Star Trek fans, you won’t want to miss Star Trek: The Starfleet Academy Experience at theCanada Aviation and Space Museum! It’s the must-see event this summer for the whole family, young and old!
STAR TREK : The Starfleet Academy Experience
I had the pleasure of attending the launch gala of the world premiere Star Trek: The Starfleet Academy Experience thanks to theCanada Aviation and Space Museum. William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk) was the guest of honour and delivered a heartfelt speech on his first attempt to fly a plane, to flying the Star Trek “spacecrafts”, and a book and documentary he wrote called “Get a Life”! Mr. Shatner also reminisced on how the Star Trek television show only lasted 3 years on the major television channel, but with the help of local television stations, the franchise survived and continues to proper 50 years later.
Mint President and CEO Sandra Hanington and William Shatner unveiled the Royal Canadian Mint‘s $10 silver coloured coin picturing the commander of U.S.S. Enterprise, Captain James Tiberius Kirknew (Captain Kirk). The coin is part of a set that includes Spock, Scotty, and Uhura.
Other Star Trek alumni, René Auberjonois (“Odo” in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and John de Lancie (“Q” in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager) as well as William’s beautiful wife, Elizabeth Shatner, were also attending the gala.
John de Lancie & René Auberjonois
The gala was hosted by David Schellenberg, Co-Host of Live 88.5 Morning Show. You also had the opportunity to meet cosplayers from the IKV Phoenix and the Ladies Who Trek. They ran activities at themed lounges: Vulcan, Klingon, and Uhura. Attendees were able to participate in photo-ops, trivia, crafts, and Klingon and Vulcan themed games. Other entertainment performances included an aerial act from Cirque du Soleil Academy and martial arts performance to Star Trek music from 100% Martial Arts & Fitness.
Delicious #KHANS of Star Trek beer were crafted for the occasion. Servers were in Star Trek team member costumes giving us intriguing drinks, and we were all amazed by the glow in the dark rainbow cotton candy!
As I was heading to take photos and videos of William Shatner on the Star Trek mock-up bridge from the USS Enterprise, I took a few photos of the STAR TREK : The Starfleet Academy Experience, an interactive exhibit, set in a 10,000-square-foot shed adjacent to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.
William and Elizabeth Shatner
Memorabilia include uniforms and costumes from our favourite Star Trek characters, a life-sized photon torpedo to tribbles and phasers, and a transporter system. You can even see the head of a Data android prototype from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Just to have the chance to sit in the captain’s chair like James T. Kirk, Jean-Luc Picard, or Kathryn Janeway and command the USS Enterprise on a mission is worth the price of the admission ticket alone!
From the Starfleet Academy website:
The Star Trek: The Starfleet Academy Experience uses the Star Trek Franchise as a springboard to teach visitors about science and technology.
Visitors will engage in a series of tests based on Starfleet’s Operations, Communication, Engineering, Security, Tactical, Science, Medical and Command division through hands-on immersive experiences.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Experience is enriched with the actual science behind the science fiction of Star Trek as visitors can learn about emerging technologies such as a functional tricorder, NASA’s warp drive theory, lasers, and teleporters.
The Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa is the first museum to exhibit the multi-city North American tour. It will run until September 5, 2016.
For more information on the STAR TREK : The Starfleet Academy Experience, you can visit the Canada Aviation and Space Museum website or follow them on Twitter @AvSpaceMuseum and use the haghtag #StarfleetOTT!
It was a memorable evening meeting the Star Trek stars, having a sneak peek tour of the Experience, enjoying food and drinks from across the Federation and beyond, and celebrating this year’s 50th anniversary of Star Trek!
In between round trips to school, extracurricular activities, preparing meals and working, who has time to exercise? Not everyone can be Tracy Moore and juggle two kids, a work life and look fit. Or so many moms think. Fitting in a workout session to a hectic daily mom schedule is not that hard. The difficult part is to bring yourself to stop making excuses that you are busy all the time. With some dedication on your part, along with the following these fitness tips, will help you transform into a productive and healthy super-mom.
Fitness Tips for Busy Canadian Moms
1. Make a Timetable
If you are one of those moms who has the whole week planned out and stuck on the refrigerator, you just might find time to exercise. Just like you plan and note down that drop off at school or pick up from after school swimming, you can plan a workout session. You don’t need to reserve hours each day for fitness and exercising. At least 15 minutes before bath time should be fine.
2. Don’t be Intimidated
Many moms when they think of exercising think of lifting barbells and doing pull-ups in a dingy gym full of men on steroids. Don’t be intimidated by the overtly masculinised portrayals of working out. You don’t work out to get biceps the size of maple tree trunks. You do it to get the healthy body that you deserve. Go and find a wellness coach who will be able to recommend you exercises and give you fitness tips that will be within your interest and ability to perform as a beginner, such as jogging, swimming, Pilates and so on.
3. Work Out When the Kids Play
If your reserve some time each day to watch the kids play, you may be able to double that time as your workout session. You can skip rope, do squats, or use a cycling machine while you watch the children play. You can also join them and run around and get sweaty. Doing something is better than nothing.
Fitness Tips for Busy Canadian Moms
4. Start Light
If you are a beginner who have never participated in any form of athletic activity before, exercising may seem particularly hard. You can overcome this mental hurdle by starting off with simple work out sessions. Instead of running on the treadmill, do some light jogging in the beginning. If you don’t like strength training on machines, you can use handheld dumbbells instead. You can also find a yoga instructor or a swimming coach to try things that will benefit you physically as well as mentally.
5. Join a Group
People are better at accomplishing difficult tasks in groups. Losing weight and getting fit is no exception. So, if you are at a loss in the beginning and don’t know where to start, you can try joining a fitness group in your area. There are many situated locally and nationwide in Canada that are intended specially for moms. You will be able to get more fitness tips, healthy eating tips and motivation guidance within a fitness group.
What do you think?
Are you ready to try one or two of the above tips to become a healthy mom?
The days are getting longer and warmer, so you know what that means: summer is on its way! There are some days during the summer when you want to have a quick cool-off to beat the heat. Zuru Bunch O Balloons asked us to review their Rapid Fill 3 Pack and Launcher Set as well as their Rapid Fill 3 Pack to see if they could help splash in the summer season in a cool and fun way!
Bunch O Balloons are also a product that is friendly to the environment! They are made from recycled materials. The balloons and O-rings are biodegradable and environmentally-friendly. The straws holding the balloons are produced from recycled plastic, so you can pop then into the recycling bin once the balloons are released!
Bunch O Ballons makes cooling off during the dog days of summer a smashing success! You are able to fill over 100 of self-tying water balloons in a snap. It’s as easy as 1-2-3!
Connect the attachment to a water source;
Fill the balloons; and
Watch the balloons self-tie to make over 100 water balloons!
Watch this video to see how quick and easy it was to fill our balloons.
The set we received was the newest one for 2016. It is a Launcher set with a lightweight and aerodynamic launcher! Now kids can toss their balloons up to 60 feet away!
It was VERY hard to keep our kids at bay while setting up our water balloon wonderland. They were itching to start tossing them to see them explode! This is what 100 Bunch O Balloons looks like.
We then piled the balloons into our wagon to transport them to our driveway to start our smashing party!
Since our lawn was not a glorious sea of green yet, we decided to take the fun to our driveway. Though our kids are at the recommended age for this toy (Ages 3+), We felt that it would be safer for them to throw the balloons against the side of our home. Once my kids started tossing the balloons, they couldn’t stop! My daughter loved using the launcher to send her balloons to a smashing end against the outer wall of our home. Our kids were sad when they were out of ammunition.
This was the aftermath of their fun.
The kids were great when it time to play clean-up. Many hands made quick work and it took minutes to have our driveway back to normal.
One note to make where this toy is concerned: fill the balloons with something to catch the balloons. Some of the balloons filled quicker than others, and we lost a few friends when we didn’t follow this step. It also helps to avoid getting sprayed by those that sprung a leak during filling. Luckily, we had more than 100 balloons in our kit to play with!
Check out how “pop”ular Bunch O Balloons are in other countries around the world:
(US) The biggest selling summer toy in 2015, completely selling out on the 4th of July;
(AU) Best-selling toy for 2015; naming it the AustralianToy Association’s Toy of the Year:
(DE) Nuremberg Toy Fair’s Toy of the Year
My kids had a blast cooling off with Zuru Bunch O Balloons! They can’t wait to be able to be able to splash about with it this summer with their friends!
I wanted to share my thoughts with you on motherhood. My belief is that mothers deserve to own their health, to put their health above all others so they can actually love with all their vitality.
I Have A Firm Belief…Mothers leave the biggest contribution to legacy on this planet.
During my childhood, it was common for mothers to give so much that they themselves actually started to end up sick.
I Want Mothers To Put Themselves First!
I want you to see how important you are in your children’s lives, in your partner’s eyes, in your grandchildren’s, in your parents’ eyes…
And realize that if you ignore your health by giving too much, everyone gets affected.
