Preventing the Spread of Germs: My Latest Parents Canada article

Here's a link to my latest article for Parents Canada, "Teaching Your Kids How Not To Spread Germs":

http://www.parentscanada.com/preschool/teaching-your-kids-how-not-to-spread-germs

I really enjoyed my interview with pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. Ashley Roberts of BC Children’s Hospital, who shared her expertise regarding vaccinations, hand sanitizers, how clean to keep your house and when to keep your child at home (you'll have to read the article for the details!) 

Thanks also to the two daycare providers who spoke with me for this article as well, providing their own professional insights!

Euphoria Wellness Spa: The Ultimate Spa Experience

My afternoon at Euphoria Wellness Spa in Peterborough was pure luxury.

(All photos courtesy Euphoria Wellness Spa)

Upon arrival in the reception area, I was checked in and whisked off to the change room where I was provided with a cozy spa robe and sandals and invited to use the sauna and steam room before my first service. I had thirty minutes to spare...and had trouble wrapping my mind around the idea of letting myself sit for that long! I am good at taking time for myself, but usually there's a book or smartphone in my hand...and neither are really appropriate for the sauna or steam room! I spent a few minutes in both, and they were lovely, especially for someone like me who really appreciates heat.

Someone came to get me when it was time for my Supreme Facial:

• "One of our most popular treatments. Includes a deep cleansing, detailed skin analysis, exfoliation, steam and extractions, and a relaxing mini massage while under our perfecting mask. This facial is customized to suit your skin condition."

When they say "supreme", they mean it. No time is wasted, either: during the steam, I received an arm and hand massage, during the mask there was a scalp massage, and at another point (I couldn't keep all of the steps straight) there was a neck and face massage. I felt incredibly spoiled before my first treatment was even over, though the best part of a facial for me is the extractions (which are actually slightly uncomfortable) because it's something I know I can't do myself, and I really see the difference afterwards. Note that after a facial, you might not want to go out in public right away (or at least bring some makeup), as the treatments can cause some redness. Of course I went straight to a restaurant after the spa, because my vanity lost out to my desire not to have to cook.

The esthetician used Vivier products, and I find it so interesting how this company has grown. One of my best friends in university was Vivier's first employee, and worked for the owner when the business was being run out of his house!

After my facial, I was escorted downstairs, where the same esthetician (the lovely Jessica, who always knew when to chat and when to let me zone out) did my manicure. I requested the Artistic Gel application (because I love how the polish lasts three weeks, unlike regular manis that usually chip by the second day) in addition to the Organic Manicure:

• "Includes all cuticle work, trimming, filing, buffing and shaping of the nails.  Also comes with exfoliation and massage of the hands and arms."

I chose the neutral colour "Metro" (shown below). I love pink and red nails, but when the polish lasts so long, it's hard to ensure that it matches everything I'm going to wear!

I was even surprised by a bonus parrafin wax treatment, which is very indulgent, as your hands are coated with warm wax inside plastic bags, and then tucked into mitts to keep the heat in. (Though again, I had trouble sitting and allowing the product to work, without being able to do anything with my hands!)

Once my manicure officially ended, I was invited to relax in the cozy lounge until a pedicure chair was ready for me - a great time to finally check my phone! (I'm sorry but it had been a couple of hours! It's hard for me!)

I ended my afternoon of bliss at Euphoria with the Organic Pedicure:

• "Includes all cuticle work, trimming, filing, buffing and shaping of the nails. Also comes with an exfoliation and massage of the feet and legs. Choice of polish."

I love the pedicure chairs with massage, as well as the leg and foot massage that comes with the pedicure. Ahhhh....

In the past, I've also enjoyed regular massages at Euphoria, as well as having my hair washed, dried and styled as part of a package last Christmas, and those experiences were lovely as well. Other services offered include:

• couples, wedding and maternity packages
• medical esthetics (I'm considering a medical peel in the future)
• discounts for services outside peak times
• wine lounge and lunch menu (additional cost)

And much more!

The only glitch of the day happened when I was being provided with a locker for my belongings - and because it was such a busy day, they were all in use! My items were stored in a men's locker and moved over for me as soon as a women's locker became available. Not a big deal.

While I don't have a single negative thing to share about the spa, I do want to provide some reminders to readers about the spa experience: one being that relaxation is key, so if you're pressed for time and just want to get in and out, spa services might not be what you're looking for. The time it takes for each service is provided on the website, which is helpful. As well, you're paying for the atmospshere of the spa, and therefore services may cost more than you pay elsewhere (e.g. if you run into the mall for your manicure, though at $35 the Organic Manicure is quite reasonably priced. I was surprised however that it's a $20 upgrade for the gel polish).

