Kate's Favourite Things - October 2015

Here are my top picks for the month!

BOOKS

The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz

This one continues the series begun by the late Stieg Larsson, and Lagercrantz does a great job staying true to the feel of the original books and characters - though I often wonder how much credit should go to the translator.

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

A work of fiction that had me assessing my parenting practices - and how my every action and word can be interpreted by my daughters. There were several times I felt physical pain reading this book, and the tears flowed.

Let Me Die In His Footsteps by Lori Roy

Once I got the rhythm of the back-and-forth-in-time style (1936 and 1952), this one about secrets in Kentucky family had me hooked.

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

I'm recommending this one for kids. My 2/3 class is loving it as a read-aloud, and children always love DiCamillo's relatable characters (usually with an animal involved, like the four-legged Winn-Dixie). Funny, but with lots of teachable moments about relationships along the way. (I also told the kids that before I had an internet presence, every time I tried to Google myself I just got information about this book!)

MOVIES

No Escape  (Owen Wilson, Lake Bell, Pierce Brosnan)

This was my only trip to the theatre last month, and it was worth it for this action-packed thriller about a family overseas caught in the middle of a political uprising. I have to say though - I'm not a judgy parent (I swear, I'm really not) but if your child needs a booster seat, she is too young for this movie (rated 14A in Canada, R in the US). It is violent and disturbing, with child characters involved. Just no.

Also, random note: Pierce Brosnan is only three years younger than my dad. That's all.

CONTESTS FOR KIDS

Do your kids love to write or cook? A couple of amazing contests have come through my Inbox lately:

Kids Write 4 Kids

• Open to Canadian students in Grades 4-8
• No entry fee
• Winning entries are made into ebooks (printed books available too)
• Revenues from winners' ebook sales get donated to the children's schools

Little Chef Casting Call (from The Marilyn Denis Show and The Little Potato Company)

• Open to Canadian children ages 8-13 (so my 7 year old souschef can't apply!)
• Create a video of your child sharing an original recipe using little potatoes
• Visit Marilyn's website to submit video
• Grand prize is a family adventure in Paris, France!

Have a fantastic October, everyone!

Home/School Communication Tips - My CHEX Daily Segment

Last night on CHEX Daily I chatted with hosts Teresa Kazuba and Mike Judson (who always does a great job keeping the mood light!) about ways to establish strong home/school communication - and why it's so important!




Something I didn't mention: don't forget to keep the school/teacher informed about changes in your child's life (medications, new glasses, custody arrangements) as that information can be important to know as well.

I hope Mike has his homework done for next time!

How Much Should You Help With Homework?

For the "Touchy Subject" in the latest Parents Canada magazine, I answer this question with: "not very much".

See my reasons why (as well as a counterargument) here:
http://www.parentscanada.com/school/touchy-subject-is-it-ever-ok-to-take-over-your-kids-homework

P.S. As a primary teacher, I don't believe in assigning very much homework at all, nor have either of my daughters ever brought home an unreasonable amount throughout the primary grades. We'll see what happens as they get older!

My Appearance on The Social

Yesterday a dream came true.

I was invited to be a guest on CTV's The Social (kicking off Season 3 this past week), to chat about ways parents can help their kids succeed in school.

It was an amazing experience, from start to finish. While I won't give away the inner workings of the show, they are very thoroughly planned, and I was highly impressed by the segment producer (Meghan) and the guest coordinator (Jen) who helped me through the entire process (which started months ago).

The video is below, and you can also find it here: (The Social - How to help your child succeed in school), along with a blog post which captures all of the tips (including the ones we didn't get to).

If you're wondering what the hosts are *really* like, I can tell you that they were all extremely kind and encouraging of me during my visit. Though my segment was just with Mel and Traci, as soon as I got backstage Cynthia and Jess were sweet and complimentary, and Cynthia went out of her way to send out a supportive tweet. (Lainey was away on assignment, in case you're wondering why I'm not mentioning her!)

I thought it would be fun to follow The Social's "What We Wore" idea, and share a little "What I Wore" info with you (since of course a LOT of thought went into it):

Credit for my great hairstyle goes to my sister-in-law Rose. You know someone cares about you when they spend hours practising on your hair - and wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it! Thanks for the awesome look, Rose!