Women are the shapers of the family, the shapers of the next generation and you need to do it from a place of power: physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
If you aren’t in pain, if you are full of energy, the default is love!
There’s One Thing That Appears to Be Going Against My Belief: A mother’s worth
Too many mothers don’t believe that by just being on this planet, they are inherently amazing, powerful and worth it.
That they deserve love, joy, and play.
Because they think others are worth more than them. (Their kids especially.)
And so they pour all their time, energy, and resources into kids, jobs and spouses.
And the life slowly fades from them.
I could be wrong, but I have struggled with low self-worth and I feel like I can see that pattern because of it.
If you don’t feel like you’re worthy, you’ll push away everything.
Health. Love. Money. Fun. Sex (yes, I went there!).
In result, you will draw in what you think you are worthy of, which can be any number of unhealthy things: disease, low energy, struggle, abuse, and loneliness.
And my theory is that if I can get mothers to stop putting everyone else on a pedestal, to realize their own worth, just how amazingly important they are, how kind and special they are, that they just might stop over-giving to everyone else and start giving back to themselves.
Canada is a great country for entrepreneurship. There’s a thriving business community, government support, and best of all, consumer demand for all sorts of things. If you are sick of your 9 to 5 job at a boring company, perhaps it’s time to start your own business. However, it’s much easier to decide to start a business than to actually do it. So, here’s a mini guide on how to start a small business in Canada!
Starting a Small Business in Canada
Starting a small business in Canada can be an exciting and rewarding venture. You might even want to consider starting an ecommerce business. To embark on this journey successfully, there are several important steps to consider.
1. Come up with an Idea Backed by Research
You certainly will need a business idea to start a company of your own. Now, just any idea wouldn’t do. You could decide to start a soda company, but how would you get people to drink your soda instead of Pepsi or Coca Cola? First, you get a generic idea for a business, and then dig deeper by consulting market research. Going back to the soda company idea, you might want to research areas where there might be unmet consumer demand. For example, many people have given up drinking soda because it contains a lot of sugar. So, there’s a demand for sugar-free, healthy soda that a company you create might be able meet. Likewise, do your market research thoroughly.
2. Draw a Business Plan
Once you have a business idea and market research to support that idea, you will need to draw up a good business plan. If you are going to start that healthy soda company, you will need to find scientists, a location for headquarters, a lab to test products and people to like them. Your business plan should include an analysis of the existing industry, research on the competition, a marketing strategy and how to manage and operate the business. Search online for samples of a good business plan. Then, make a small presentation on the basic points of your plan to show for banks and financiers who provide small loans for business start-ups.
3. Find a Source of Funding
Financing your business will be the hardest part. No matter how good your business idea might be, you will encounter a lot of skepticism, ignorance and even bewilderment when you try to pitch your idea to potential investors. There are several ways to finance your business. The most conventional is to seek potential investors, dip into savings or to apply for a business loan at a financial institution or a bank. These days you can also try pitching your idea on a crowd funding platform like Kickstarter.
4. Register Your Business and Get a License
Finally, you will have to officially register your business with the Canadian government. You will need to apply at the municipal, provincial and federal government divisions to get a registered business name, a business number and a GST/HST account that are necessary to conduct business in Canada. Visit the official Government of Canada website for valuable information on starting and running a business in Canada.
Once you have the above basics covered, you will be ready to hire employees and start advertising to market your products countrywide.
So if your children are anything like mine, the minute they even remotely see anything that resembles a vegetable, or something that is actually good for them, it’s gotta go! I did find a trick to add veggies in the food we make, that’s right… hidden veggies in the Butternut Bacon Mac and Cheese recipe!
You can see on Facebook all the time, all these post about people’s children munching on kale for snacks and what not… and here I am sitting like “teach me your magic ways, oh wise one”. I don’t know how they do it. My kids act like I’m trying to kill them, if I even present a vegetable on their plate. Do you like broccoli?
Marshall do you likebroccoli?
Butternut Bacon Mac and Cheese
I don’t understand it! My son used to eat healthy, veggies and fruits, like they were going out of style, he usually left things like meat on the plate. Now I’m lucky if he’ll even eat at all. “It’s a stage.” I know, but sometimes I just want to make sure he gets something that resembles a healthy meal into his system. Much to his surprise you cannot live on Goldfish. So enough’s enough, it’s time for something drastic.
Hidden Veggie Recipes
I keep “seeing” all these hidden veggie recipes on Pinterest and they just sit there on my boards. So I am deciding to try them. This hidden veggie recipe is for a Butternut Squash Bacon Mac and Cheese, and boy did it ever turn out good! Both my son and my husband had absolutely no clue that the whole base for the pasta was actually a veggie! WIN!Come on anything with cheese and bacon is going to please, so I was thrilled when it was downed in seconds and something that will be requested again!
Happy wife, happy life and a happy tummy = a very happy Mommy!
Hope you all enjoy!
Until next time,
Courtney
Butternut Bacon Mac and Cheese
Butternut Bacon Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
1 and a half cups of macaroni uncooked
3 cups of diced butternut squash (I used frozen pre cut)
2 table spoons (on the larger sides) of margarine, you can use butter if you prefer. What ever you have on hand works.
3/4 cup milk
2 cups of your choice of cheese. I used extra old marble cheese.
salt and pepper
1 pack of bacon. (we LOVE bacon) You can use less if you prefer, the result will end up the same!
Instructions
Throw your Macaroni on boil. Drain and set aside in a casserole dish.
Boil your butternut squash until it is tender and cooked, for me this took as long as the macaroni.
Cook your bacon until extra crispy (or your desired amount) I used the oven method for cooking, and crumble.
Place your cooked squash into a blender with your scoops of butter, lots of salt and pepper.
blend until you get a nice and creamy texture.
Add your milk SLOWLY to the puree, this insures you don’t make it too runny (made that mistake the first time. You can always fix this will more cheese!)
Add your cheese to your sauce and stir until melted.
Pour sauce over your noodles and add half of your crumbled bacon. Stir.
Added a bit of extra cheese and the rest of your bacon to the top of your dish.
Heat in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 mins, or until hot and the cheese on top is melted.
Serve and enjoy!
Adapted from BeyondSeeingWithCourtney
Butternut Bacon Mac and Cheese
This recipe was so deceivingly good, no one knew it was made from veggies!
3cupsof diced butternut squashI used frozen pre cut
2table spoonson the larger sides of margarine, you can use butter if you prefer. What ever you have on hand works.
3/4cupmilk
2cupsof your choice of cheese. I used extra old marble cheese.
salt and pepper
1pack of bacon.we LOVE bacon You can use less if you prefer, the result will end up the same!
Instructions
Throw your Macaroni on boil. Drain and set aside in a casserole dish.
Boil your butternut squash until it is tender and cooked, for me this took as long as the macaroni.
Cook your bacon until extra crispy (or your desired amount) I used the oven method for cooking, and crumble.
Place your cooked squash into a blender with your scoops of butter, lots of salt and pepper.
blend until you get a nice and creamy texture.
Add your milk SLOWLY to the puree, this insures you don’t make it too runny (made that mistake the first time. You can always fix this will more cheese!)
Add your cheese to your sauce and stir until melted.
Pour sauce over your noodles and add half of your crumbled bacon. Stir.
Added a bit of extra cheese and the rest of your bacon to the top of your dish.
Heat in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 mins, or until hot and the cheese on top is melted.
These grown-up grilled cheese recipes have epic options for everyone. From a sophisticated dessert grilled cheese filled with berry and mascarpone cheese to a flavour to a spinach and ricotta grilled cheese that is so good, you will wonder why you have never made it like this before! Trust me when I tell you that one pairs with a steamy bowl of tomato soup like a dream.
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for Grown-Ups
Grilled cheese sandwiches is a classic for a good reason; it is an incredible comfort food that is easy to make and always hits the spot. Kids and adults can indulge in it without complaint and you can have a hot sandwich ready in just a few minutes.
While there is nothing wrong with the classic white bread and cheese slice variety of grilled cheese, there is also nothing wrong with wanting a little more. Why not take the childhood staple we all love and adapt it to meet your grown-up palette with some unique cheese and vegetable pairings?
Best grilled cheese recipes
Have you ever thrown together a grilled cheese that veered off the normal path? At my house, sometimes I add a thin layer of cream cheese to the mix, which is pretty fantastic and very creamy. No matter what you are in the mood for, chances are this collection of best grilled cheese recipes will have something that catches your eye.
Be sure to click through the links below to view these easy grilled cheese recipes. If you have a recipe for grilled cheese, I hope you will leave a comment to tell me about it.
Ideas for grilled cheese
I was looking for some recipes for grilled cheese sandwich and came across some delicious suggestions for adults. Definitely not your average grilled cheese with process cheese and white bread that I grill for my kids. Hope you will enjoy these ideas for grilled cheese I chose for you!
In their 90th year of entertaining fans across the globe, the Harlem Globetrotters are still able to wow a crowd! They made the Canadian Tire Centre one of the stops on their world tour to help celebrate this extraordinary anniversary. Both of my daughters love playing basketball, so getting this experience is a step towards achieving their goals of playing this sport on a more competitive level. I took my daughters to this year’s event, making it a Girls’ Day Out. They could not wait to see the action unfold!
