Back-to-school has become very commercialized over the years, so it’s easy to forget the things that really matter when it comes to preparing our kids for a new school year – like an eye exam! It is recommended that all children get an eye exam from a Doctor of Optometry before starting school for the […] Read more…
Last night on CHEX Daily I chatted with hosts Teresa Kaszuba and Mike Judson about three non-academic areas you can focus on to make sure your child is really ready to head back to school (or head to school for the very first time): prioritizing sleep, building independence and easing jitters – theirs and maybe […] Read more…
I have a jam-packed edition of Kate’s Favourite Things for you this month, because when I’m on holidays I have the time to soak a lot up – especially books! To save time and space, I’ll spare you a personal review of each book (I’m linking to Chapters so you can find them), but rest […] Read more…
Last night I was excited to attend the premiere of Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (the fifth MI installment) at the Scotiabank Cineplex Theatre in Toronto. Even better: Tom Cruise and director Chris McQuarrie were there, and did Q & A after the movie! (Yes, I know there are Cruise naysayers out there, but Scientology isn’t […] Read more…
Scott McGillivray, real estate and renovation expert and the host of the top-rated HGTV show, Income Property, has launched his first digital series, “Good to Grow,” on YouTube. “Good to Grow”is a 16 episode series that follows McGillivray as he and his family prepare, plant, and harvest their fourth-annual organic vegetable garden. McGillivray and his wife Sabrina share their passion […] Read more…
Hello, lovely reader! Yes, I’m talking to you! I’m working on an exciting new project (more details to come) and I need some reader input – in fact, as much as possible – from Canadian parents of school-aged children. If you fit the bill and you would be so kind as to answer the questions […] Read more…
Come on, admit it. You’re not interested in my fun family travel stories. You haven’t visited for any of my educational expertise. My celebrity interviews? Meh. I can appear on national television and you don’t bother to click. But: WEIGHT LOSS! Now you’re here. I know one actress who laments the fact that no matter […] Read more…
In my latest post for Oxford Learning, I’m sharing some easy tips for holiday brain boosting – no textbooks or worksheets required! The list includes reading (with a link to popular family read-alouds), writing, math and questioning. Just because I’m a teacher, that doesn’t mean my kids are overworked on holidays. I’m an admitted screen-lover […] Read more…
…and by “measure” up, I mean help reinforce measurement skills this summer. It’s so easy, and the kids won’t even know they’re doing math! In my latest CHEX Daily segment (just days before my first anniversary as a guest on the show) I chat with hosts Teresa Kaszuba and Mike Judson about all of the […] Read more…
When I told the girls they could each choose a dress from Limeapple, they were like kids in a candy store checking out the website. There was a lot of discussion (my older daughter made it quite clear that her sister could not choose the same dress she had chosen) but finally they made their […] Read more…