Makeup was done for me at the show by Natalie, the very accommodating makeup artist. I appreciated how she asked me if I had any requests (dark eyeliner - and lots of it) while adding her own creativity to the look. She even took the time to show me how to properly apply my false lashes!

The dress is from Cleo ($30) and the shoes from Stepss ($20) - and yes, I am a bargain hunter!

After the show I had the chance to get a photo with the day's hosts, and then brought in my "fan club" - six friends who generously arranged their end-of-summer schedules so they could be in the audience to see me. The hosts warmly welcomed them too - and they do meet and greets and photos with all audience members after each show.

I was absolutely overwhelmed by the support I received from family, friends (including a gorgeous floral arrangement - Heather!), colleagues and strangers on social media. I truly appreciated every email, text, tweet and gesture of social media love. As I tweeted out last night, "People who say women don't support other women clearly don't know my women." Thanks so much everyone! (Now off to say a little prayer that they'll want me back again!)

Update: I have been asked to return!

For more on The Social:

My Behind-the-Scenes Visit to The Social
My Interview with Cynthia Loyst (1)
My Interview with Melissa Grelo
My Interview with Lainey Lui
My Interview with Traci Melchor
My Interview with Cynthia Loyst (2)

My Interview With Scott McGillivray For Parents Canada

A few weeks ago, I had a great chat with TV host, contractor and real estate investor Scott McGillivray, and it's live now on the Parents Canada website. In the interview, Scott chats about his new YouTube series (Good To Grow), what he thinks is the biggest mistake families make when purchasing or renovating a new home, what inspired him to create a hilarious Father's Day Fail video, (pointing out the sexism that hands-on dads face), and what his wife Sabrina thinks of his "Sexiest Man" titles!

You can find the entire interview with Scott McGillivray here, and a condensed version will be in the November/December print issue of Parents Canada magazine.

Kate's Favourite Things - September 2015

This month's edition of Kate's Favourite Things is significantly shorter than last month - I spent July focusing on rest and relaxation, but I never get too far into August before I'm thinking about school again!

Here are my top picks for the month (please note: I'd love to hear your thoughts if you follow any of my recommendations - I'm always thrilled to know that people are reading them!)

BOOKS

Come Away With Me by Karma Brown

About the book (from the publisher):

An unexpected journey leads one woman to discover that life after loss is possible, if only you can find the courage to let go… 

One minute, Tegan Lawson has everything she could hope for: an adoring husband, Gabe, and a baby on the way. The next, a patch of black ice causes a devastating accident that will change her life in ways she never could have imagined. 

Tegan is consumed by grief—not to mention her anger toward Gabe, who was driving on the night of the crash. But just when she thinks she's hit rock bottom, Gabe reminds her of their Jar of Spontaneity, a collection of their dream destinations and experiences, and so begins an adventure of a lifetime. 

From the bustling markets of Thailand to the flavors of Italy to the ocean waves in Hawaii, Tegan and Gabe embark on a journey to escape the tragedy and search for forgiveness. But they soon learn that grief follows you no matter how far away you run, and that acceptance comes when you least expect it. Heartbreaking, hopeful and utterly transporting, Come Away with Me is an unforgettable debut and a luminous celebration of the strength of the human spirit.

I'm excited to say that this is a debut novel from one of my Twitter friends (follow her @writerkarma) and I loved it! (Book # 2 is coming next summer.)

Ana of California  by Andi Teran

This one is a reimagining of Anne of Green Gables - orphan moves to the farm and lives with a sister and brother - but with many differences, not only because of the geographical setting but to bring it into 2015.

Royal Wedding: A Princess Diaries Novel by Meg Cabot

My mom signed this out of the library for me, and it sat for a while, as I figured it would be a bit too juvenile for my liking...but I really enjoyed it. I have discovered that I am now old enough that a character can be 10 years younger than me, yet still be a grown woman to whom I can relate. Well, as much as one can relate to a princess of a fictional country! It's fun, funny and sexy, with a few surprises.

A Window Opens by Elisabeth Egan

Written by the books editor at Glamour magazine, this one is a fresh twist on the busy-employed-sandwich-generation-mom theme - though I'm still waiting for the book where a dad questions his workaholism and impact on the children.

