools. So here are a few ways to make the transition a bit less jarri…

Keeping kids entertained can be hard, especially when they have an entire week off for March Break! Luckily though, there are many kid-friendly activities and events happening over the week in Montreal and Laval.

March Break is almost here - hooray to not making lunches!! I mean, yes, you still have to feed your kids, but no planning of snacks and bagged lunches - you can give them cereal if you want (no judgement here!).

Walt Disney World is constantly evolving, bringing us new attractions, festivals and dining experiences. If you, like many Canadians, are planning a trip to the happiest place on earth during March Break, here are some things not to be missed!

Let me begin this blog by saying that I was that little girl who had 11 Cabbage Kids and three My Child dolls, a play kitchen, and imagined that one day I’d have as many kids as the old woman in the shoe. I didn’t wear a pillowcase on my head and dream about my fairytale wedding… no, I stuff…

I'm tired of birthday parties. Like, really, really tired. For six years, I've spent weeks upon weeks planning the "perfect birthday parties" for our bean. There were themes, homemade banners, photo booths, games, scavenger hunts, milk bars, the works! 

With 25 Walt Disney World resorts to choose from, it can seem like a daunting task to pick the one that suits your family best. My family and I travel to Disney at least once a year and have stayed at several resorts. We also have our favourite that we consider our “home resort” (more on tha…

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Valentine's Day has a whole different meaning now that I'm a parent... in the past, it was all romance and flowers and fancy dinners, and now it's paper hearts and stuffed animals and little paper Valentine's cards. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

According to the Facebook page for the English Montreal School Board and the Lester B. Pearson School Board, all schools are closed due to snow on Friday, February 7th.

My bean is in his second year of city hockey. Admittedly, his grandfather and dad were super excited to enrol him in hockey from a young age, but my son also seemed to enjoy it. He saw the improvements in his skating and stick-handling, and he started to even make friends on his team (even t…

I lived in Florida from the ages of 7-17 (yes, yes, I know: why would I leave a warm place like that? It's a whole other blog...), and I was always amazed by kids down there who had never seen snow. Like, ever.

It’s the most magical place on earth, but for some it’s an overwhelming destination. The reality of modern day vacationing at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, is that it requires proper planning. I’ve decided to compile a list of what I feel are the top 5 planning tips to ensure that y…

No one particularly likes needles. But my son hates them. Abhors them. Incessantly worries about the next one. So you can imagine how our flu shot went this year.

Growing up, I was a pretty good kid. I never wanted to rock the boat or break the rules, because I liked being the "good kid." My brother, however, was a little more challenging. I always felt like my parents were my friends because they made a real effort to be our friends. My mom was an op…

There's nothing scarier as a parent than the thought of your child going missing. I find it hard to protect my son, given he's only 5 - he says he understands stranger danger, but does he really? If someone flashed him something sweet, something fun to play with, or something cute and fluffy…

What do you get for that person on your holiday shopping list who seems to have everything? Well, you get them one of these unique gifts that are useful and fun.

Toys are a dime a dozen, but not all play things are created equally. Some are not well-made, and others are a bit of a letdown... but not these! We tried em out and they're worth the touting - check out these stellar toys.