I would highly recommend Euphoria Wellness Spa for anyone in the Peterborough area and beyond - it's well worth the drive!

Disclosure: While the services above were provided free of charge for review purposes, I have visited Euphoria several times as a paying customer (and with generous gift certificates from my husband and students). My experiences have always been similarly luxurious and positive. 

Getting the Most Out of Your Parent/Teacher Interview

Today I'm sharing the video for my latest CHEX Daily TV segment, where I chatted with hosts Mike Judson and Aileen Doyle about how to make the most of your parent/teacher interview!



One additional note: if you can't make the designated interview date, don't hesitate to ask the teacher for an alternate time. Quite honestly, by the fourth hour of interview night, they all start blending together for me, and I appreciate the chance to spread them out a bit - perhaps before or after school another day that week, or a lunch hour phone interview.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or additional tips!

At Home With Madame Chic

In "At Home with Madame Chic", Jennifer Scott continues to share the wisdom she gleaned as a foreign exchange student from her Parisian hostess. Though I haven't yet read her first book,  "Lessons From Madame Chic: 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris", it was a huge success, and my own mother got on board with the 10-item wardrobe that Scott recommends.

The sequel (already a New York Times Bestseller) focuses on how we can live like Madame Chic in our own homes, and I found it a fun and refreshing read - keeping in mind that some of the tips were far too idealistic for my own life!

Chic ideas which I embrace:

• "The French value an orderly home life, even in times of upheaval" - organization, efficiency and lack of clutter are essential ("Play music while you clean and organize" is also a good one - though I do love to watch/listen to talk shows while I work)

• Appreciate what you have/where you live. Fix the problems you can, and try to let go of the rest.

• Give yourself positive affirmations.Some examples Scott offers:

"I am a calm and patient parent." (I'm going to try this one)

"I choose to eat healthful foods today."

"My home is a sanctuary."

"I can change the world."

"All is well."

• Wake up early enough to make sure things run smoothly (and lay out your clothes the night before). Most of our morning stress occurs when we don't have enough time, so make time. This might mean going to bed early, and I know most of you laugh at my early-to-bed schedule, but our mornings are fairly smooth. Until the last five minutes, when somehow the volume of my voice always rises.

• Don't obsess and internalize world news. From the Ottawa shootings to the Jian Ghomeshi scandal (sorry American readers if you have no idea what I'm talking about) I definitely keep up-to-date on what's happening (especially on Twitter) but try to let it go when I need to.

• Put things away after you use them. People ask me for my organizational secrets, but this one isn't a secret. People just don't tend to want to do it.

• Give your kids downtime and don't overschedule.

 

Author Jennifer L. Scott

Photo: Kevin McIntyre

Ways I will never be chic:

• Dress nicely at home. I totally see how this could have psychological benefits, but my home uniform includes sweatpants and a ponytail. I will only change if someone is coming over. Sometimes not even then.

• Sit down to eat breakfast. I LOVE restaurant breakfasts, but at home it's usually a Quaker Oatmeal-To-Go bar (Cinnamon Roll flavour) alternating each bite with a task (check phone, put lunch by door, etc.) I realize this is not the best way to do things.

• "One of the pleasures of the afternoon is thinking about dinner." Eating it, maybe. Preparing it, never.

• Don't use TV for background noise. I LOVE TV background noise. I don't let my kids do it, however, and I make sure whatever they hear in the background when I'm watching is appropriate. Ish. (They're a bit too familiar with the names of all Canadian talk show hosts, and Maggie is prone to ask questions like "Where's Lainey today?")

The book is also full of helpful little checklists, hair and makeup tips, sample cleaning schedules and recipes for everything from drinks to meals to cleaning sprays, plus playlists and candle scent suggestions for different tasks and times of day.

"At Home With Madame Chic" is a fun read, whether you're a busy mom looking to make life smoother or a hostess-with-the-mostess on the hunt for new ideas. As I mentioned earlier, the book is at points a tad idealistic, but Scott writes with a self-deprecating and honest tone: we're not supposed to strive to be her, she's striving along with the rest of us to live a more chic life. Even when she comes across Pollyanna-ish, that's not a bad thing, especially when the other books in my nightstand involve murders, divorce, accidents and mistaken identities (pas chic).

For more information, visit www.jenniferlscott.com

Spring 2015 Fashion Preview: My Fashion Saturday Experience

This past weekend I had the opportunity to check out Fashion Saturday at World Mastercard Fashion Week in Toronto.

My sister-in-law and I hit the road for a fairly smooth drive into the big city, though the Don Valley Parkway was closed for maintenance, and anyone who lives outside the downtown will understand how that complicated our route!

I really didn't know what to expect when we arrived at the huge tent at David Pecaut Square, but we found the venue full of fun booths: Pandora was doing mini photo shoots, Maybelline was offering a touch-up station and Mastercard was giving away great surprises.