The story really drew me in, especially since it's a book that talks a lot about books!

MAGAZINES

Speaking of Glamour magazine, here are a couple of quotes I loved from Mindy Kaling's interview in the September issue:

"Working parents have eclipsed Russian operatives as our most popular movie villains."

"People get scared when you try to do something, especially when it looks like you're succeeding. People do not get scared when you're failing. It calms them...But when you're winning, it makes them feel like they're losing or that maybe they should've tried to do something too, but now it's too late. And since they didn't, they want to stop you. You can't let them."


MOVIES

Southpaw - I love Rachel McAdams, and this movie gave me lots of feelings. I will be shocked if Jake Gyllenhaal is not nominated for an Oscar.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. - I knew nothing about the series, but the movie was a nice, witty action flick. I'll definitely go see the sequel...which was set up perfectly at the end of this one.

Ricki and the Flash - My mom and I had a date to see this (we were celebrating the fact that she did not leave our family to pursue a rock star career) and we both enjoyed it and had lots of tears, though I could have done with fewer musical performances. I'm more a move-the-plot-along kind of gal.


SHOPPING

I'd been admiring some of the "front and back" style earrings I'd seen on the ladies of The Social, and was keeping my eye out for some budget-friendly options. I found these ones at Claire's for $8.50, and for only $5 I got a different silver pair as well. I love a good bargain!

GOOD DEEDS

In my younger years, I made 13 blood donations, but since moving to our new home, much farther from a regular clinic, I hadn't gone once! I made an appointment and was in and out in about an hour and a half, and I'm already booked to return after the minimum number of wait days. You know what they say - it's in you to give!

Have a wonderful September, everyone!

Sangita Patel: The ET Canada Momterview

This Mom Loves has moved! 

For updated content (plus all the posts found here) on our fresh new site, visit www.thismomloves.ca

In my latest Momterview I chat with Sangita Patel: Entertainment Reporter with ET Canada, wife (her husband Samir - she calls him Sam - is Chief of Radiology at Guelph General Hospital) and mom (daughters Ava and Shyla are eight and five and a half).

Here Sangita opens up about her engineering background, growing up with immigrant parents, her inspirational fitness routines, and her favourite celebrity interviews!

You have a degree in electrical engineering – which really impressed Tom Cruise! Why did you decide on that area of study?

I went into engineering partly because I loved math and science. They were my favourite courses in high school. I think I was trying to prove to myself that I could be as good as any male out there. It was actually my uncle who said that females could not be engineers, and I think that’s the reason I did it. I didn’t even know what engineering was all about, but I loved math and science and that’s where guys in those courses were going, so I thought why don’t I give it a try? I loved doing a lot of hands-on work with my dad – I loved to fix cars and VCRs, I fixed my Commodore 64, so it’s part of who I was, but I didn’t really know what I wanted to do until my last two years of high school when I decided I want to be an engineer.

How did you then make the shift to television?

I had a passion for television. I was in a pageant when I was 17 – don’t tell anybody! – and they asked me to be a spokesperson for them, and that opened the doors to what television was all about and I loved it! I loved being in front of the camera and had such a blast doing it, so there was a passion for it, but I didn’t think I could make a career out of it. Could I make money? Would I be happy? So I decided to apply for journalism and engineering, and got first year scholarships for both programs, and sat down and chatted with my dad about what to do. He asked, “Where do you think you’re going to make a living?”, and he was right that engineering was the way to go, there were so many struggling journalists out there. But I still had my passion! I volunteered at Rogers, I did film festivals, I worked for a show called Toronto Living, I did another show as well for ATM, which is an Asian Television Network, and I had the opportunity to host and do my own questions. I still did that while I worked as an engineer, and I continued to work as an engineer for five years until I got my P.Eng, which is my Professional Engineering designation, and things started growing from there. When I started working at Rogers and doing Toronto Living, they just opened so many doors, and then I was picked up at The Weather Network, and from there I was picked up at CityTV so things have just been rolling – knock on wood! It’s interesting how things came together, it’s not the regular story of struggling. I didn’t really have to struggle in this business, it was more a case of being in the right place at the right time.