It is always great to look WAY up at the Canadian Tire Centre whenever we arrive there for an event! We could not help but to take a few moments to look at this building and see just how big it is!
My girls and I were invited to “hoop it up” Harlem Globetrotters’ style with Magic Passes! We had an exclusive experience that allowed us to be up-close with some of the players at this pre-game event, see if we “measured up” with some of the Globetrotters, and play fun activities that tested their skills to make them feel as though they could one day be Harlem Globetrotters themselves! My ladies had a great time!
Hoop Dreams Come True with the Harlem Globetrotters
After this experience, we took our seats and got ready for the show. From beginning to end, it was a spectacular filled with amazing game play, stunts and of course, comedy! It took a lot of effort for us to stay quiet in our seats as the show played out in front of us. We cheered, jeered and sang along with the players and their shenanigans. It was truly a party on the court, and everyone in attendance was a part of the fun!
One of the moments I really loved during this show was when the Globetrotters slowed things down a bit to show the referees and the fans where something went wrong during the game. It was really amazing to see the Globetrotters, the Washington Generals and the referees work together to pull this part of the performance off for the fans!
Another reason I love the Harlem Globetrotters is how they like to reach out to their fans! I was lucky enough to get to have a sneak peek into the lives of Ant and Sweet J by having them answer a few questions about what it is like to be a Harlem Globetrotter and what life is like off the court.
Audio Interview with Sweet J
Ant
OMC: What do you do when you are not performing?
Ant: I love to spend time with my family, listen to music and watch movies!
OMC: As a Globetrotter, what has been your favourite country to visit?
Ant: My favourite country is South America.
OMC: What is your favourite part of being a Harlem Globetrotter?
Ant: I bring smiles to people every day regardless of what they are going through. I can make them forget about their problems for two hours.
OMC: What is the hardest part about being a Harlem Globetrotter?
Ant: Hardest part about being a Globetrotter is being away from my family!
OMC: What advice would you give to kids who dream about being a part of this famous team some day?
Ant: My advice would be to work hard! In whatever you do you have to work hard and to make it here and play and be successful you have to work extremely hard!
From our extraordinary pre-game experience with our Magic Passes to getting to watch the thrills of the game, the Harlem Globetrotters continue to wow and amaze audiences every time they visit! Both of my daughters REALLY enjoyed this year’s event, and cannot wait for the next time they return to Ottawa. Both girls have hoop dreams of their own, and if they would love to make other people as happy as the Globetrotters made them when it is their turn to put on a show for the crowd!
For more information about the Harlem Globetrotters and their 90th anniversary world tour, you can follow the Harlem Globetrotters on their website, Facebook and Twitter!
My daughter and I had an amazing opportunity to visit Toronto to it’s fullest thanks to Tourism Toronto and the Chelsea Hotel during March Break. It was our first ever mother-daughter out-of-town trip, so this one was super special to both of us! I will share with you our fabulous experiences and adventures throughout the following few weeks. Let’s start with our home away from home for 4 days!
Thursday morning, we left Ottawa on Via Rail and arrived mid-afternoon in Toronto. I had not taken the train in over 20 years – long overdue – and really enjoyed the scenic stress free ride and having electrical outlets to plug my iPhone and tablet. We took a taxi from the Union Station to the Chelsea Hotel. Upon arrival, we noticed kids sitting in low seating chairs watching a movie in the lobby, and staff making popcorn, giving juice and offering face painting. My daughter and I looked at each other and knew this hotel was special; a premier family hotel! It’s definitely a busy hotel with an abundance of friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable staff to help you feel at home and answer any of your questions.
Chelsea Hotel Toronto Review
The Chelsea Hotel is Canada’s largest hotel with 1,590 guest rooms. It’s centrally located and just steps from the city’s best shopping districts, world-class theatres, vibrant nightlife, exciting venues and attractions such as the Casa Loma, the Nathan Phillips Square, the CF Toronto Eaton Centre, and many restaurants. Having friends that booked a room at Chelsea, I knew they were a kid friendly hotel, but this was beyond my expectations:
a 130 ft Corkscrew Water Slide Pool
a Kid Center with educational and fun activities including pets; fish and bunnies, and yes, you can feed them
Club 33 Teen Lounge with old school arcade games, two LCD flat-screen televisions, two Xbox 360s, a foosball and pool table
And for adults only (because we need to unwind too):
Deck 27’s: an indoor heated pool with a shallow end to relax and deep end for laps, a hot tub and a separate male and female sauna.
a fitness centre: includes cardio-challenging equipment featuring treadmills, elliptical trainers, as well as a range of free weights for strength and muscle training.
a seasonal outdoor sundeck that really highlights the city’s skyline while unwinding on warm summer afternoon and evenings.
During March Break, guests of Chelsea Hotel, Toronto enjoy access to the Family Fun Zone. Kids can play in the supervised Kid Centre, become a Camp Chelsea Camper for the day, with the option of a full or half day program (for a nominal fee) or take advantage of a wide variety of day and evening activities throughout the week. These included a segway obstacle course, exotic animal show, evening bingo and family scavenger hunts. While staying during the summer months, the Chelsea Hotel also offers camps and daily activities for the kids.
Chelsea Hotel Toronto Hotel Room
Chelsea Hotel offers many types of rooms for every budget, including a studio kitchenette, a one bedroom suite, a business suite, and a family fun suite! We stayed in the Chelsea room that was equipped with 2 double beds, Hotel-wide Free Wifi (yes, complimentary in your room too!), a LCD flat screen TV, an exterior balcony, blackout drapes, Pharmacopia amenities, a hair dryer, a personal safe for valuables, dry cleaning services, an iron, an ironing board, and laundry facilities. It usually takes me 1 or 2 nights to adjust to sleeping in a different bed then the one at home, but I slept so well the 1st night. Their beds are really comfortable, even some of the other writers on the press trip were talking about it! Our room was located on the 22nd floor, was spacious and clean, and the cozy bathroom offered plenty of counter space. We had a magnificent view of downtown Toronto. There is also a thermostat on the wall that you can regulate the temperature by degrees. It’s not a stand alone heater/air conditioning unit in the window, but a heating/air conditioning vent on the wall.
In 2015, the Chelsea Hotel completed a $12 million dollar guestroom refurbishment. This bold transformation coincides with the hotel’s 40th anniversary. With a total investment of close to $30 million dollars, additional refurbishments since 2013 include the lobby; three restaurants (TBar, Market Garden and expresso); updated meeting and banquet space; and an update to the hotel exterior (balconies). During the refurbishment period, the hotel continued to keep sustainability top of mind. All of the guestrooms include low flow showerheads and toilets as well as the installation of energy efficient light bulbs.
Chelsea Hotel Toronto Amazing Food
Market Garden, Expresso Coffee Bar, and Wine Bar
Market Garden includes expresso Coffee Bar and is the solution for a delicious meal when you have little time to spare. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, you can expect an array of culinary choices based on a “grab-and -go” concept. You can also order room service and they will bring it to your room or simply call and pick up your meal at the Market Garden. Browse the market-style aisles stocked with delicious salads, soups, and sandwiches or watch their culinary team prepare hot dishes right in front of your eyes such has homemade oven cooked pizza, signature grilled cheese, and hot breakfast items. You can also enjoy a nice bottle wine at the dedicated wine bar or at your table. There’s plenty of seating inside where you can enjoy the relaxing atmosphere or dine outdoors on their seasonal patio.
We enjoyed 2 breakfasts at the Market Garden and Express|o Coffee Bar consisting of egg muffins sandwiches, pancakes with sausages, bagels, toasts, jams and peanut butter, coffee, teas, and orange juices. Our meals were savoury and at a perfect eating temperature. We especially liked the fact that they had such a wide array of breakfast items to pick from for every taste buds. It was convenient to pick and choose what we liked, pay, and bring it to a table.
TBar
The latest addition to the hotel a varied à-la-carte menu prepared from local ingredients. Executive Chef Brian MacAskill has introduced a homemade Caesar mix – a highlight item at TBar. TBar features an Indian lunch buffet made from scratch and also offers Brunch every Sunday from 11AM-2PM with a wide variety of choice including vegetarian and gluten-free options.
All the writers on the press tour were treated to an elegant breakfast at the T|Bar. The menu offered delicious hot and cold items served with fruits and also gluten free and vegetarian options. My daughter and I both ordered the Muskoka with gluten free toast, eggs, back bacon, potato rounders, focaccia toast, and orange juice. We were definitely full until lunch time!
Monarch
Available from 5pm-11pm, the extensive à la carte menu features contemporary pub fare including delicious starters, hearty mains and tempting desserts, while a special late-night menu is available from 11pm to 1am. Guests can also sip samples from Monarchs Pub’s impressive range of domestic and international brews, featuring Mill Street beers on tap.
