Gift Ideas For Kids: from an 8-year-old

Not to be outdone by her sister, my 8-year-old daughter Eva wanted to make a contribution to the blog as well. Today she is sharing some (mostly) classic gift ideas - items that she has enjoyed for years, and would recommend for your children too! Take it away, Eva!

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I am an 8-year-old child so I would know what some of the best gifts are to get your kids, at Christmas or any time!

• ·        Rubik’s Cube: This is very popular in my school, and it’s a nice thing for kids to try to solve when they’re getting bored.

• ·        Zoomer Zuppie: I got this as a Christmas gift one year and it’s especially fun to pretend you have a pet when you don’t really have one. But now I do and I think you have heard about Thumper!

• ·        Play kitchen: My sister got this before I was born and I have been playing with it as long as I can remember. I like to pretend that I’m working at a restaurant and making food in the kitchen.

• ·        Build-a-Bear: You would want to give a gift card for this so your child can pick it out and decide on the details because it's a lot of fun to have the whole experience of picking things out and making your bear. You can also get all sorts of accessories for your bear and bring it to the store to visit the bear spa too. My Build-a-Bear is named Minnie Eva and even though I got her four years ago I still play with her and like to change her outfits.
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• ·        Twister: Now this is a really fun and active game to play, and you can do it with different numbers of people. That’s not the only game we like though, also Bounce-Off, Trouble, Jenga and the Game of Life are fun to play with your family.

• ·        Play-Doh: I take this out and play at the kitchen table all the time. It’s nice to have lots of colours and accessories to use with it. I like to make food out of the Play-Doh too. (Yes I do like cooking and baking a lot!)

• ·        Barbies: We have a LOT of Barbies because some were my great-aunt’s and some were my mom’s and now Olivia and I have even more. We play with the Barbie house and cars, and now our bunny Thumper likes to go in the Barbie house too which is hilarious!

I hope this helped you with your shopping list. Merry Christmas!

How Families Can Give Back This Holiday Season: Special Guest Post by Clare Morneau

A passionate advocate for girls’ education and refugee issues, Clare Morneau is a 17-year-old author and speaker who lives in Toronto with her father, Canada’s Finance Minister, Bill Morneau, mother, Nancy McCain, and siblings Henry, Edward and Grace Acan, who joined the family in 2010 from northern Uganda. Clare is compassionate, driven and committed to working for real change. As a student at Havergal College, she founded the Kakuma Toronto Girls Education Partnership. In the fall of 2016, she released her first book, Kakuma Girls (named one of "Heather's Picks" at Chapters Indigo shortly after its launch). She completed a four-week internship at the Global Humanitarian Lab, a partner organization of the United Nations, in the summer of 2016 and has been named a Global Humanitarian Lab Youth Ambassador by the organization.

I'm thrilled to have Clare as a special guest blogger today, sharing ways families can give back over the holiday season.

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I’m Clare Morneau, and I’m the author of Kakuma Girls, a book about refugee girls in Kakuma Refugee Camp in northwest Kenya. My book is about the challenges young refugees, particularly girls, face when attempting to get an education in refugee camps. More than that though, it’s about how we can mobilize youth to be engaged in our efforts to help refugees.

The story about how I got involved with these girls is rooted in friendship. It’s also about helping young Canadians understand the enormous gulf between our experiences and those less fortunate, and how a small local effort has the potential to lead to a great solution to a global issue.

There are so many amazing ways we can all give back over the holiday season through random acts of kindness rather than just by buying more things. Here are 5 ideas I love:

1. Buy a book for someone in your community – books change lives. I’ve always been inspired by the power of books. Everyone should have access to books and the right to read and learn. You can’t give a more impactful gift than the gift of education.

2. Donate to your local clothing drive. Clothing is a fundamental need, but for many, it’s also transformational. One of my favourite clothing donation programs is Dress for Success; an organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire. Another great option is New Circles, a not-for-profit organization based in Toronto that gives local families and newcomers to Canada the clothing they need. With another cold Canadian winter approaching, it’s a great idea to donate your or your kids’ gently used winter clothing.

3. Bring school supplies to donate to the kids in the regions you’re visiting over the holidays. We are so lucky here to have access to new pens, binders, and notepads for every new school year. So many kids worldwide don’t have this luxury and it has a negative impact on their motivation to thrive at school. Popular holiday destinations like Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Cuba are examples of countries where kids are living in poverty. If you’re visiting these areas over the holidays, bring an extra bag of school supplies to leave with these children! It’s a small thing to do, and it will make such an enormous difference in their lives.