You were born in Canada shortly after your parents and older siblings moved here from India. What do you think was the impact of being born into a family new to the country?

I look at my parents, even now to this day, and think about how hard they worked to get to Canada and give this life to us, and that keeps me really grounded and humble. My mom was on an assembly line, my dad was a welder, and he worked his butt off to give us what we wanted and I appreciate that to this day. I make the effort every week to go see my parents, all of us do, and I love hearing the stories – even the same ones over and over – about the impact that was made by them coming from India to Canada. I really appreciate having immigrant parents. The value of the dollar, the value of hard work – that keeps me going. I thank my parents all the time for bringing us here. I wouldn’t have the opportunities I have now. I’m a woman, and I believe I’m a strong woman able to do anything I want if I put my mind to it. I thank my parents a lot for that.

What are the most important ways you’re passing your Indian heritage on to your girls?

Okay, so I suck at that! I love Indian food? I’m passing that on to them! I blame my parents because they spoke a lot of broken Gujarati - that's where they’re from, Gujarat - and they spoke a lot of English with it, so I didn’t really learn the language. However, the culture part I try to introduce to my girls, like the Bollywood world, I’ve even put them in a class for dancing. My husband and I speak a lot of English, just once in a while we speak the dialect but not very much. They know their grandparents are from India and they love it, they love the culture so we’re trying to pass it on, but I’m not doing the greatest job when it comes to that!

You share a lot on social media about your workouts and fitness routines. Has that always been so important to you, or did it come from having kids or being on television?

I started working out at a younger age and stopped, because it wasn’t as important to me. At that age, you can eat whatever you want, and you don't gain the weight! Then I had my second kid, and my body changed - I was crouching down all the time, I was weak all the time, I couldn’t pick up my kids, and I thought, how did this happen? It can’t be aging, it must be that something’s wrong with me. I decided I needed to make a change and start watching out for myself, because no one else is going to do that for me. My attitude just switched. I went to CrossFit one day and I started doing weights and I thought, this is what I need to do! I’m not old, I just need to start working on myself. 

I think as a mother we all tend to forget about ourselves and take care of our kids and our families and we become one of the lower priorities, and the truth of it is, if you’re not happy, no one else is going to be happy. I learned that, and that’s when I started doing fitness and it changed my life. I’m so much happier now, my attitude is so much better in terms of my outlook and realizing that I have to start loving myself because this is who I am, especially being in my 30s. These fitness videos came about because a while back women were asking me, “How are you staying fit? What are you doing?” and I decided to use social media and it started picking up. People were following Fitness Tuesday and we started doing a segment and people were responding to it. It really was to motivate other mothers, but now it’s to motivate anybody to try anything. My videos show some things that are a little bit ‘out there’, to show you can do it.  If I can do it, you can do it!

You were named to Hello! Canada’s 50 Most Beautiful People List - 

I know – you’re surprised as much as I am!

Not at all! You’re gorgeous! But what would you say are your most beautiful qualities, on the outside and the inside?

One of the things I’ve always been told is that you are happy if you make someone else happy, so I love smiling. That’s partly why I don’t do serious news, because what a difference it makes when you smile at someone! Even if they’re having a bad day, just that little gesture makes such a difference, so I would say my smile is something that people enjoy seeing, especially on social media, people make remarks about it, and it is a genuine smile. It’s not a fake smile – I have my wrinkles, and I’m going to keep those wrinkles and wear them with pride! I like making situations lighter. I don’t like conflict, so I like making light of things, entertaining people and making them happy.

You often have to travel for your work on ET Canada. What are your best tips for keeping connected with family while you’re away?

Oh, social media! I miss my kids, especially on the second day – I don’t know what it is about that second day! We FaceTime, we Skype, we chat on the phone, and now my kids have their own email address so they’ve started texting me which is such a great feeling! I’m able to sing them a song before bed, and just making that effort to connect throughout the day when I’m traveling makes such a difference. They’re partly used to it, they know mom’s gone away for a while and she’ll be back, so I let them sleep in my bed with dad and they get all these perks when I’m gone, so they’re happy about that. One thing I try to do when I travel somewhere is always bring them back a small token, and it helps them to know that I’m always thinking about them.