Bb33
On Thursday evening, we were greeted by the Chelsea and Tourism Toronto Staff to a lovely dinner at the Bb33 room. It used to be a restaurant, but was converted to a hall that can accommodate private functions. We were treated to red and white wine as well as pork chops with mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes, carrots, beans, bread rolls, and for desserts, a chocolate mousse cake and vanilla gelato. We took the opportunity to get to know each other including the bloggers that came from New Year, LA, and Montreal. It was a pleasant evening full of laughter as we shared some interesting facts about Toronto!
Toronto Islands
Are you looking to visit the 3 Islands while staying in Toronto this summer? Chelsea Hotel offers their guests a complimentary access to the Chelsea Beach, a designated area on beautiful Centre Island. A perfect family beach, it is life-guarded daily from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. It even has a Blue Flag rating – an international eco-label awarded to beaches for excellence in water quality and high environmental standards. Guests are offered roundtrip transportation from the hotel all summer long for a nominal fee.
As guests at the hotel, families can take advantage of discount tickets to Centreville – a turn of the century amusement park – offering over 30 rides, games and attractions, all just a few minutes walk from Chelsea Beach. Stop by Franklin Children’s Garden, an interactive whimsical garden for kids and families on the Toronto Island Park, inspired by Franklin the Turtle from the celebrated book series. The garden is divided into six sections where children can participate in gardening and storytelling – encouraging them to become active stewards of the environment while engaging in creative play.
Honestly, if you are visiting Toronto, why would you stay anywhere else then at the Chelsea Hotel? It’s an exceptional hotel and urban resort that caters to all family members. We definitely had a wonderful time staying at the Chelsea Hotel and would like this time again to thank the wonderful staff for an amazing stay and peaceful nights sleep!
For more information about the Chelsea Hotel, Toronto, please visit www.chelseatoronto.com or call 1-800-CHELSEA (243-5732). Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.
If you have a dream about owning your first home and applying for a mortgage then you may be a bit nervous when beginning the process. While having your own home is just about every family’s dream the high prices and paperwork involved can be overwhelming. In addition to this, many lenders will be more concerned with earning a profit than with helping you find a home that matches your income. How to prepare for mortgage application? Below are a mortgage application checklist with steps you can take to properly apply for your first mortgage.
Applying for a mortgage for first time home buyer used to be simple. People would compare the prices and rates on houses they wanted, and once the found a lender they were comfortable with, they would make a large down payment and then move in. Today things have changed, and going through the number of options available can be very stressful. One thing you should do before getting a mortgage for first time home buyer is to educate yourself.
First Mortgage Application Checklist Step
The first thing you will want to do is look at your current income. How much do you make per year? How secure is your job? Remember, if you go about getting a mortgage the traditional way, it could take 15 to 25 years to pay it off, and if you get behind on your payments, you could lose your home and have your credit ruined. If you can’t afford a home, it is best not to move into one until you can. This will keep you from taking on debt you can’t afford.
How Much Can You Afford?
If you feel that you can afford a mortgage the next thing you should decide is how much you can afford. Lenders have a tendency to offer you mortgages which are more than you can afford, and this is important to remember. In addition to the cost of the mortgage itself, you will have to pay taxes, insurance and other expenses as well. These costs should be included in your monthly expenses.
Apply Directly Or Via A Broker?
When you begin looking for a mortgage you will encounter two types of lenders; mortgage brokers and direct lenders. The direct lenders are the people who have the money to lend you. They are ultimately the individuals who decide if you will be approved for a home. The mortgage broker acts as a middleman, going out and finding direct lenders who can give you the best deal.
While the lenders may have a limited number of loans available, a mortgage broker will often have access to multiple lenders simultaneously. If you are looking for a specific type of mortgage, a mortgage broker may be better to use than a direct lender. However, a mortgage broker will charge you for their services, and this could be a certain percentage of the mortgage loan you end up with. With the rise of the internet, online mortgage brokers can help you save money.
Mortgage Application: Get The Paper Work In Order
Once you have found a loan and got your mortgage pre-approved through a direct lender or mortgage broker the next step is to fill out a mortgage application. There are a number of things you will need to fill out on the mortgage application and it will help if you have some supporting documents. You will need to provide information about your income, length of employment, and your assets. They will also want to know what other loans or credit cards you have.
Once this information has been provided, the lender will look at your credit report. In addition to this, they will want to see your bank statements and check stubs from your job. You may also need to show them tax information and data about your insurance. If your credit is good, an appraiser will be hired to make sure the house is valued at the loan amount that will be given to you.
Bedtime can be a hard time for parents and kids alike! Some kids are afraid of the dark or are night hawks, making night time a long event kids and parents dread. Cloud b understands this issue and has created sensory toys to make bedtime a more peaceful and magical experience. I was asked to review some of their Sight and Sound toys with my kids! They are not huge fans of this time of the day, and I wanted to see if their night time routine would improve after having these toys in their room at night.
Cloud b grew focuses on helping children sleep peacefully and gaining peace of mind for parents with high-quality designed sound and light plush toys. These products create a soothing and calming effect closely associated with creating consistent sleep routines for babies and children.
Below are the four cuddly friends my family received from Cloud b:
Dream Buddies™ – Bunny
Dream Buddies™ – Lamb
Hugginz™ Musical Plushie – Sheep
Hugginz™ Musical Plushie – Monkey
Each one is soft and cushy so kids (or parents) can sleep soundly with them. I say this because I actually slept with the monkey we named Monkey one night. Monkey and Lamb are really soft, and I snuggled up to my new friend and did not notice the music box that lies within it.
They enjoyed pulling on the string that activates the soft lullaby that tinkles to soothe children to sleep. They sat, cuddled and took in the music for about an hour. My little ones also enjoyed climbing into bed with their toys for story time when it was time to go to sleep at night.
The strap is a great feature to have on these toys! It can be hung up on the post of a bed or it can be attached to a stroller or car seat when on the go for your kids to enjoy whenever they wish!
Once our bedtime routine is complete, we like to leave a light on in our children’s room because they are not fans of the dark just yet. The problem here is that each of them like to have a different level of light in their room in order to fall asleep. Having the Dream Buddies™ Lamb and Bunny in their room really helped to create a compromise between both kids and allowed for us to solve this routine issue.
Each cute plush animal projects the Big Dipper star constellation. It displays this pattern on a 45 minute timer in three colours: blue, green and amber. There is also an option to have these toys cycle through all three colours automatically (which is what my kids love watching the most).
My kids also became creative when it came to go to bed with their Dream Buddies™ plushie friends. My kids took their toys to a wall in their room and told stories as the Big Dipper flashed from one colour to the next. It was so much fun to watch!
Our little ones really enjoyed playing and drifting off to sleep with their snugly toys from Cloud b. They are really soft, cute and really helpful to putting my kids in the right frame of mind for bedtime. The Hugginz™ Musical Plushie Monkey and Lamb were great to cuddle with and to be lulled to sleep with a lullaby. The Dream Buddies™ Bunny and Lamb were a welcome addition of wonder and magic to bedtime with their projections of the Big Dipper in their room to get them ready for a good night’s sleep. They will be a part of our family for a long time to come!
It has been a few years since I had my last child, but my body is not where I would like it to be. For me, I had to ease into a workout routine to begin to accomplish my goal of getting fit again. When asked to review the new mom workout DVD Jillian Michaels: Hot Body HealthyMommyI was interested in seeing how different it would be from normal workouts.
Jillian Michaels: Hot Body Healthy Mommy DVD Review
Jillian Michaels: Hot Body Healthy Mommy aims to get a woman’s body in shape after having a baby (after getting clearance from your physician first) and promises fantastic results. Michaels provides three workouts that focus on a different part of your body in basic and advanced levels for every move performed:
Upper Body – focuses on the arms, chest and back
Lowe Body – tones buns and thighs
Core-Strengthening – focuses on your abdominal muscles
This DVD also offers gives special instructions to moms who have had C-sections or diastasis recti so their bodies can get in shape correctly.
Feeling the Burn
If you have not ever done a workout with Jillian Michaels, let me tell you this: you will feel the burn! I’m not saying this to discourage anyone from picking up Jillian Michaels: Hot Body, Healthy Mommy. I have done a few of her workouts before, and loved them because I felt as though I had accomplished something after completing a workout with Jillian Michaels. I even had the chance to go to a workout session Jillian Michaels lead personally. This was a challenge I would do again in a heartbeat!
Fun Workouts with Jillian Michaels
I decided to go from head-to-toe when trying to perform each of the workouts at home. I did both the basic and the advanced moves for all three routines. The Upper Body workout was the toughest for me to get through because, well, they do not get used as much as the rest of my body on a regular basis. Each routine was really fun to do. For me, since I am now doing more high intensity workouts, these routines were easier to do. Jillian Michaels brought her enthusiasm to each workout, but it was in a more relaxed way.