Photo: Storey Wilkins

4. Share a holiday meal with a new Canadian and/or a refugee. There are many new immigrants and refugees spending their first holiday season in Canada this year. It’s a huge blessing for them to be here, and also, a daunting reality since for many, they won’t be with their loved ones. Sharing a meal together will be an incredibly humbling and rewarding experience for them and you.

5. Sponsor a meal at a soup kitchen. If you’re based in Toronto, the Muslim Welfare Centre hosts a series of meals around the GTA, helping Torontonians get warm meals.

We all have the means to make a real difference in someone’s life. Whether your efforts are global or local, they matter.

Happy holidays! 

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Thank you, Clare! You can find Clare's book Kakuma Girls on Indigo and Amazon.

Follow Clare on Twitter @KakumaGirls and Instagram @Kakuma_Girls.

The Flu Shot: Myths and Family Photos plus a Great Giveaway!

Our whole family gets the flu shot at Shoppers Drug Mart every year, and just a week ago we made an outing of it. (And by "outing", I mean we went out for dinner after. I'll use any excuse.) 

I know there are a lot of myths circulating about the flu shot out there, and I'm hoping this post can help encourage those who are hesitant about the vaccination. (I like to think I'm a pretty smart woman, and I do my research before any health treatments for myself or my kids too.)

Here are some common myths dispelled...plus some cute Winn family photos...if I do say so myself!

The flu vaccine gives you the flu.

FALSE. Flu vaccinations delivered via a needle are either made with an ‘inactivated’ flu virus that’s not infectious, or with no flu virus at all.

{Note: you're always going to hear someone who swears the flu shot gave them the flu, but more likely they had a different type of illness entirely - one that could have been present even before the flu shot - or happened to get a strain that wasn't covered. It was not caused by the shot.}

You don’t need to get the flu vaccine every year.

FALSE. In order to best protect yourself from the flu you need to be vaccinated annually. Getting a vaccine doesn’t need to be a complicated, time consuming process.  Canadians can drop in to their local Shoppers Drug Mart or select grocery stores at any time of day, without an appointment.

You should wait until the height of flu season to get vaccinated so you’re protected for longer.

FALSE. While it’s never too late to get vaccinated, it’s best to receive your flu shot soon after it’s available, likely  October. The antibodies delivered via the flu vaccine that protect you against infection take up to two weeks to take effect, and since the flu peaks between December – February it’s important to get vaccinated weeks before the holiday party season starts.

{Note: I don't know about your family, but from my experience at least someone in every household is sick at Christmas. I want to make sure my family and I are as protected as possible.}

Pregnant women need to get consent from their doctor prior to receiving the flu vaccine.

FALSE. There is no recommendation for pregnant women to seek consent from their doctor prior to vaccination. However, there are some people who should seek their doctors’ advice prior to being vaccinated, including those who have a moderate – to – severe illness and patients with a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome. 

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Are you convinced yet? If not, perhaps this will help: 70-90 per cent of flu cases can be averted through vaccination! I like those odds.

Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacies across the country are making it easy by offering flu immunizations administered by an injection-certified pharmacist at all hours, without an appointment, just walk-in.

Now that we've settled that, it's time for a giveaway!

One lucky This Mom Loves winner will receive an awesome Flu Fighters pack from Shoppers Drug Mart valued at $150 containing the following:

• Life Brand Hand Sanitizer

• Cough Drops

• Vaporizing Cold Rub

• Electrolyte Maintenance Powder

• Disinfectant Wipes

• Vaporizer

• PC Chicken noodle soup

• PC Facial tissues

• PC Feeling Soothed Tea

• $100 gift card

All you have to do to enter to win is post a tweet or Facebook update that contains all three of the following:

1. A link to this post (the one you're reading right now!) 
http://thismomloves.blogspot.ca/2016/12/the-flu-shot-myths-and-family-photos.html
2. A tag for @thismomloves
3. The hashtag #SDMflufighters

For example:

Flu shot myths dispelled - plus win a $150 prize pack from @thismomloves
http://thismomloves.blogspot.ca/2016/12/the-flu-shot-myths-and-family-photos.html

#SDMflufighters

Feel free to use that exact tweet, but be careful with Facebook: if you copy and paste, you still need to type @thismomloves manually or the tag won't pop up and I won't be notified in order to count your entry!

