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Eat That… Or Go To Bed Hungry
Parentals and guardians, we’ve all been there before. You spent the last hour sweating, slicing, stirring and sautéing (not to mention the time you spent shopping and thoughtfully planning every locally-sourced organic ingredient), just to have the kids whine about how it tastes yucky or it’s too saucy, or it looks weird, and they’d really prefer nuggets. So what do you do when your kid just refuses to finish (or even start) their food? Do you serve up more options for those picky little shits and cater to the divergent array of palettes in your household? Do you force them to suffer while they reluctantly ingest every nutritional morsel? Do…
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How to get deported from Cuba: A love letter
While perusing twitter yesterday, I read that it was the 40th anniversary of the eruption of Mt. Saint Helens on May 18th 1980, which gave me all the feels as I recalled a trip with my mom and my brother back in 1990-something, when we flew into San Fran, rented a mustang convertible, and cruised up the west coast all the way to Seattle, stopping at every notable lighthouse and redwood tree along the way, snapping and savouring every Kodak moment. For the youngins reading this, Kodak is/was a film company, back when photographers used film, and a “Kodak moment” was what we said when something was truly photo worthy.…
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Nawmean?! (Dear Toronto Mans)
It’s no secret that Toronto has long been touted as the most culturally diverse city in the world (statistically speaking), and if you’ve never been here, just check out the crowd at one of our Raptor’s games, or try to find a beloved restaurant serving up your favourite obscure foreign delicacy (I can almost guarantee you will) – Nawmean?! But recently, we’ve been hearing a lot of controversial takes on social media surrounding ‘Toronto Mans’ and their slang. Like, what even is Toronto slang? Who are the Mandem? Is Ting a noun or a beverage? Who’s allowed to say what? Are you dumb? And, the doozie, is Drake appropriating West-Indian culture?! …
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Issa Mitzvah – Drake Bar Mitzvah Remix
Last month we celebrated Chase, my eldest son’s Bar Mitzvah downtown Toronto at Airship 37. I promised Chase that I wasn’t going to embarrass him with any naked bathtub pictures or videos during the slideshow (these days I’m considered the Queen of cringey, aka. typical embarrassing Jewish mom). That being said, I did not promise not to rap in front of all his friends in an epic (in my humble opinion), live, Drake rock cover. Whoops?!? (Seriously though… he should know me by now). Of course, Chase (and every other 13 year old in Toronto, or anywhere) is a HUUUGE Drizzy fan (and especially so being Blewish himself and hailing…
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Be Careful with Weed – A Cardi B Parody
It’s been just over 3 months now since Cannabis was legalized in Canada, and boy has it been an interesting trip. On the surface, it was a huge win for both (the) man and plant kind, but for any rational person with half of a brain, the big government ganja game (of monopoly) has left a bad taste in our collective mouth. If you’re wondering why, I wrote a piece for Addicted Magazine back on Weed-Day outlining some of my concerns. So how have things unfolded since October 17th? Well, aside from nation-wide shortages (leading to medicinal patients having limited access) during a months long postal strike, new and harsher…
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Why you should let your kids play Fortnite
This isn’t what it looks like. I’m not about to sit here and try to convince you to let your kids play the latest video game craze that no one can shut up about. It’s probably too late anyways. Be honest, how many ‘skins’ (characters) have they talked you into buying already? I’m actually embarrassed to answer that myself. But on the brighter side, my kids have never been so motivated to do chores and earn an allowance (silver linings amirite?!). So no, I’m not here to try and convince you that Fortnite is the greatest, because that would definitely go against the mom code (I’m pretty sure we’re expected…
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Beaches Negril: The Ultimate Family Retreat
I’ll admit, this vacation wasn’t even my idea. My mom’s 65th birthday was approaching, and she declared that she wanted to take her kids and all her ayniklah (Yiddish for grandchildren) on an unforgettable family vacay over March break (aka. Canadian spring break), with just a few stipulations: a breathtaking sandy beach, great amenities for the kids (the youngest being 1 and the oldest being 11), and no stress allowed (safety, cleanliness, and amazing food to boot). It seemed obvious that an all-inclusive resort was the way to go, since we could all be together with the flexibility of splitting up and trying different things, and without ever worrying about…
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Batty On The Counter: A Music Video by Gin & Jewlz
It is with great excitement and even greater anxiety that we present to you, our first attempt at a music video (spoof). Please don’t take it too seriously. Batty On The Counter is a body positive homage to selfie culture, a brazilian butt lift epidemic, and just a tribute and reminder to all babes, of all shapes and sizes, to rock what our mommas gave us… even if we can’t afford the plastic surgery or botox injections that we shouldn’t even feel so pressured to get in the first place but since everyone else is doing it now you’re the only one left looking for the perfect snapchat filter to…
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New And Improved Mom Group Acronyms, AF!
