This Mom Loves

For years, I've purchased sunglasses with single-digit price tags. Why pay more when I may just lose them, right? The problem is, it's pretty rare for me to lose my sunglasses. Much more often they break or scratch...um, could quality be a factor?

That said, I'm certainly not in a position to pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars for designer sunglasses. I need a happy medium!

Enter Clearly. While they also offer contact lenses and prescription eyewear, thanks to the joy of LASIK I don't need those anymore! I was, however, very interested in their affordable selection of designer sunglasses, including Christian Siriano, Nina Ricci, Marc by Marc Jacob, Oakley, Ray-Ban, John Galliano and more!

I was thrilled when Clearly offered to send me two pairs of sunglasses to try out...especially because they carry the exact same pair worn by Kate, Duchess of Cambridge. (You may have read about my interest in the RepliKate trend a few weeks ago.)

Their website is easy to navigate and is very informative: I actually learned sunglasses have specific measurements (something I had never realized when buying eight dollar pairs!) and one pair I ordered ended up being a bit wide on my face (I still loved the look, but the arms didn't sit as snugly as I would have liked) so it's important to check out the measurements of the sunglasses which are listed with the product description, especially when ordering online when you don't have the chance to try them on.

My sunglasses shipped really quickly, arriving one day apart, and even the packaging was appealing (plus, they came with attractive, sturdy cases...never included with my cheapies!):

Now, what I chose!

Derek Cardigan 7014, part of Clearly's in-house designer line (as a teacher, I thought the little multiplication and division signs were particularly apropos).

Next: the Ray-Ban Folding Wayfarer Classic in Tortoise,,,as often worn by the Duchess of Cambridge (formerly Kate Middleton) herself!

No, that's not me, silly! That's the other Kate.

This one is me!

I've been extremely happy with the quality of the products, and now that I have both black and tortoise, maybe I'll never have to buy another pair of sunglasses again! (Okay, that might be stretching it.) Check out Clearly for your own eyewear needs!

Disclosure: I was provided with two pairs of sunglasses by Clearly for review purposes. Opinions are, as always, my own.

The reason you haven't heard from me much this month is of course because my new favourite thing is....

Our Kindergarten Classroom

The start of the school year is always a whirlwind, and the switch to kindergarten has added in a huge learning curve for me, but I think we're finding our groove! A couple of little highlights:

The interactive word wall. The kids and their families sent in pictures to go with their assigned letters, and it really helped give them ownership and add to the enthusiasm for the wall. It will just be used for names and age-appropriate sight words, but I still think a word wall is important for the classroom. It has already been rearranged since this picture was taken, as we have seven "K" names in the class and needed to adapt the space!

Our new classroom carpet. The saga of ordering and waiting for this piece of beauty is a story in itself, but long story short: we now have a wonderful spot where each of our 29 students can have their own space when we gather, and a soft, cozy place to sit and play for all of our open blocks of the day.

Cross Country

We have lots of staff members at our school willing to pitch in, so my big coaching commitment begins and ends in the fall with Cross Country. This year our 90-member team once again achieved amazing results, and my girls' hard work paid off as well, with Liv bringing home gold and Eva bronze. I'm so proud of everyone, not for running ability (though that helps) but for their determination and their sportsmanship.

Fall Decorating

If you know me, you know I love the heat, and I'm always sad to see summer go. However, I do get excited about seasonal decorations, and being at my mom's house last week really got me inspired. Here's a selection of her festive touches.

Great Kids' Book

I was sent a copy of The STEM Club Goes Exploring (from the My Future Story series) for review, and it's fantastic. While it's picture-book style, there's a lot of rich text on each page, so it's not a read-aloud, but instead a fun way for growing kids (I'd say 8+) to explore different career possibilities. Diverse boys and girls are represented in the detailed illustrations, and the book offers a great age-appropriate overview of the huge range of amazing options for kids who love STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). We know that girls may need added encouragement to pursue their passions in these areas, so it would be a great gift for a little lady in your life - or a little gentleman, of course!

Entertainment

If you're usually drawn to these posts for my book and movie recos, I'm sorry to disappoint you! I don't have one non-professional grownup book to recommend this month (I tried and abandoned a couple of works of fiction), but I did see one great movie: Bridget Jones's Baby. I learned, from my fellow movie-goers, that not everyone is a Mark Darcy fan (what is wrong with you people?) and believe it or not the fact that 2016 Renee Zellweger doesn't look identical to 2004 Renee Zellweger (from the last Bridget movie) did not ruin the film for me. If you haven't read her Huffington Post piece, you must.