The giveaway runs until Friday, December 9th at midnight Eastern, after which time the entries will be totalled and a winner will be chosen through random number generation. Good luck...and happy flu-fighting!

Disclosure: This post was generously sponsored by Shoppers Drug Mart. Opinions are, as always, my own.

Kate's Favourite Things - December 2016

Here's a list of my latest recos!

MOVIES

The Girl on the Train - I know not everyone agrees, but I thought the movie really did justice to the book, and Emily Blunt was fantastic.

Love Actually - I realize this isn't a new one, but it was new to me! (Don't ask me how I missed a romantic comedy in the last 20 years - this one's from 2003 - but somehow it happened.) Just days after Lainey Lui mentioned on The Social how this movie always gets her into the Christmas spirit, I was thrilled to see it pop up on TV...and I loved it.

Allied - Starring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard, this is an excellent WWII love story/drama with a twist: is Cotillard's character really a German spy? If you're anything like me, you'll also appreciate the smattering of Canadian references - Pitt's character is from Canada, and when he attempts a Parisian accent he is nicknamed "Quebecois"; Medicine Hat also plays a role. I recommend it even if you haven't saved up M and M bags for free movie tickets!


BOOKS

The Wonder by Emma Donoghue - This book (from the author of Room) is about a nurse who comes to Ireland to supervise a supposed miracle: a young girl who is surviving without eating. It's a fascinating read, though I always have to remember not to take offense on behalf of the Catholic Church to every fictional (or perhaps semi-fictional) insult.

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult -  Picoult's latest is about a black maternity nurse faced with a dilemma: does she take action to save a white baby after being ordered not to touch him?

I am so saddened when I read about racism (even fictional) as well as shocked, while I know I shouldn't be. I keep up with the news and I like to think I'm pretty well-read, but I don't want to believe that there are still parents raising their children to hate like this. Even though I grew up in possibly one of the whitest places ever (and moved to another one - I'm guessing a diverse population hasn't yet been drawn to our Irish-Catholic farming communities) I never heard a racist word from one of my parents.

Years ago when walking our girls to the Centre Island ferry, one asked, "Mommy, are a lot of these people not from here?" which certainly sparked a conversation, but I'd like to think that my children see past colour when looking for the beauty and value in the people around them.

I don't have a thick enough skin (sorry, best expression I could come up with) to take on any further racial commentary right now, but I was also not surprised to learn that Picoult (who is white) has been criticized for attempting to take on the first-person story of a black character, something she actually addresses in a separate section of the book.

Babushka: A Christmas Tale by Dawn Casey - If you're looking to add a new title to your Christmas collection, this lovely traditional Russian tale helps us all remember the meaning of the season. We've been working on "favourite parts" in the kindergarten class, and here were a few of their responses to this book:

"The picture with the cat because it was so detailed"
"The dream because Mary and Jesus were in it"
"The part where the boy didn't catch any fish because then he got food"
"The part where it said 'KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK' because it was exciting"

Bridget Jones's Baby by Helen Fielding - A companion to the movie (written after Fielding worked on the script to the third film), this book is as light and fun as you would expect - a worthwhile visit with an old friend. Be forewarned though - there is a one huge plot difference (which I won't spoil for you right now).

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena - this is incredible work for Lapena's suspense debut. I could hardly put it down, and the twists kept on coming right to the end.

Unstuffed: Decluttering Your Home, Mind and Soul by Ruth Soukup - if you look up the definition of "preaching to the choir", you will see a picture of me reading this book. Basically, it affirmed much of what I already know and believe...but if you're looking for a decluttering jumpstart, this one's for you!

If my Christmas wishes come true, I'll have lots of time over the holidays for some more great books and movies, and I'll have a full update next month!

Christmas Spirit Roundup: Decorating, Crafts, Gifts and More

It's pretty fair to say I get into the Christmas spirit early...so why not share all that joy with my dear readers?

Today I offer you the post of Christmas past (see what I did there?) - and whether you're in the mood to decorate, shop, craft with kids or bask in cheesy sentiments, I've got you covered!