At the Neo Strata table, the rep asked us what our main skin concern was, and I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I said "aging" (embarrassed because that's not a very female-empowering answer). However, I feel the need to be honest (with my dear readers, as well as with salespeople who are complete strangers to me). On the positive side, we got a lot of great samples, so I'm sure people at work are going to start mistaking me for a student soon.

While waiting for the fashion show to begin, many guests were enjoying champagne from the pop-up Ritz bar, or martinis from Grey Goose. As for me, I sampled a delicious gourmet peanut butter hot chocolate!

For those looking to bring some high fashion looks home with them, the designer pop-up market (shown below) was available, with tables and racks selling items from many different designers.

Here I am checking out the "Minnie Mouse: Through the Decades" display. Who would have thought a little rodent could inspire such great fashion? I wouldn't mind that red dress myself (sans bows).

Finally, the big moment arrived and attendees filed into the Runway Room. Some of the sweetest words a writer can hear: "You have a media pass? You're sitting right there, in the front row."

Tracy Moore from Cityline hosted the show, with a knowledgeable panel providing input along the way: style expert Afiya Francisco, Maybelline’s Grace Lee and Redken’s Cindy Duplantis.

Before we get to the clothes, I feel it's important to say one thing: no, no one expects many of us to actually wear these items straight from the runway (especially not me, teaching seven and eight year olds in a little country school), and that's not really the point. It took me a few years to realize this, and move past what I saw at times as the ridiculousness of runway fashion. Now I think of it as "Fashion Art" which will inform and inspire the real clothes that we'll be sporting next season...if that makes sense. Looking at it that way, I can now embrace the themes behind the looks.

As we were treated to creations from talented Canadian designers Hilary MacMillan, Hayley Elsaesser, Christopher Bates, elan+castor and Matthew Gallagher, some strong themes emerged for Spring 2015:

• mixed prints
• femininity
• midriff bearing (no, dear students of my school, that doesn't mean you - or, for that matter, me!)
• nautical
• bright whites
• pastels 
• bohemian
• suits with cropped trousers

And for the men:

• Bermuda shorts (though not as short as we saw on the runway, please fellas) worn with dress shirts and dress shoes
• statement blazers
• a desert palette (think The English Patient)

Here are a few of my favourite looks:

I'm sorry to say that I didn't get a clear shot of one unique style, which was bare legs with bright high socks and dressy heels. I'm not sorry to say that I won't be adopting that look, no matter how trendy it is!

Hair and makeup were discussed too, with the consensus being that we'll continue to see a lot of soft, unstructured hair in Spring, romantic waves (not perfect curls), and some braid variations, such as the single cornrow, with a full front and sleek sides (creating a "faux hawk" look from the front), as well as topknots. 

As far as beauty goes, we've been advised to grow in our brows, ladies - and even to consider Maybelline's new "brow mascara", which I may actually try out. If I don't powder them darker, I can appear in some lighting to have no brows at all. In terms of eyes, coppery bronze looks are in, and while lips are great glossy, "every woman can wear a matte red lip", says Grace.

When I caught Tracy (who did a wonderful job hosting, keeping it light and relevant for the audience) for a photo op after the show, I was expecting to reintroduce myself to her (most of our communication over the years has been online) but was happy I didn't get the chance, as I was greeted with "Hey Kate! How are you?" as soon as she spotted me.

If you're at all interested in fashion, I'd highly recommend you take in next year's Fashion Saturday. It was a fun day out with a friend, and now I feel more than prepared to shop for Spring. Or I will be, once Winter is over. You know, in five months.

Navigating Your Child's Progress Report: My CHEX Daily Segment

It's almost progress report card time - a big deal for teachers as well as for parents and students!

In the latest edition of "Teacher, Teacher!" on CHEX Daily, I chatted with hosts Teresa Kaszuba and Mike Judson about this report, and what it all means.



A couple of other important notes about the progress report:

• There's only one checkbox for Language (on the Term reports Language is broken down into Reading, Writing, Oral Communication and Media Literacy) and one for Math (whereas on the next report you'll see it divided into five different strands). This can make it tricky for teachers, because sometimes there's a huge difference between how a student is progressing in Oral Communication compared to Writing, but we only get one spot to provide a checkmark.

• Kindergarten students do NOT receive this progress report. Different boards, schools and teachers may have their own ways of reporting, but the formal Ministry report starts with students in Grade 1.

To end with a personal opinion:

Any communication you receive from the school about your child's progress is vitally important. While there is certainly a place for official paperwork, the progress report is not the only information from your child's teacher. Phone calls, agenda notes, and samples of work/success criteria sent home are also very valuable ways to be informed about your child's progress, and the communication needs to go both ways. Be sure to call or write a note at any time if you have a question or concern about how your child is doing.