Workouts Divided In 3 Circuits
I really liked that each workout is divided into three circuits so it is easy for users to remember the flow of the exercises to be performed without becoming too tired. The fact that each workout is only 20 minutes long is fabulous since I do not have a lot of time to work out during the day and I can work them in around my family’s hectic schedule. Finally, Jillian Michaels’ instructions on your form should be during a workout is fantastic. It is great to be told what you should look like when performing each of these moves.
Two quick notes for first-time users of this DVD
Though you can use the floor, a yoga mat is so much more comfortable when performing some of the moves when you are not on your feet; and
There are some moves where weights are needed. You can improvise with other similar objects around your home (ex – using stainless steel water bottles filled with water to replace a 3-pound free weight).
If you are looking into getting your body back on track after having a baby, Jillian Michaels: Hot Body Healthy Mommy is a great DVD to get you started on accomplishing your fitness goals! The exercises are designed to start to get users back into wanting to become fit so they are not rigorous. The instructions on how to perform each move are great and you feel encouraged to want to continue using these routines throughout your new busy life with baby.
Disclaimer: I was gifted with the video in order to write this review. Opinions are my own.
On Sept. 26, 1969, the Ontario Science Centre, located at 770 Don Mills Road in Toronto, was inaugurated by a radio signal over 1.5 billion light years away that struck a circuit to raise the curtain at the Science Centre. It was one of first interactive science museums in the World. Since then, the Science Centre has welcomed over 48 000 million visitors. Now that’s quite an accomplishment! The Ontario Science Centre is built on a beautiful ravine and contains 6 levels, so the higher the level number, the further you actually go down.
The Ontario Science Centre showcases an array of science experiences, memorable exhibitions, engaging programs, 30 to 45 minutes demonstrations, and breathtaking films.
The Ontario Science Centre Makes Science Learning Fun!
On Level 1
You can take part in viewing movies in Ontario’s only IMAX® Dome theatre.
Demonstrations: The Science of Flight: Live, free-flight demonstrations on eagles, hawks, falcons, or owls.
On Level 2
Special Exhibition in the Procter and Gamble Hall: Until April 10th, 2016, Circus The Exhibition! Your children will explore the secrets and science of juggling, the human cannonball, sword swallowers, daily demonstrations at the High Wire and Elastic Acrobatics, and more. They can also try to balance their act on the High Wire!
Demonstrations: Cool Science: Chill out with Liquid Nitrogen: You will discover the science of ultra-cold, and how gases become fluids at extreme temperatures. My daughter and I took part in this 30 minutes vivid demonstration and enjoyed the knowledgeable and enthusiastic instructor, and finding out more on the properties of liquid Nitrogen. Good thing the instructor’s helper did not put her hand in the liquid nitrogen container and a mum was used instead!!
On Level 3
Outdoor Terrace: View outdoor art and science installations.
On level 4
KidSpark is the extremely popular hall designed for children under the age of eight to learn, explore and create through play, building, water, and a variety of activities.
In Space, you can check out a real Moon rock, a meteorite from Mars, and explore the Universe in Toronto’s only public planetarium.
On Level 5
A Question of Truth explores how beliefs and biases can influence scientific research.
On Level 6
At the Weston Family Innovation Centre, your child will experiment with sound panels, play with ferrofluid piano, test the material orchestra, and see his/her face in bubbles.
Living Earth delivers natural wonder, including a simulated tornado and a full rainforest environment.
The Science Arcade is a fan favorite with a complete hands-on science experience that includes the famous electricity demo.
Special Exhibition Hall
Special Exhibition Hall: Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age until April 24th, 2016. Visitors will investigate mammoth and mastodon family life, habitats, and the other species that called these places home during the Ice Age. You will find more than 100 rare fossils and specimens from collections around the world including the model of Lyuba, the baby mammoth recently discovered in the Siberian tundra, sharp-tipped spear points and hunting instruments made by Ice Age hunters, fossil casts, and full size, fleshed-out animals that create immersive scenes from the past.
This was my favourite exhibit at the Ontario Science Centre! I loved seeing the displays, including fossils and life-sized replicas of Lyuba, a bear, and the sabre-toothed cat. The interactive display that challenges visitors to reach and clasp with robotic trunks in order to experience what life would a trunk be like was lots of fun too!
Are mammoths the ancestors of elephants?
Demonstrations:
What’s the Matter?: Take part in an explosive exploration of solids, liquids and gases.
Electricity Demo: You can get charged out of the Van de Graaff generator and find out more on electricity.
Papermaking Demo: You can transform plants and cloth into paper.
Science HotSpot: Live presentation on how to plug into current science stories.
Upcoming Special Exhibition
Ripley’s Believe or Not: Explore the real science behind the unbelievable from late May to Early September, 2016.
Restaurants
If you get hungry or thirsty, the Science Centre offers many food services consisting of a bistro, cafés, and a restaurant on different levels of the Science Centre.
Regular Hours
Monday to Friday
10 am – 4 pm
Weekends and Holidays
10 am – 5 pm
Fees
Ontario Science Centre and Shoppers Drug Mart® OMNIMAX® Theatre
Parking is $10.00 per vehicle (50% off for Members, Free for Gold Members).
As you can see, the Ontario Science Centre offers plenty of learning, interactive and hands-on exhibits and demonstrations for the whole family to enjoy. You can spend an entire day without even noticing how fast time is actually going by. Make sure you stop by when visiting Toronto!
In my last article, I shared with you a very personal story regarding my son’s health. He was diagnosed with PANDAS, which is a temporary problem caused by inflammation in the basal ganglia of the brain. This inflammation is triggered by an infection, such as Group A beta-hemolytic Strep. The immune system reacts to the Strep infection, and creates antibodies that cross-react with protein components (“antigens”) in the basal ganglia of the brain. This sudden and acute-onset of brain inflammation causes a distinct subset of symptoms that rapidly afflict the child.
If I had listened to certain professionals, my son would have been misdiagnosed either with ADHD, Autism or even Tourette. This is why I had encouraged you to do your own research regarding your child’s symptoms and behaviour. It might not be what it seems.
Boy walking ~ Photo credit: Julie Cloutier
I had also mentioned how living through this experience has inspired me to further immerse myself into holistic health by continuing my studies specializing in digestion and immunity health, so that I can educate and help other families who have children dealing with digestive and behavioural challenges.
I knew there was an explanation for my son’s health challenges and I continued my mission to discover the root cause by using a functional approach. This means, I had to “back it up” and peel back the many layers to figure out why my son’s system became the perfect host for PANDAS.
I had to go way back in time and take inventory of all of his symptoms and triggering events since the day he was born. The earliest sign of discomfort I could remember was acid reflux when he was just a few weeks old. He would be in such pain after eating and could not sleep more than 45 minutes at a time.
He was given a high dose of Prevacid® until the age of 18 months, which did not really help his situation. Taking this anti-acid actually created more problems. If I would have known then what I know today, I would have taken an alternative route. Let me explain.
If you don’t digest your food, your immune system may attack it.
When we are healthy, we produce a strong acid in our stomachs; so strong that it resembles battery acid. This helps us to break apart our foods so we can access the nutrients found in them. When we have low acid in our stomach, we can’t break our foods down, which can lead to symptoms of indigestion, deficiencies of nutrients, and bacterial infections. Or, worse yet, your immune system attacks the food that hasn’t been broken down leading to food allergies; which is what happened to my child.
Digestive issues are so common; it’s likely that at least 25% of the people reading this article are suffering from GERD or dyspepsia or know someone who is. Without knowing, many who are taking medications for these issues may have caused food sensitivities and food allergies.
When someone visits the doctor complaining of GERD or dyspepsia, they are most likely prescribed an acid blocking medication called a Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI), Dexilant®, Prevacid® or Prilosec®.
What I understand now is that my son’s stomach was producing acid for a reason and needed to continue producing it and not have it suppressed by medication. This high acid content allowed him to break apart bonds in the food he ate. This is one of the most important steps in the process called digestion. When we break apart our food properly in the stomach, the small intestines can then absorb the unlocked nutrients; bacteria and yeasts won’t overgrow and cause dysbioisis, and the immune system won’t have any large food particles to attack.
PANDAS : My Son’s Healing Journey
Science is showing that acid-blocking medications are increasing our risk for food allergies.
Numerous studies and FDA warnings are beginning to highlight that certain nutrient deficiencies like vitamin B12, iron, vitamin C, calcium, and magnesium often occur when people take acid blocking medications for long periods of time; which was the case with my son. But few people are talking about another side-effect of not breaking your food down: food reactions.
Food Allergies and Low Stomach Acid
It is estimated that over 70% of the body’s immune cells are found in the intestinal tract. These cells are designed to inspect the contents of the intestines for possible foreign invaders like harmful bacteria or viruses. If there is anything that looks like harmful bacteria, fungi, viruses, or parasites, the immune cells will launch an “attack” against the foreign invader and call for reinforcements.
When proteins from our foods are properly digested, they are literally broken down into tiny fragments. If there is not adequate acid in the stomach, proteins are not broken down well. This leaves the protein fragments in a size and shape that can be mistaken for an invader and cause an immune reaction.