Christmas Idea # 1: The Festive Lantern

Christmas Idea # 2: Displaying Christmas Memories

Christmas Idea # 3: The Holiday Book Basket

Christmas Idea # 4: The Throw Pillow

Christmas Idea # 5: Printables


Christmas Idea # 6: DIY Decorative Pots

How things are shaping up this year Chez Winn

Primary Christmas Crafts Morning

My Mom's Christmas Decor: A Photo Tour

My Christmas Decor: A Photo Tour (2014)

Christmas Gifts For Teachers

A Thank You Letter to my Mom at Christmastime


There you have it - a dose of Christmas spirit!

(Note: one month from today it's all over...and my house will be de-Christmased by lunchtime.)

This Mom's Blogger/Brand Wish List For 2017

Forget a Christmas wish list filled with lots of "stuff"...the sugarplums dancing in my head are actually the great brands that I am dreaming of working with next year.  Maybe St. Nick would be good enough to bring this list to their attention and make some of my Christmas wishes come true in 2017!

Since This Mom Loves launched in 2010, I've worked with dozens of brands - international, national and local - to promote their products and services. Often companies will find me and reach out, though I actually turn down far more offers than I accept, because my time is precious but also because I am very conscious about what is and isn't a fit for my own personal brand. While it's nice to be "found", I also love when I can reach out to companies that I am already familiar with and fond of, because I feel it offers an authentic viewpoint to my readers, and everyone wins in that sort of partnership.

Knowing my audience as well as I do, I'm certain they'd like to read about the following:

Ooma: We recently signed up for this VoIP telephone system, and are very happy customers. Did I mention it's less than 5 bucks a month?

Texture: I have been magazine-obsessed since I learned to read, and for one low price I get unlimited titles right on my iPad. Wouldn't you love to hear more?

Cineplex/SCENE: Regular readers know what I movie buff I am, and I'm constantly at Cineplex with my husband, kids or friends. Plus, my SCENE card helps with concession discounts and free movies.

Kensington Palace: Okay, so this isn't exactly a "brand"...

Let's just say that someone (who is writing this post right now) has a milestone birthday coming up this summer and her BFFs have agreed to travel with her to London, England for a whirlwind tour, which will culminate in a series of blog posts for potential tourists and all Duchess of Cambridge watchers.

I'm hoping the Kensington Palace communications team will keep me up-to-date on Kate's schedule, so I can maximize my chances of being in her vicinity during the trip, when we also plan to follow in the Duchess's footsteps, checking out her current homes (as closely as legally possible) as well as restaurants and shops she's been known to visit.

At the same time, I hope to be able to draw some attention to many of Kate's patronages. As a kindergarten teacher and mom of two young girls, I admire the work she's doing to spread awareness about a range of important topics, including youth and mental health.

In all, this should be a fun series for Kate lovers, especially the Canadian royal fans back home.

PLUS: I'm also planning to work with more of the great fashion, beauty, home and entertainment brands that you know and love in 2017...lots of exciting things to come!

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If you're a blogger, why don't you take a few minutes right now and make your brand wish list for 2017? Leave a link in the comments so I can check it out (maybe I have some contacts who can help?), and if you tag me on social media I can share as well. I'm using #bloggerbrand2017 as a hashtag...you never know, this could be the beginning of a dream partnership for you!

When Your Mom Is a Blogger {by my 10 year old daughter}

I am Olivia Winn, and my mother created This Mom Loves. I can’t remember a time when she was not a blogger- writing on the weekends, going on trips and taking photos for others to see. And it definitely has pros.

First, free stuff! People send things to mom, or let her go on trips and take us along, so she will write about it. My sister and I love to sort through big boxes, deciding who gets what… though in the end we don’t actually get to keep all of it! (For some reason, mom thinks we already have enough stuff and she likes to donate it or share it at school. Which we actually do understand.) I especially love the Hallmark ‘itty bittys’- I currently have fifteen!

I have also had great experiences with my family because of the blog. For example, last summer we visited the Corus building. I was shown where parts of my favorite TV shows are recorded, I went down a two-floor slide, I stood in front of a plant wall, and I still sleep with the Disney Channel blanket they gave me every night! Over the years we have been to cool places like Santa's Village, Centreville, Casa Loma, Disney on Ice, Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons, a boat cruise, different hotels and movies and way more, all for This Mom Loves.

Mom gets to interview cool people...and when she was talking to Kortney Wilson from Masters of Flip on the phone my sister even got to say hi to her!

My mom always asks us before she shows pictures of us...and sometimes I say no, or that I want her to take a different shot! But it can be fun to be a model too and to show cool new things to the readers...who might get them for their kids!