Have you had any favourite celebrity interviews so far?

Oh my gosh, so many! The one thing about me being new to Entertainment Tonight Canada – I’ve been here for two and a half, three years – is that I get excited about anybody and everybody, and I hope the audience feels that when they watch my interviews. I walk into a room and I think that person is my best friend, and there have been some great interviews recently. I mean, Tom Cruise – I had no idea it was going to be that great, and for him to remember me? {Sangita interviewed Tom at the world premiere of Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation in Vienna, and when he was interviewed by Sangita’s colleague days later at the Canadian premiere, he asked about her!} I thought, oh you’re my favourite now! And George Clooney, making me coffee the second time around, we just had this great chemistry, and you know when you have good chemistry with someone. Julia Roberts...Helen Mirren just surprised me. Jon Stewart last year – I’m a huge fan, and to sit down with a man that smart! I was very nervous to sit with him, and to meet him was an honour. I’d say those are some of my top ones!

Anyone on your wish list?

Oprah Winfrey. Angelina Jolie. Women who make a difference. I just want to hear their stories. And for some reason, Tiger Woods. I don’t know why but I find him so fascinating. There’s something about him…I would love to talk to him too.

Besides your family, how would you finish the sentence, “This mom loves…”?

This mom loves cake. Cake, cake, cake all the time. I would have cake any time. I don’t respect my diet.

This mom loves CrossFit.

This mom loves to smile.

This mom loves to drive. I love cars.

This mom loves coconut oil. I use that all the time.

This mom loves to cook, loves to eat, loves pizza – a lot of food-related, isn’t it?

This mom loves to inspire and to make people laugh.

This mom loves to entertain.

Thanks for the conversation, Sangita! ET Canada airs weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on Global, and you can find Sangita Patel on Twitter and Instagram.

Alan Carter and Farah Nasser: Part 2 Behind-the-Scenes with the Global News Hour Toronto Team

This Mom Loves has moved! 

For updated content (plus all the posts found here) on our fresh new site, visit www.thismomloves.ca

I recently went behind the scenes at Global News Hour Toronto with the new anchor team of Alan Carter and Farah Nasser, and I had such a great chat with them that I couldn't even fit it all in one blog post! Here, the anchors get personal about parenting, social media negativity, and if they think women on television are judged more harshly than men.

(Update: Farah began her leave of absence from the show earlier than expected - see video. She will continue to work behind-the-scenes and return in the new year.)

What are the pros and cons of the Global News Hour schedule when you have kids at home?

Alan: The major downside is that we’re on the air between 5:30 and 6:30, so that’s a challenge as any parent would know, because I don’t normally get to eat with my kids {Alan's daughter Ava is nine, son Wynn is seven}. Sometimes we push their dinner way back and I’ll have dinner with them at 7:30 and then send them to bed! There are things you can’t do – it’s tough for me to get to early soccer games and things like that, but parents work all kinds of schedules and I certainly wouldn’t single myself out as someone who has a really challenging schedule. Other people have a lot worse. I do get some flexibility in the mornings and get the chance to take them to school, so I try to cherish that as my time with them, but trying to spend quality time with kids while getting them up and out the door to school is not the easiest thing! I just try to focus on the times I can be with them.

Farah: Sometimes I see my son for an hour after work and then have to put him to bed but I think that’s very typical in the city. By the time you get home after driving in rush hour, when you have a small child it’s hard to spend time with them, but I’m pushing his bedtime now with this show. He’s watching me on TV now, but he’s not crazy about it because he gets confused when we go to weather and I disappear, so we’re trying to get him used to that! Before I was on during the day so he would never see me on screen. Just being a working mom, and having everything organized – like every working mom – is a challenge.

Alan with his kids

So your son Kian is two and a half. What’s he into these days?

Farah: Oh, superheroes! Batman, Superman. Wonder Woman - he calls her Ruby for some reason - and airplanes. He’s at that age where he’s just such a funny storyteller, he makes up stories about random things like how he took an airplane to Mississauga the other day, stories about crocodiles biting him and all that kind of stuff. 