Babies and Children are More at Risk for Food Allergies
Is this the same for kids? Yes. A study in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology in 2013 examined what happened to children varying in age from 0-18 when they were on acid blocking medication for one year. When researchers compared 4724 children that were not on medications with another 4724 set of age-matched children that were on gastric blocking medications, they found a 367% increase in allergies in the medicated group.
If your baby has colic, the best option to reduce or eliminate symptoms is to have the breastfeeding mother do an elimination diet; which I should have done. If you are breastfeeding, there are many things you can do to get to the root of your infant’s digestive issues. Removing the offending foods from your diet as well as adding in gut-healing nutrients can do wonders.
So by “backing it up”, I was able to pinpoint what went wrong. When he was first diagnosed with acid reflux, a simple teaspoon of apple cider vinegar diluted in some water with a good probiotic would have done the trick, as well as an elimination diet for mama.
This personal story I have shared with you has been a great teaching source for me and I hope it will provide you with a new perspective on how to deal with your child’s health issues as well as your own.
Never feel as though there is any time in the day for yourself? Now that spring has arrived, maybe it is time to celebrate the start of a new season with taking time for the person who may not be taken care of during the day: You! Take a look at some of these fun “Me Time” ideas to feel better and care for yourself!
Fun “Me Time” Ideas
Leaf through a good book
Who ever said reading was boring? Books can be such a great escape from the world around you. They can take you just about anywhere without having to pack a bag. If I had my way, I would be curled up on my couch with my nose stuck in a book for hours on end as I follow the adventures an author has shared within their work. It is an extra special treat when I get to crack the spine of a new book. There is something about it that is so much fun! I look forward to have time to myself to sneak away from the reality of parenthood while my other half is watching the kids to get a few chapters of a book read.
Take up a new hobby
Learning is an action that happens for life. Picking a new hobby can be such a fun learning experience. There are so many good things that can come from staring a hobby. You will be learning a new or improving on a skill set you have. It could also allow you to be with others who share your new interest and make new friends and connections. This new interest could also give lead to earning extra money in your spare time or lead to a new profession or career.
Clear your head
Every once in a while, my head feels as though it will burst with all of the thoughts and reminders that I have swimming around up there! There are times that I need to relieve my head of everything it is filled with, so I turn to some of my favourite activities to help me do this. If it is late at night, I take the time to jot my thoughts down in a journal so I can sort out my feeling towards certain situations out on paper so they make more sense. If it is during the day, I like to do a workout, like a strenuous HITT workout or a relaxing yoga routine, in order to relieve stress. Doing these activities always makes me happier and I feel more productive afterwards.
Care for yourself!
There are so many different ways to care for yourself. Some ways are more discreet than others. There are many women in Canada that take care of themselves, not for appearance’s sake, but for the conditions they face on a daily basis. One of these issues is Urinary Incontinence (UI). Four in ten Canadian women age 55+ that are living with UI and many of them do so without many people knowing. A second cousin of mine is a proud boomer who is always on the move. If she is not out for a run with her dog, she is out socializing with friends and living her life.
My cousin shared her “secret life” with UI with the family a few years ago, but you would never know it with how freely she lives her life. While out on a shopping trip with her, I found out one of the things she uses to feel more confident while dealing with UI. She uses Always Discreet Very Light Regular Liners. It has a thin and flexible design that gives discreet overactive bladder protection. Its unique DualLock Core™ helps to keep incontinent order and wetness at bay. The re-sealable wrapper allows for quick and sanitary urinary incontinence disposal. She loves using these liners and she says she feels more confident using them during her busy days. If I did not accompany my cousin on this trip, I would have never known she used them!
Hopefully, these fun “Me Time” ideas have inspired you to make time for yourself and to feel better about yourself. Doing things to care for yourself aids in building self-confidence and helps you to recharge yourself. There is always a time during the day to make time to care for yourself. You just have to make a point to carve out this time and make it happen!
Find out more about Always Discreet and receive a coupon to receive a free sample of Always Discreet products by clicking here! You can also connect with Always Discreet on their website, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages!
What sort of activities would you do for “Me Time?”
I created this blog post as a paid ambassador for Always Discreet. All opinions and advice are my own and I only work with companies I genuinely love/have used prior to being contacted.
Did you know that April is oral health month in Ontario? It is great that there is a month dedicated to bringing awareness to the health of our mouths, gums and teeth, this action is really important to do all year-round! My family tries to stay on top of our twice daily brushing and flossing routine as well as using mouthwash, but it takes more than following this regime to maintain your oral health. Were you aware that oral health can affect a person’s physical, mental and social well-being? For example, pain and infections can have an impact on how a person speaks, eats, and interacts with others or how they work? Here are some ways I am going to start being more mindful about fitting in oral health into my family’s routine.
Oral Health Tips
Girl looking at herself in the mirror.
Taking a closer look
Do you ever watch yourself in the mirror as you brush and floss your teeth? I know I do all the time! Once I finish admiring my brushing job, I am going to start taking a few moments to peer a bit longer to have a better look at my mouth. Why? Well, by familiarizing yourself with what looks normal in your mouth, you may be able to spot things that look different or abnormal. These signs could mean you have signs of gum disease or oral cancer. Most dental diseases, including tooth decay, are easier to treat and cost less time, pain and money to you if they are detected early by your dentist.
No more stress
I did not know that stress affects oral health! It is a contributing factor to issues such as bruxism (teeth grinding), temporomandibular disorder (problems with the jaw joints and muscles that allow chewing), periodontal (gum) disease, Xerostomia.
Stress can also make people forget about their oral health routines or poor lifestyle choices (smoking, consuming too much alcohol and eating more sugary foods) can lead to serious issues such as oral cancer, gum disease or tooth decay. Stress cannot be eradicated from your life, but I will start taking some steps to try cutting some of the stress out of my life. I will try to do things such as staying more active, eating a more balanced diet with plenty of fruit and veggies and getting plenty of sleep to help cope with stress.
Bowl with fruits and veggies.
Watching our snacking habits
My family loves snacking! We all have a sweet tooth and enjoy treats during our Movie Nights. During the other nights of the week when we want to have a snack, we take some steps to look out for oral health. We try to eat enough whole grain bread and cereals, fruits and veggies and lean meats to maintain our strong teeth. We also have started to cut down on the acidic juices and drinks my family consumes such as soft drinks, orange juice and lemonade.
When it comes to brushing after sipping in drink high in acidity, we tend to wait about an hour before we do so. If you do brush your teeth right away, you will be helping to remove the surface of your teeth. By waiting, the saliva in your mouth will help to fight the acid that lingers so it is safer to brush and floss.
Fitting Oral Health into Our Family’s Daily Routine
There are so many things your family can do to maintain your oral health. When issues do arise, or once a year, make sure to make an appointment with your dentist! Regular dental visits are the best way to detect any known or unknown oral health problems so they can be handled without more damage to your mouth. Dentists can also help to prevent problems before they start by giving advice and instruction. Don’t have a dentist? No problem! Click here to find an Ontario dentist near you and make an appointment today!
Although this post has been generously sponsored by The Ontario Dental Association, the opinions and language are my own.
Just in time for the release of the new movie, Alice Through the Looking Glass, these “Top Hatter” cookies will be a big hit with your family. The cookie has chocolate chips at the bottom, a brownie, and then topped with marshmallow and dipped in chocolate. Yummy!
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Make brownies as per box directions.
-Line a mini cupcake tin with paper liners.
-Mash a small section of the chocolate chip cookie dough into the bottom of the lined cupcake tins.
-Using a large spoon, spoon the prepared brownie mix into the lined cupcake tin almost to the top of the cupcake liner.
-Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
-Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
-Set aside.
OOEY GOOEEYYY Frosting Recipe:
3 large eggs—whites only
1/4 C water
1 3/4 C sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Frosting Directions:
-In a heat proof bowl combine all of the above ingredients…egg whites, water, sugar, and cream of tartar.
-Use a hand mixer, beat the ingredients until foamy (1-2 minutes).
-Sit the bowl in a smaller pot without the bowl actually touching the simmering water.
-Continue to mix the frosting for 12 minutes.
-Beat until stiff peaks form.
-If you are using a candy thermometer the frosting should read 160 degrees.
-Remove bowl from the simmering water and continue to mix for an additional 2 minutes.
-The frosting should now appear to be thick and creamy, similar to a jar of Fluff.
-Divide the frosting in the bowl into 2 separate bowls.
-Add 1 bowl of frosting into a pastry bag with a #12 frosting tip.
-Using the pastry bag and tip frost your Top Hat Bites.
-Put the Top Hat Bites in the freezer for a minimum of 15 minutes.
Chocolate Top Recipe:
8 oz semi sweet chocolate pieces
2 TBSP vegetable oil
Chocolate Top Directions:
-Put the chocolate pieces into a bowl with the vegetable oil.
-Melt the chocolate in a microwave for 20 seconds.
-If not melted, continue to heat in the microwave for an additional 20 seconds.
-Continue for additional 20 seconds until the chocolate is thoroughly melted.
-Once the chocolate is melted, dip the top hats into the melted chocolate until covered.