There aren’t really many cons to having a blogger mother, but I can think of one. After a trip, she needs our opinions. What was our favorite part, what was our least favorite, do you recommend it, and why? Seriously, is she the blogger, or am I? But at least we get to share our point of view!

I am thankful to be a blogger’s daughter, and as I have inherited her love for writing, I think I will be a blogger someday, too.

The Perfect Guide For Women's Health and Happiness - From a Woman Whose Wake-Up Call Changed It All

I'm all about women helping other women. (Or, really, people helping other people...but sometimes women need it more.) Paying it forward is essential: I love to answer questions from new bloggers or or aspiring TV guests, I support teacher candidates from faculties of education every year, and I'm happy to offer some words of wisdom or just a listening ear to new moms.

Sometimes, though, it's also important to pay it back.

The author of today's guest post - and a brand-new, possibly life-saving book for women - once helped pull me up. Years ago, as the Executive Editor of Today's Parent magazine, Kerrie Lee Brown was one of the very first big-magazine editors to give me a personal reply to a pitch (not a generic 'no thanks'), and words of encouragement. The first post I sent her wasn't a fit (and she told me why; they had covered something similar in the recent past), the second one almost made it but was eventually passed over due to space restrictions...but the third time was a charm, and she forwarded my query to a colleague who ended up accepting and then editing my first of many pieces for the magazine.

For that, I will always be grateful to Kerrie Lee Brown. Here is her story.

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What happens when your life seems perfect—a loving family, healthy kids, and an impressive career—and all of a sudden something stops you in your tracks?

This is exactly what happened to me when I ignored some serious warning signs and ended up having a heart attack at age 39. I was not your typical cardiac patient either—physically fit, non-smoker, and no immediate family known to have heart disease.

My unexpected wake-up call changed everything including my perspective on what I was doing and how I was doing it. As a working mom, in the media no less, I never thought something like this would happen to me. But it did. And now I share my story with other women, moms in particular, about what can happen if you don’t take time for yourself once in a while.

In my new book “My Heart, My Self – A Guide For Women Who Do Too Much” I dig deep and reveal my vulnerabilities—which is something a lot of us women shy away from because we are supposed to “have it all together.” I didn’t listen to my body and felt I needed to do everything for everyone, all the time, forgetting about my needs—until my body finally told me it needed to slow down, or it would shut down for good.

But who had time for a heart attack? I have two active boys who needed to get to hockey practice… so needless to say I didn’t go to the hospital. And that was my first mistake. I was lucky, and ended up having surgery to fix my electrical heart problem, but I learned a valuable lesson.

I learned the harsh reality that keeping all balls in the air is not always what it’s cracked up to be. My goal now is to educate women and help them realize that no one is exempt from health issues. I am living proof that life can catch up with you if you don’t take time for yourself.

My book also includes “10 Signs You Need To Slow Down” which I feel is essential to leading a stress-free life—and enjoy unique Brain Break exercises to help you reflect on your own daily stressors, and practical tips to help real women, just like you, take time from your busy schedule to focus on your health needs. Even when they may not be so obvious…

After all, kids need a healthy mom. Bosses need healthy employees. Partners need healthy partners. You get the picture.

My Heart, My Self will help you:

·         Learn to slow down (what all women need—especially moms!)

·         Tackle the guilt factor and never-ending desire to appear okay

·         Recognize daily stressors that hinder achieving optimal health

·         Accept the things you cannot control

·         Listen to your body and change your lifestyle

·         Realize you don't have to do it all...all of the time!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kerrie Lee Brown has a passion for health and wellness that spans over two decades. Her unique experience and perspective on the demands women put on themselves has positioned Kerrie as an expert on maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Besides writing for various mainstream publications including Chatelaine, Glow, Best Health, Women’s Running etc. she has appeared on numerous television and radio shows as a health expert. Kerrie is best known for her roles as editor-in-chief of Oxygen Women’s Fitness, founding editor of American Health and Fitness, and executive editor at Today’s Parent magazine. For more, visit www.kerrieleebrown.com

CONTACT INFO:

The much-anticipated book, My Heart, My Self, is available on Amazon in eight countries and Createspace.com. For more information visit http://www.kerrieleebrown.com/books.html

Editor’s Note: With incredible insight and real-life testimony from international journalist, motivational speaker and women’s health advocate, Kerrie Lee Brown—My Heart, My Self will help any woman realize that she too may be at risk if she doesn’t slow down. Go out and buy your copy today!