Reading for Playhouse Disney Canada

I was invited by Moms Central Canada to read at Erin Mills Town Centre. There was a great spot set up for kids to colour, play, watch and listen.

Here is a copy of the book I was reading from the Stella and Sam series. Check it out the show that is coming to Playhouse Disney Canada in January  http://www.radsheep.com/stellasam.html

M and I reading before the reading! Like mother, like daughter.

Doing my best! I was a little nervous and didn't know what to think or expect. The Playhouse Disney crew was great and very welcoming.

Lots of kids taking part and getting a special sneak peek at the new show Stella and Sam. I can't wait to see it on Playhouse Disney Canada!


**I received books as a gift and will be compensated for my time by Playhouse Disney Canada 

Hitting the Con!

So I am heading off to my first social media/networking conference. It is not because I haven't wanted to go before, it just never worked out. I find it hard to make it to many of the conferences because of the hours that I work and I would rather take vacation time for family and friends rather than work. But this conference is during the day which is perfect for me. ShesConnected Conference is bringing 100 connected women together to talk and listen and learn.


ShesConnected is a full day, hands-on conference and workshop to connect top brands with Canada’s most influential and powerful digital women. "Brands are sponsoring this event so that selected digital women attend for free. In exchange, digital women attending will gain insights on how to best work with brands, receive great swag, and get connected with other great women."

I was thrilled that I was chosen to attend. I think it will be a great chance to meet some really fantastic women and learn about brands and social media. I hope I can share what I learn with everyone here and on twitter. Look for updates next week.

Wordless Wednesday - Oldies But Goodies

When News has a Happy Ending

I have worked in news for many years. I don't want to age myself too much but let's just say that it is more than 10 years. There are some stories that just stay with you forever, stories like 9-11 and the day the war in Afghanistan started, and then there are those powerful local stories that just tug at your heart strings. Recently I had the pleasure of playing a part in one of those tug-at-your-heart stories.

Back at the end of September on a Thursday night I got a call from a man saying that his 87 year old father was missing. He had been missing since the day before when he never returned from a visit to his doctor's office. The man told me about how his father had called to say that he got lost but that he got directions and would be home soon and then they didn't hear from him again. This man told me how his father always listened to our radio station and that they hoped if we did a story he might hear it and call home or one of our dedicated listeners would hear the story and call police when they spotted the man and his car. After a short bit of investigation I discovered a police release had been issued and so we called back to do an interview with the missing man's son. We quickly got a story together and on the air in the hopes that this great human interest story would come to a happy ending. Hours went by and we didn't hear anything. And so my night came to a close and I went home.

The next day I came into work not knowing how the story had ended. After a brief search in our system I discovered the missing 87 year old man had been found and he was now safe. He apparently become disoriented and confused, ending up several kilometers away from his home. His car was out of gas and he was about to spend a second night in his car. It was one of our listeners that reportedly heard the story and spotted the car and license plate and then called police.

I was able to call the man's son back and express my happiness that things had ended well and that the family was back together. It was an emotional phone call. He was emotional and it brought me to tears. He told me that he believed that I saved his fathers life by taking his call, not blowing him off and actually taking action. I have since received an email with an update and several lovely pictures of his dad and mom together. And then tonight I got this....

It was a basket full of all sorts of goodies from the family. It makes my heart feel good to know something that I did  helped someone, that somehow what I do every day actually impacts someone. These kinds of experiences are invaluable. I have learned so much about myself through helping this family. I have learned how important individual stories are to the fabric of a city, about how important good news stories are to me as a journalist and as a person and a mother....and so much more. It also reminded me of all the things I  have to be thankful for....especially family.

Wordless Wednesday - At the Farm

The kids at Springridge Farm for birthday party & Fall Festival

My Recent Absence

It seems like forever since I posted a blog update. And to be honest the past several weeks have been a bit of a blur.

The first two weeks of September were just hard. I had one daughter starting grade 2. She was off to school every day. Perfect. I also had my youngest daughter starting SK. She was off to school, well, what seemed to be never. Our school board does something called graduated entry. They think it is best for the kindie kids to enter the school slowly and so they only go to school in a staggered way.  The first day was only a visit, and then the next week my daughter went for a 20 minute visit. Several days later she went for a couple of hours until finally on September 17th she finally went off for her first full day of school. It really did seem like it took forever for that day to arrive. Not that I wanted her to be off all day it was just hard trying to manage one in school and one waiting to go to school.

Finally I have a routine. Both kids were off at school and I could finally get a home routine in place. Right. Wrong. The first full week of school for both kids and I got really sick. There is an early flu going around my work and guess who got it. Right . ME! So I was off work a couple of days trying to shake it and get better but instead what happens? I get the stomach flu. Nice. So stuffed up nose and cough wasn't enough, I had to be throwing up too! ( sorry I know probably too much information but it had to be said). So one day off work turned into four days off.

Once I got better I was hoping for a nice quiet week but that is not what I got. The following week I had to deal with something that is possibly a mother's worst nightmare, especially a mother to two little girls with a full head of thick curly hair. Yes, you are thinking it aren't you. Yes LICE. It is a taboo topic for a lot of Mom's and Dad's. Many feel embarrassed about it. Which is  the wrong approach. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. As I have just learned from my experience it is every where... and I mean EVERY WHERE. The schools are full of it and it is rampant. Dozens of kids...in our school are dealing with itor have been dealing with it ...and that means so are the Mom's. It was a difficult week but we made it.

So, that is why I haven't been posting as much lately. I am hoping to get back on track. I have a lot swirling around this brain of mine and I hope to get writing about it soon.