When you were expecting Kian you were actually pregnant with twins. Are you comfortable speaking about that? {Note to readers: I had checked this with the publicist first. I would never spring a question like this on someone.}

Farah: Yes, with my first pregnancy I was pregnant with twins. I lost my other son at 24 weeks and I had to carry him because it was twins, so I couldn’t deliver him, so I carried him to 32 weeks when my son was born. I was hoping to carry further and have my son at term but that didn’t work out, so he was born at 32 weeks and I had a bunch of complications from that. I needed blood transfusions, I was in the ICU, I almost lost my own life. It’s so complicated when you’re carrying a life and a death in your own body. So I had to deliver, and then we had a funeral. It was a very difficult time in my life. I thought after that that I might not want to go through this again, but I didn’t want pregnancy and childbirth to be that memory. As a woman, one of the things for me anyway was that I wanted to have a kid, even more than I wanted to get married, I really wanted to have a child, and now I want to give my son a sibling.

Farah with her son and husband

Is he excited about the baby?

Farah: Oh my God, he’s so excited about his baby sister. Though he also thinks there’s a baby in his tummy, so that’s funny. He puts his little doll in front of his tummy sometimes, and asks my husband if he’s having a baby too, and he says ‘No, I just had a big lunch!’ He’s really excited. I don’t think he fully gets it yet.

I read that back in your 20s you were diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. How are things with that now?

Farah: Things are good. I had a flare-up before I got pregnant but generally things are good. I’ve been pretty much in remission. But that was tough, I had to take about six months off work in the prime of my career, the beginning of my career, but so far so good.

Have either of you had to deal with social media negativity, Twitter trolls, that sort of thing?

Alan: We’re both pretty active on social media. I’ve long been active in my other role as Queen’s Park Bureau Chief, so much of my content is very political which raises the ire of many people, as objective as I am, and I try to be very objective on Twitter. The Twitter trolls, I find, tend not to be personal. It’s more political. I engage to a point until you realize there’s no sense. I might respond to the first message, but when they just come back with more hysteria, that’s it.

Farah: There are going to be some people who don’t like your work, that’s just how it is, not everyone is going to be able to connect, and that’s fine. When I get it, I just leave it alone. You take the compliments, you take the constructive criticism. I love feedback when it’s relevant, because that’s how you get better. I got a recent Facebook comment about being pregnant on air, ‘You just started this job and now you’re pregnant! Jeez!’, but you just have to say people are going to have their opinion, they don’t know the backstory.

And you don’t let it bother you?

Farah: No, you can’t. If you do, for me anyway, it could really affect my work. I have to put up a thick skin and say ‘This is just somebody’s opinion, what one person thinks’, and that’s it.

Literally rubbing shoulders with the new anchors

I think the message out there in the public is that women on television are judged more harshly on their appearance than men, and perhaps are told how to look while the men have it easier. I’m curious to know if either of you has ever been told by higher-ups to change your appearance in any way, or been given negative feedback?

Farah: No, I don’t think that’s happened to me. Oh, I had one boss, and I kept my hair curly once and he told me not to do that again, but that was somewhere else years ago.

Alan: I think at the beginning of my career I got a lot of that but probably deservedly so, because I was in my early 20s at the time and didn’t know how to dress, but I haven't had any for a long time. I think you’re absolutely right though, because for me, how tough is it to pick out a jacket, a shirt and a tie? You’ve got to work to screw that up. Every once in a while someone will tweet at me, ‘Seriously dude, you wore a checked shirt, striped tie and polka dot square!’

Farah: Yes, it’s more the public telling us!

Alan: Or my dad. He’ll say ‘What is with your hair?’ He’s my greatest fan and my harshest critic.

Farah: It’s so true! It’s family members! My aunts will write in, or my mom, and tell me something about my lipstick, or that a colour washes me out.

*****

They both look great to me (in person, as well as on-screen) and more importantly, they are doing a fantastic job as the new anchors of Global News Hour Toronto (weekdays from 5:30-6:30).

Thanks again to Alan, Farah and the Global team for inviting me behind-the-scenes, and I wish Farah good health and all the best with her baby-to-be now that she is on leave.

Here's a parting shot of the reporters-in-training at my house - they love when I bring home swag!