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Just a final note that when life doesn't leave time for full blog posts, I do a lot of micro-blogging on social media, so if you want to be sure to get all my updates, I'd love for you to follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I also do a lot of flash giveaways and you have to follow to enter and win! Thanks!

I'm always interested when my TV personality friends put their support behind causes or companies, and when ET Canada's Cheryl Hickey let me know that she was the spokesperson for a worthwhile new product called KidsWifi, I immediately wanted to share it with my readers.

Here's how it works: KidsWifi provides your children with their own plug-in-and-go online network (using your home internet connection) which filters, monitors and controls all of their (or their visiting friends') online devices in your home: iPods, tablets, computers, game consoles, it's all covered.

Through the Parents' Dashboard you can set KidsWifi to filter adult and mature content, social networks, gambling, illegal downloads, ads, even Google searches and YouTube videos. It can be automatically turned off at bedtime, and you can even disable it through your phone if you want the kids offline for a period of time. You can also review the sites your kids have visited (by each device); a very helpful feature to spark discussions.

When kids are really young (as Cheryl's are) KidsWifi can be helpful for making sure they don't accidentally stumble upon undesirable content. As children get older, and conversations are ongoing about what's appropriate (in terms of videos, social media use, amount of time online) you can gradually release responsibility as your kids earn it by adjusting the settings. They still maintain some privacy, as activity inside a site or app (e.g., messages sent or received) is not recorded. KidsWifi can handle dozens of devices at once, while devices on your regular ("grown up") network are unaffected, unfiltered and run at regular speed.

At one point we took internet browsing off our younger daughter's iPod, as she loves to look up videos for the songs she hears on the radio, but some of them were just not appropriate. With KidsWifi, the device could be set to run only on YouTube Restricted mode, blocking the more mature content. You can even make personalized exceptions to block or unblock a particular site for the whole network or a specific device (helpful if you have kids of different ages hooked up).

Here's what official spokesperson Cheryl Hickey has to say:

“Take it from me – a busy mom, wife, entrepreneur and host of ET Canada. I can’t monitor my kids’ screen-time 24/7. KidsWifi enables me to provide my kids with the joy of the Internet, with the peace of mind knowing they're safe while surfing and I can set the boundaries of when it is time to shut down and head outside!"

The price for this peace of mind: a one-time cost of $99. Plug it in and go. (There's even a great "Support" page right on their website if you have any technical questions.)

Thanks for sharing this with me Cheryl! I think KidsWifi is going to be a great resource for parents.

As our kids prepared to return to school—or attend for the very first time—I'm sure we were all diligent about school supplies, lunch containers, indoor shoes, and maybe even some new clothing. But how many of us remembered to make sure our children were up-to-date on their vaccinations?

Now, I know there are moms out there who have mixed or negative feelings about vaccines. One of my very first interviews for This Mom Loves was with a doctor whose medical expertise I trust wholeheartedly. I asked her what she thought, and this was her reply:

"Vaccinations are the biggest improvement to public health after handwashing for prevention of disease, so I'm a pro-vaccine advocate. There is evidence now that there is no link between any vaccines and autism and the safety and efficacy data on the vaccines that we use are excellent, so I am a great pro-vaccinator. I encourage my parents to understand that primary prevention is your best strategy, and this whole concept that getting a disease makes the immune system tougher—there is no science behind that at all."

I also have mom friend who is also a doctor, and whose children are similar ages to mine, and I have followed her lead when it comes to vaccinating our children—which is to say that we've followed Ontario’s publicly funded immunization schedule thoroughly.

Parents are naturally concerned about any medication being given to their children, and the Ontario immunization site says this about vaccine safety:

"In Canada, we have very strict controls for making vaccines. All vaccines are tested to make sure they are both safe and effective. The most common side effects are mild pain, swelling and redness where the injection was given.

Some infant vaccines may cause a low-grade fever (approximately 38°C) or fussiness for a day or 2 after the injection. Doctors may recommend acetaminophen to prevent fever and pain. Serious side effects are rare."

While it's very important to keep our newborns and babies safe from disease, school entry is another essential time to make sure your child is protected...and will also not infect his or her classmates (especially vulnerable children who may not be able to be vaccinated themselves for medical reasons).

In order to attend school in Ontario, children must be immunized against tetanus, diphtheria, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, meningococcal disease and whooping cough (unless they have a valid exemption). Cost is not an issue: vaccines in the routine schedule are provided free of charge.

A piece of parenting advice, now that my girls are 10 and 8: make sure you bring your children's immunization cards with you every time you go to the doctor for a vaccination. It was current when I registered my girls for school, as I had to show proof of their immunizations. After that when they returned for further vaccines, there were a couple of times I didn't have the card on me and didn't worry about it because I knew the doctor's office would always have the records.