Once you have the report card, the next logical topic is the parent/teacher interview...and I'll be talking about that when I'm back on CHEX Daily in two weeks!

Stella and Dot: $50 Gift Card Giveaway and You're Invited To My Party!

I'm having a Stella and Dot party and you're invited! (Plus I'm giving away a $50 gift card, so keep reading!)

If I know you in real life, you're actually invited to my home (Thursday, November 25th at 7 pm). Please let me know if you plan to attend. (Just a heads up that I don't really live in "Blogville" - I don't want my real address out there on the net!)

For everyone else, feel free to shop the site! Here's the link to the invitation and catalogue:  http://www.stelladot.com/ts/s8i26

My first introduction to Stella and Dot was last year. I couldn't make it to the party my friend was hosting, but I bought a scarf online because I told myself I "needed" it (though I'm going to put my lovely stylist on the spot at my party and ask her to show me some ways to wear it).

Next, I bought a necklace as a goodbye gift for that same friend who was leaving our school. I told her that I liked it so much I wanted to buy one...and ended up receiving it from her for my birthday! (It's actually very delicate; sometimes I wear it alone and sometimes I layer it with other gold pieces.)

I did some gift shopping online in June, and ended up earning bonus Dot Dollars, so I picked myself up some new layering bracelets.




I wore these when I went behind-the-scenes at ET Canada, and host Cheryl Hickey immediately noticed them: "Oooh, Stella and Dot!"

Stella and Dot has been spotted on celebrities like Amy Poehler, Mila Kunis, Christy Turlington, Olivia Munn, Carrie Underwood, Elizabeth Banks, Jennifer Aniston, Sofia Vergara, Sheryl Crow, Katy Perry, Julianne Hough, Anna Kendrick...there's gotta be someone whose style you admire in that list!

Check out the stars in their Stella and Dot here: 

http://www.stelladot.com/shop/en_ca/fashion-celebrity-press/as-seen-on-celebrities

This time around, I have my eye on the Madison Tech Bag - Poppy, for carrying things to and from school:

and maybe a new, colourful statement necklace, for my TV appearances!

They have a nice girls' collection too, and I'm checking out this trio of high-quality earrings as a potential Christmas gift for Frannie (regular price $24):

Shipping is cheap ($7.95 flat rate) and super fast (I've received orders within 2 days) so there's lots of time to get Christmas gifts or accessories for your holiday outfits! Plus, returns are free.

Courtesy of my amazing Stella and Dot stylist, Janal Ingram, I have a $50 gift card to give away to one lucky Canadian This Mom Loves reader!

All you have to do to enter is browse their inventory here: http://www.stelladot.com/ts/s8i26

...and leave a comment letting me know what item you would purchase if you won. Bonus entries for following This Mom Loves on social media, so leave separate comments to let me know if you follow on Twitter, Facebook or through email. (4 possible entries in total.) I apologize that you have to type in the captcha letters/numbers each time, but if I take that requirement away I get an overwhelming amount of spam. Make sure that I have a way to contact you if you're the winner!

The giveaway will end on November 4, 2014 at midnight Eastern, but you can continue to shop the party right until December 16th.

Good luck, and happy shopping!

Halloween Fun From Hallmark

My latest Hallmark Press Pause Panel box arrived this week, right in time for Halloween decorating! Here's what I received, and where it's all going:

ALREADY UP

Halloween Door Frame Décor ($9.95)

I must say, I had never thought to decorate a door frame before, but these look quite spooky in the main area of our home. And it's the closest my girls will get to a pet cat.

Here's what it looks like on the door:

Boo Door Décor

This actually looks great hanging from our kitchen chandelier.

GOING UP WHEN I DO MY PORCH

Trick-or-Treater Greeter ($19.95 with any purchase)

This motion-activated decoration will be hanging on my front door, ready to greet the trick-or-treaters with fun phrases as they approach!

HOSTESS GIFT FOR THANKSGIVING AT MY AUNT'S

Beverage Napkin Basket with Napkins ($12.95)

CLASSROOM PRIZES

(Yes, I bribe. I mean, reward.)

Pumpkin Personalities Decoration Kit ($14.95)

This kit comes with a set of 3D eyes that light up and glow when you activate a switch, plus more than 17 stick-on decorations. A creative pumpkin with no cutting required!

Tricks the Toe-Tappin' Treat Bag with motion and sound ($15.95 with purchase of  3 cards)

My students are loving this guy! When you push the button, he shuffles from side-to-side while singing a Halloween parody of Mambo No. 5.

If you're looking for fun and festive Halloween decor, Hallmark has you covered!