Spring appears to have finally sprung in Ottawa and for many area homeowners it’s a welcome opportunity to get outside and enjoy the warm weather. The same is also true for many species of urban wildlife that live in our communities. Do you know how to protect your home against wildlife this spring?
Ottawa is home to large populations of raccoons, squirrels, skunks birds, bats and mice. For many species of urban wildlife, spring is the mating and birthing season and that very often puts them into conflict with humans.
All of these city dwelling animals make a habit of nesting and denning inside attics, chimneys and porches. These structures offer ideal safety and security for mothers looking to raise their young. Along with their babies, wild animals also bring noises, odours and potentially thousands of dollars of building damage.
Fortunately, there are a number of simple things you can do to help prevent your home from hosting a wildlife nursery this spring.
Clean the gutters. Clogged gutters are notorious for causing water damage and accelerating roof rot. Removing leaves and debris will help extend the life of your roof and prevent weaknesses that wildlife can use to access your attic.
Trim trees and branches. Trees, branches and vines provide a path on to your roof for squirrels, raccoons and mice. Vegetation can also cause damage to roofing materials, keep your roof wet and make problems harder to see.
Remove food sources. Unsecured garbage, pet food and bird seed attract wildlife to your property. Inviting wildlife with food increases the risk of them denning or nesting inside your home. Your birdfeeder will attract mice and rats along with cardinals and blue jays.
Where to look out for wildlife
Here are some other items to keep an eye out for around your property:
Harsh Ottawa winters can wreak havoc on roofs and much of the damage is usually covered by snow and ice until spring. It’s important to get up there and make sure your roof isn’t vulnerable to water or animal entry.
Decks, sheds, porches.These ground level structures are common den sites for skunks and raccoons that can dig their way underneath. Look out for burrows and digging that might indicate a family of skunks in living on your property, your dog will thank you!
Open chimneys are a favourite entry point for raccoons, squirrels and birds. If yours isn’t protected by screening you could run into problems this spring.
Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control
Despite these measures, it’s still possible for clever urban wildlife to find their way into places they shouldn’t. If you hear banging, scratching and scurrying in your attic this spring it’s nice to know there are professionals out there who can help.
Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control has been removing and excluding nuisance wildlife from Ottawa homes since 1989. Our proven process provides lasting results that you can trust and our knowledgeable staff will answer any questions you may have.
I find that cheese bread can be best served as an appetizer or, my favourite, with a pasta meal. It’s also really filling when my family is hungry for an afternoon snack. Usually, we eat it while watching a sport’s game on the big screen in the family room. You will find below a round up of 15 amazing cheese bread recipes that you should consider baking. Yum!
Vaginal dryness. Never heard of it before? It sounds like a rare condition women suffer from that is difficult to deal with and to relieve. Let me tell you that is more common than you realize. There are many options that alleviate vaginal dryness and make it easier to manage. Hold on to your hats as I walk you through the ABCs of vaginal dryness and solutions to relieve it.
The ABCs of Vaginal Dryness
A) Ask about the facts: What is vaginal dryness?
When a woman is sexually aroused, there is an increase of blood flowing to her reproductive organs, resulting in stimulating the production of lubricating vaginal fluid. Hormonal changes in a woman’s body, like those that occur during menopause, pregnancy, after childbirth or breast-feeding can disrupt this process. This results in vaginal dryness.
Though vaginal dryness can occur at any age, it is a common issue for women during and after menopause. This normal and natural transition in a woman’s life usually happens between ages 45 – 55. One of the effects of menopause is a decline in estrogen that can cause thinning and inflammation of the vaginal walls. Many women can find dealing with the physical and emotional changes that occur with menopause difficult and even frustrating or isolating.
B) Be aware that there are solutions
Even though adjusting to menopause can be hard, know that you are not alone! There are more options available for women to help ease vaginal dryness so they can enjoy intimate moments instead of cringe at them.
If vaginal dryness is affecting your lifestyle or is putting up a wall in your sexual relationship with your partner, think about trying K-Y® Brand personal lubricant or vaginal moisturizer. Not only does it help to build emotional closeness with your partner, it’s safe to use and is the #1 brand trusted by couples and professionals. K-Y can also effectively provide relief from vaginal dryness which is the source of discomfort or pain during sex.
The K-Y® Brand products like K-Y Jelly, K-Y Liquid, K-Y Sensual Silk and K-Y Warming Jelly provide discreet, long lasting relief and lubrication when needed.
No matter what causes you to experience vaginal dryness, you should try K-Y’s versatile range of intimacy products to relieve vaginal dryness and to increase intimacy with your partner. Click here to see how you can try these products for yourself!
Now that the ABCs of vaginal dryness have been explained, this condition is not as rare or as difficult to manage. Sex with your partner can also be a more pleasurable experience living with this issue. Whether you suffer from vaginal dryness or are just learning about it for the first time here, hopefully, this information will help you or a loved one to deal with vaginal dryness and feel more comfortable.
Although this post has been generously sponsored by K-Y Canada, the opinions and language are my own, and in no way do they reflect opinions of the K-Y Canada brand or the Reckitt Benckiser Corporation.
When buying life insurance, you want to find the right amount of insurance coverage at a reasonable price with a company you can trust. But for many people, getting started is the hardest part. That’s where the following Life Insurance Checklist can help you.
What you would like your policy to achieve?
Ask yourself what it is you want your life insurance to do. For example, do you want to have insurance coverage that will:
Pay funeral arrangements?
Pay the outstanding balance owing on a mortgage and other debts?
Offset the loss of your income? And if so, for how long?
Contribute to the future education of your children?
A combination of all or part of the above?
Knowing what you would like to accomplish with your life insurance policy and approximately how much you need to achieve these goals will help you determine how much life insurance you should consider purchasing. An online life insurance calculator is available to help you put a dollar value on the amount of coverage you need.
Who would you like to insure under the life insurance policy?
Most insurance companies offer a variety of life insurance products to suit your lifestyle and family needs. You can get an insurance policy on your own life, or you can get one policy for both you and your spouse (called a joint life insurance policy). The most common joint life policy provides coverage when the first partner dies, leaving the life insurance benefit to the surviving spouse.
How long will you need life insurance?
Consulting a psychic isn’t necessary, although it does require that you estimate the timing of your life insurance needs. For example:
When will your mortgage be paid off? The amortization period of your mortgage will often determine how long your term life insurance policy should be.
When will your children be finished school? One day they’ll finish their education and having enough life insurance coverage to pay their educational expenses won’t be necessary.
When are you planning to retire? You will have less income to replace at that time.
Knowing how long you’ll need life insurance coverage before you begin shopping will ensure you’re comfortable with the life insurance product you end up purchasing. Online tools are available to help you figure out which term for your life insurance policy is most recommended for people with similar lifestyles.
Buying Life Insurance: Shopping Checklist
So now that you’ve got the how much, who and how long questions answered, you’re ready to buy life insurance.
1. Compare life insurance quotes from multiple companies
It pays to shop around because life insurance rates can vary considerably depending on the product you choose, your age, and the amount of coverage you request. This is the easy part, because with the Internet you can compare life insurance quotes easily, online, anytime.
2. Which life insurance rate has been quoted – standard or preferred?
There are two basic life insurance rate groups you should know about when shopping for life insurance coverage: standard rates and preferred. Standard life insurance rates are the rates the majority of Canadians qualify for, while about one third of the population is eligible for preferred rates.
Preferred life insurance rates are typically offered to very healthy people and means you may pay a smaller premium than most. Usually preferred rates are offered only once the results of the medical information and tests are known. It will depend on your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, height, weight, and family health history. But preferred rates are worth it. They could save you up to 30-35% off your quoted premium.
When comparing prices, make sure you’re comparing ‘standard to standard’ or ‘preferred to preferred’ life insurance rates. If you’re not sure, ask the broker. It would be disappointing to find out you were quoted preferred rates at the beginning, only to find out you don’t qualify for them later.
3. Review the life insurance broker’s availability
How easily can you get a hold of the broker? What are their hours of operation? Whether it is through their website or telephone, the life insurance broker should be easily accessible to you should you ever have questions or need to speak to them about a change in your life insurance needs. Look for toll-free numbers and extended hours of service as guides.
4. Review the medical information required to obtain the policy
Typically the more medical information you provide, the better the price. For a policy that asks few or no medical questions, you can bet the premium is higher for the same coverage than a plan asking for more information. Depending on the company, your age, and the amount of coverage you want, you could be asked to provide blood and urine samples. To obtain the samples, a nurse will visit at not cost to you.
5. Consider a life insurer’s financial stability and strength
A company’s financial stability is something to consider if you are planning on making a long-term purchase like life insurance. There are organizations out there, like A.M. Best, that evaluate insurers and provide a rating on their stability and strength.
6. Ask about renewal options and requirements
Once the initial premium is set, it is usually guaranteed for the length of the policy (often 10 or 20 years). But what happens when the policy expires? Most policies are renewable until you are 70 or 75 so don’t forget to ask your broker if you will have to take a medical to renew your policy. While your premiums will be higher on renewal, find out if they will also be guaranteed to remain level for the second term of the policy.
