The date of Chinese new year is different from year to year and is based on the lunar calendar. It’s always somewhere between January 21^st and February 20^th.  This year, Chinese New Year falls on Monday February 8th! This spring festival, as the direct translation calls it, is an affair to celebrate the New Year and invite prosperity, longevity, health and wealth into our lives! This fifteen day celebration is the longest in the Chinese calendar, and involves lots of traditions. Here are some ways you can celebrate this Chinese New Year! Continue reading →

It seems simple enough to shop for a newborn baby. Sending that perfect welcome to the world gift with an abundance of adorable plush toys and cute infant outfits. However, there is so much more into baby gifts that only individuals who are parents will  understand. Continue reading →

The holidays are drawing ever closer, and with the holidays comes joy, cheer, delicious foods, and crazy malls! There are some ways to be strategic about it, however, and in order to avoid all the insane stress of navigating the maze of your local shopping centre, there is some advice you should heed when thinking about holiday gifts. Firstly, a list may seem obvious, but do not skip it under any circumstances. These lists can get quite lengthy and ending up with multiples for one recipient and none for another is a very bad result that can come from shopping on the fly. Keep your list organised and hand-write it if possible, as writing in your own hand, no matter how messy, is categorized as more important by your brain. Planning ahead is also an obvious one, but shop around online to avoid being extra distracted once you arrive at a particular store.  Continue reading →

Recently, a good friend’s loved one passed away and I was stuck. What do I do? How do I support her, without being smothering and ensuring I’m as helpful as possible? So many worries swim through your head in this sort of situation. Even though I wasn’t experiencing the loss, I needed a little support myself to figure out how to proceed. I found some great advice from friends and family, so I’ve decided to share it. Continue reading →

November thirteenth is World Kindness Day.  It’s a day designated to being empathetic and it’s been around since 1998! Isn’t it great that there is a day set aside to remind us all to be kind to each other? To be nice to others sometimes isn’t our first reflex, especially in traffic or other stressful situations, but with a little positivity it can start to come naturally. You’d be surprised how far a small gesture can go. Understandably, schedules can get quite packed, but don’t forget to schedule in a time slot to do something nice for your loved ones and those who are kind to you. The worst thing you can do is take someone else’s kindness for granted! It’s important as humans to reinforce kind actions as much as possible and if we don’t set aside time for it, it often ends up as a low priority or even forgotten entirely. But to thank or praise someone for something they have done or simply just to make someone feel good, a random act of kindness can be just what the doctor ordered. Continue reading →

Thanksgiving can move from a relaxed gathering to a hectic stress-fest very quickly if you get too wrapped up in the little things. Trying to take on the mountain of tasks all by yourself is daunting to say the least. To help make your entertaining easier next year, I’ve compiled a few tips so that you can spend more time with family and friends.  Continue reading →

Transitioning from the relaxing summer into the busy days of Autumn can get super hectic. Everyone is focused on returning to their regular schedules and preparing for back to school. Therefore, many do not realize that an equinox is approaching. In fact, most of us have no clue what an equinox is.  Continue reading →

If you’re a teenager, or even young adult, you might enjoy a short novel I just read. Here is my book review of Famous Last Words. Continue reading →

Have you ever been to the Muskoka region? If you haven’t, you should. It’s beautiful. The Muskoka region covers 3 towns: Bracebridge, Gravenhurst and Huntsville. It also covers 3 townships: Lake of Bays, Muskoka Lake and Georgian Bay. This region is only a 2 hour drive North of Toronto and is a popular vacation destination especially during the summer. It is the natural beauty, numerous lakes, rocky shores and large forested areas that make Muskoka such a beautiful setting. Continue reading →

One of my favorite things to do while I’m camping is sitting around the campfire at night. I love to feel the heat of the fire against my legs and the cool breeze at my back. I find gazing into the campfire mesmerizing with all its flicking lights. One thing I can’t stand is the smoke as it makes its way to each person choking them out with its nasty smell. But I can put up with the smoke because there are so many things you can do around the fire. If you are hungry or even if you’re not, you can roast marshmallows, hot dogs or make s’mores. I like to make spider dogs. To make a spider dog, all you need is a sharp knife. Place the hot dog on a cutting board. Cut an “X” into each end of the hot dog leaving at least an inch in the middle for the body. Insert a stick into the middle and roast over some nice, hot coals. The ends will curl making your hot dog look like a spider.  You can also cut one end into eight strips leaving at least a thumb width to insert your stick. Either way you choose will be delicious. Continue reading →