If you’re already a mom or a mommy to be, we’re willing to bet you’ve spent some time on a mommy forum, reading mommy blogs, or joining one of the millions of Facebook mom groups and meet-ups. If so, you’ve surely noticed by now that there’s an entire language out there of mom-related terminology, that has been carefully crafted into acronyms, and you’ve probably spent some time googling, guessing, and asking yourself, seriously, WTF?!? We have no clue who came up with most of them (or when, or why) but we’re sick of seeing them, because (IMHO) they’re lame and, well, we thought we could do better. So before you…
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Curated: Girls Weekend Getaway to Ste Anne’s Spa
Just a short 90 minute drive east of Toronto, sits the quaintest little destination spa that you ever did see. Ste Anne’s Spa, situated on over 400 acres of pristine Ontario farmland, with lush rolling hills and views of Lake Ontario, was exactly what the doctor ordered; a quiet girls weekend in the countryside to rejuvenate our over-stimulated city brains, complete with indulgent eats, rest, relaxation, and naturally, some pampering. Here’s a recap of our weekend getaway to Ste Anne’s Spa: We arrived at around 2pm on a wet and foggy day, but we refused to let the weather spoil our mood. After finding a parking spot, we left our…
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Do Our Kids Have An ADHD Problem, Or Is It The Teachers?
Long before the ferocious rise of the fidget spinner as of late, the ADHD debate has been a hot topic bubbling in the mommy community for decades, where it’s central controversy prevails … to medicate, or not to medicate? Statistics suggest that approximately 11% of school-age kids are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which is characterized by lack of focus, impulsivity, and difficulty regulating executive functions. ADHD is most commonly diagnosed using empirical methods; practical and standardized testing, puzzles, interviews, and feedback from the parents or teacher. In most cases (roughly 75%), the teacher suggests to the parents that their child should be tested, because he or she…
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Cannabis Debunked: 7 Alternative Facts
If you haven’t taken a stab at skimming through C-45 (aka. The Cannabis Act), the new draft-bill being handed down by the Canadian government in preparation for next year’s proposed legalization, here’s a small spoiler; it stinks. Some might say it’s better than nothing, but in many ways, it’s actually far worse than the status quo, in terms of the restrictions it aims to impose and the millions of citizens it will continue to criminalize. While they may be calling it “legalization”, most members of the Canadian cannabis community have already dubbed it “prohibion 2.0”. If you recall, Justin Trudeau campaigned on a promise to end the harmful arrests of…
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Curated: Girls Weekend Getaway to The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa
I must admit, I’ve been spoiled. My entire life, I’ve had a family cottage, and my summers have always included the post-card-worthy scenery of Muskoka Lakes as their backdrop. That being said, I had never experienced Muskoka as a ‘tourist’, and certainly never in April. Our cottage, built in the 40’s, isn’t winterized. Our season ends Thanksgiving weekend, when the wind starts getting colder and the leaves change colours, and we pack away the canoes and water noodles until the Victoria Day long weekend. So when Erin suggested a girls weekend getaway to the (typically) summer vacation destination, I was all ears. The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa by JW Marriott,…
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We The Fentons: Views From The Family Vlog
Like many kids these days, my 10 year old son Chase is addicted to Youtube. He’s only allowed to use the iPad on weekends, in common spaces of the house (ie. not alone in his bedroom), and with strict filtering mode enabled (of course), and if it were up to him, he’d do it all day. Sometimes it’s to watch a shark fighting an octopus (you’d be surprised who wins), sometimes it’s America’s Funniest Home Video –esque bloopers, but the majority of the time he’s either looking up game cheats, or literally watching someone else playing a video game… weird right? In fact, sometimes I think he enjoys watching gaming videos even more than…
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Curated: Girls Weekend Getaway To Prince Edward County
The Canada Day long weekend is barely behind us, and it already feels like the summer is rushing by, yet we are still daydreaming about our perfect girls weekend getaway to Prince Edward County. PEC, dubbed ‘the new Niagara’ by some, boasts over 40 wineries, all set amongst quaint towns and historic sights, nestled along the beautiful shores of Lake Ontario (just 2 hours east of Toronto). And there is a lot more to do than just tasting wine (not that we needed more)… from breath-taking beaches, to boating, hiking, cycling, and a selection of local farm-to-table goodness, there is something for the whole family. We decided a girls roadtrip was…
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MLM Schemes: May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favour
We all know at least one person who’s relentlessly tried to pitch us their multi-level marketing (MLM) “opportunity”. You may have even attended a pitch party or two (even if it was just to be a supportive friend). Whether it’s Avon, Mary Kay, Herbalife or Amway, the pitch usually sounds something like this: “Do you want to take control of your life and be your own boss? To empower yourself and earn extra income? I decided to transform my life, and you can too.” It sounds too good to be true… And that’s probably because it is. While the products these companies pedal may vary from cosmetics and health supplements to vacation packages,…
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How We Made A DIY Chalkboard
For years I’ve held onto this stunning old gold wooden frame that once housed a beautiful landscape oil painting over my grandparent’s mantel. I always loved the frame, but given its size, I could never find the right piece of art to fit it, so it just sat collecting dust in our basement, until one day recently it finally hit me… we should just make our own art. And thus – a fun family project was born. I picked up all the supplies we needed at our local Home Depot, and we were ready to transform our main kitchen wall into a blank canvas for silly doodles, sweet notes, grocery…
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It’s no small world: How to do Disney like a pro
It’s the happiest place on earth, but it’s no small world (after all). Amassing 27,258 acres, Walt Disney World, Orlando, is basically a small city. With 4 Major theme parks, 2 water parks, 34 resorts, over 300 restaurants, 5 golf courses, and world class shopping, entertainment and nightlife, it’s easy to get caught up in all the magic. Growing up I was blessed with a dad who just loved everything Disney, and stayed authentic to his inner Peter Pan mantra, “I won’t grow up”, by taking us on repeat family adventures, and is now reliving the joy all over again with his grandkids. So if you’re planning that trip to Orlando, and you’re not…