7. Confirm the life insurance policy can be cancelled without penalty
Most term life insurance policies can be cancelled at any time without penalty. Make sure to check with your broker to see if the life insurance company has any unusual cancellation policies.
8. Consider the conversion options and restrictions for the policy
As your life changes so do your life insurance needs and you may want the option to convert your coverage some day.
To convert a term life insurance policy means to transfer all, or part of, the death benefit of the policy into a permanent life policy without a medical. For example, say you originally bought a term policy to protect a mortgage and child. Once the mortgage is paid and the child grown, you might find it desirable to convert the policy into one that will give you a new level premium for the rest of your life, and a death benefit that is guaranteed not to expire as you age.
When you purchase your life insurance policy, find out if there are any limitations on your age at the time of conversion. In most cases, you have the option of converting up until you are 60 or 65. As well, ensure you are given several options of the type of policies you can move into, the more the better.
While it doesn’t necessarily impact the type of policy you choose to purchase, a rapport with your broker is critical in feeling comfortable with the life insurance policy you buy and the information you’ve received.
One of the greatest activities to inspire active kids and get the family outside is hiking. Enjoying the outdoors and going for a long walk in a majestic forest setting with birds chirping, squirrels running, water lapping at the creeks edge and happy children scampering and enjoying it all is a perfect picture. . . Then the reality check! Check out these 10 Tips for Hiking with Kids to Curb the Complaining!
The above sounds like we just walked into a Disney movie – if only hiking with kids were that magical! Truth is, sometimes our imagination plays tricks on us and we think a scenario will play out much differently than it actually does. In reality the forest is hot and sweaty or cold and windy, the hike is long and boring to the kids and their complaining is taking all the fun out if for you.
So why bother going for a hike at all? Because getting out as a family is great exercise, good bonding time and sets kids up for a lifetime of being active. The trick is, to make it as enjoyable as possible for everyone. I have years of experience and dozens of hikes with kids of all ages under my belt – not all of them Disney worthy, but we are getting there!
These tips will help everyone have a great time while hiking!
10 Tips for Hiking with Kids to Curb the Complaining
Bring a Friend – someone to play with along the trail is a great distraction
Take Snacks for animals and the kids. Find stumps that make perfect chairs and declare break time, spread seeds for birds and chipmunks and pack energy snacks for kids. Don’t forget water, everyone will get thirsty.
Game Play – I spy, bird watching, find chipmunks, count rocks, identify flowers, take turns being in front and play follow the leader or simon says.
Location location location – have a goal such as a waterfall, a playground, the top of a giant hill, a creek they can splash in or a picnic spot for lunch.
Treasure Hunt – try geocaching, there are hidden treasures in public places world wide. Kids will love finding hidden treasures out in the forrest.
Don’t get Lost – sure to spark the whining. Take a map or make sure your GPS is on and your battery charged up.
Time It Right – don’t wait until nap time or when the afternoon sun is at its hottest to declare hike time. Go earlier in the day when kids have energy and keep weather conditions in mind, then dress appropriately.
Pack First Aid – you will need Kleenex for runny noses, bandages for scraped knees and some TP for those surprise pee breaks.
Slow and Steady – Gear the outing to the abilities of your youngest and slowest hiker. A carrier works for the very small or even a wagon if the trail is smooth enough, for when they get tired and just can’t take one more step!
End on a Happy Note – don’t wait until the kids are over tired to turn the train around. End before they get grumpy and the next time you go for a family hike you can go a little farther.
Don’t give up – hiking as a family and with kids is as good for them as it is for you. Expect some resistance along the way but use that time to introduce new games or a new fun snack, take breaks often and keep the mood light. Hiking is supposed to be fun for everyone!
Chocolate buttercream frosting is a sweet and smooth finishing touch for a delicious dessert. This Easy Buttercream Chocolate Frosting can be whipped up in no time and will have you spreading it over cakes, cupcakes, and so much more!
Cocoa Powder Chocolate Frosting
Not sure which type of cocoa powder is best to use for this easy buttercream chocolate frosting? Two of the most common types used for baking are Dutch-process and natural cocoa powder. The difference between these two types of cocoa powder is all in how they are processed.
Dutch-process cocoa powder has cocoa beans that are cleaned in alkaline solution of potassium carbonate to balance out the amount of acid they have. Due to this method of processing, baking powder, not baking soda, is used as a rising agent. This is because this process neutralizes the cocoa beans, it does not react to baking soda.
Buttercream Chocolate Frosting for Cupcakes
What can you use this chocolate buttercream frosting for? There are many different delectable desserts this buttercream chocolate frosting can help to complete. Below is a list of various purposes:
Gently warm it up and add it to your favourite flavour of ice cream.
Thin out this buttercream chocolate icing with milk to create a glaze you can use on muffins, brownies, or cookies.
Cake balls can be made with this homemade buttercream chocolate frosting. Mix it with crumbled cake, chill them for an hour, then roll this mixture into balls for a cool and tasty treat.
Spread a generous amount onto a cookie and place another cookie on top of the frosting to create yummy cookie sandwiches.
Add your favourite kind of sprinkles to this buttercream chocolate frosting as a dip for wafer cookies, ice cream cones, waffle sticks, and other crunchy dessert items.
Easy buttercream chocolate frosting
The chocolate frosting texture of this recipe is so smooth and creamy. It’s ideal for icing on any cakes or cupcakes.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup cocoa powder
3 cup powder sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
How to make buttercream chocolate frosting
With a mixer, beat the softened butter on its own until smooth. Add cocoa and powder sugar alternately with heavy cream into the creamed butter and mix until it becomes a smooth and thick texture. If the frosting is too thick, add more heavy cream, if too thin, add more powder sugar.
Easy Buttercream Chocolate Frosting
Lyne Proulx
This Easy Buttercream Chocolate Frosting can be whipped up in no time and will have you spreading it over cakes, cupcakes, and so much more!
I will admit it – prior to LegArt leggings I had never worn leggings. Why don’t I? I didn’t know how to wear leggings, which to those of you who know how to wear just about anything and make it look good this might sound funny, but I dress for comfort and never really understood fashion. What can I say, I am the type of person who buys from stores based on what the mannequin is wearing and if there is no mannequin I yell for help!
LegArt Leggings
I envied women who were able to wear leggings so well – with long tunic tops, comfy boots or stylish heels – they always looked so put together? How was that possible – they are leggings? It wasn’t until I slipped on a pair of LegArt leggings that I finally understood the appeal. And so did my seven-year-old daughter who received a pair of her very own LegArt children’s leggings.
The LegArt Leggings Review
My daughter and I received matching Mommy and Me leggings in the Fish Hunter – Blue Camouflage pattern from LegArt. These leggings have quickly become my daughter’s favourite pair of pants. She wears them with just about anything and always pairs them with a smile of confidence (what more does a girl need?)! I love the fun print of these leggings and although I don’t normally wear bold prints, I find myself excited to wear the Fish Hunter – Blue Camouflage leggings with a plain black, blue or grey tunic top and long sweater.
I also received a pair of the Sound style leggings and I love them because they are perfect to pair with comfy wool socks and big boots in the winter or with ballet flats in spring. Their versatile pattern can be dressed up with a fancy scarf or tunic dress or easily dressed down with flip-flops and a denim jacket. I have received many compliments on the Sound leggings!
I never realized the versatility of leggings until I tried LegArt and have since purchased a pair of capri leggings for summer, which I look forward to wearing! LegArt apparel also sells tunic tops in many colours as well as maxi skirts – basically everything you need for a comfortable and fun spring and summer wardrobe.
What you need to know about LegArt apparel:
LegArt leggings come in a variety of sizes for regular (fits sizes 2 to 10) and plus sized women.
Their super soft fabric is a 92% Polyester / 8% Spandex blend
LegArt leggings should be hand or machine-washed on cold, gentle cycle and hung to dry (I threw mine in the washing machine and hung them to dry – they dry so quickly and after two washes still look new!)
Most patterns are also available in Children’s and Plus
LegArt leggings are available in bright bold patterns and solid colours
Fleece leggings are available
You can order LegArt leggings online and it’s free shipping to anywhere in Canada!
Leggings from LegArt apparel are comfortable, soft to the touch and fit snug (but not too snug) wash after wash.
LegArt is a Canadian legging company!
LegArt leggings canada online store
Since getting my first two pair of leggings from LegArt I am a convert. I notice leggings everywhere now and take note of how they are wearing them (I didn’t know a long tee shirt was called a tunic top until about a couple of weeks ago and now own half a dozen of them). There is no other comfortable and versatile clothing option I know of! I encourage you to try a pair of LegArt leggings on for yourself – I guarantee it won’t be your last pair!
For more information on LegArt apparel visit them online at legart.ca, on Twitter, or on Facebook.
Disclaimer: I received leggings from the LegArt Apparel for the purposes of this review. The opinions expressed are my own.
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