Then, when my daughters were in school, I received notices that their immunization records weren't up-to-date at our local health unit (because doctor's offices don't update those records), and I needed to send proof of the vaccinations to them, which I then had to get from the doctor. Not a big deal, but a minor inconvenience that could have been avoided if I had been diligent about bringing the immunization cards with me, and letting the Health Unit know afterwards.

As children get older, vaccines are also offered for meningococcal disease, Hepatitis B and human papilloma virus (HPV). There was an expert on Your Morning this week discussing how HPV rates have seen a huge decline over the past ten years since the introduction of that vaccine, which is pretty amazing. Also, don't forget there are necessary boosters for teens and adults, too, so check out Ontario's Routine Immunization Schedule to be sure everyone in the family is fully immunized...including the parents!

Here you see my beautiful girls on the first day of school: new outfits, backpacks stocked...and fully immunized to be safe from disease.

Disclosure: This post was developed in association with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The opinions are my own.

While I haven't yet stocked up on any of the Duchess of Cambridge's looks from the 2016 Canada Tour, I have had fun with a few RepliKates since I last updated my dear readers! (Though if you follow on Instagram, you probably saw all of these in real time!)

EARRINGS

Earrings from D Baker Jewelry on Etsy (bottom, under $40), replicas of Kate's Kiki McDonough Lauren Yellow Gold Pave Diamond Leaf Earrings (top; roughly $3600 Canadian). I've worn them several times a week since they came in the mail - love them!

MAKEUP

While in Toronto on the holidays, I made an appointment at Sephora for a Custom Makeover (free with minimum $50 purchase). The makeup artist (Khadijah) and I discussed my goals (to try out and report on some of Kate Middleton's favourite items) and it was a lot of fun! Of course I wasn't worried about replicating the Duchess's exact shades of products (although we do have similar colouring).

We know for a fact, through sources directly at Bobbi Brown, that Kate has worn the brand (including on her wedding day, when she did her own makeup!) Some other companies have confirmed that she has bought or worn their products, and on occasion she has even been spotted making a purchase. (Lots of info on my favourite Kate site, What Would Kate Do?)

So, in good fun, I tried out the following:

Urban Decay Naked Eye Shadow Palette (which I didn't end up purchasing, because I have almost all of the same colours at home by different companies...and I'm not made of money!)

Bobbi Brown foundation stick
Bobbi Brown creamy matte lip colour
Bobbi Brown lip gloss

Lancome Kohl Eye-Liner (recommended by the makeup artist over the Kohl Le Crayon, likely worn by the other Kate, which the pro finds drier and harder to apply)

There were many other products used to create the look above, but I ended up buying the three Bobbi Brown items as well as the eyeliner, which I really liked. (I already have a great mascara, blush, etc. at home.)

In the future, I'd still like to try out the Bobbi Brown Shimmer brick, Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer (seems like a quick and easy school-day product), and a bee venom mask that doesn't cost more than a mortgage payment.

SHOES

When in need of new running shoes, of course I wondered, "What would Kate wear?" Some quick research indicated that her latest sneaker appearance involved a pair of Adidas Pure Boost X trainers...which of course immediately sold out. However, someone on eBay happened to be offering up the exact same pair (in my size!), and I won the auction, paying much less than the regular selling price. They're funky-looking shoes in person (you can actually put your finger right through the area under the foot and above the sole of the shoe!) and SOOOO comfy.

SCARF

Again, I "needed" a neutral-looking scarf as the cold weather approaches...so why not go with the exact same one Kate wore on her very first visit to Canada? Here's my new Aquascutum Club Check scarf, and a grainy photo of Kate sporting hers while out on the Canadian water.

SWEATER

While I haven't yet copied any of Kate's style from last month's royal visit, once again she copied mine - which proves to me that I have chosen the right style icon! She was seen in a nice cozy red sweater, similar to the Joe Fresh version I've been wearing for over a year!

Until next time!

On September 25th, HGTV Canada premiered a fun new series with Bryan and Sarah Baeumler called Bryan, Inc., where the powerhouse couple buys and renovates two homes for a profit while balancing their busy home life with four active kids: “Q” (11), Charlotte (10), Lincoln (5) and Jojo (3).

Since I always love to pick the brains of my favourite TV personalities, I was happy to have the chance to fire some questions at both halves of this duo. Here's what they had to say, starting with Bryan himself.

What would you say really sets Bryan Inc. apart from your other series?

Bryan Inc. is really the natural evolution of the House of Bryan series, but we’re not building our own home, this series focuses on two of our ‘spec’ builds through Baeumler Quality Construction. Sarah has been involved in our construction and other businesses for the past 15 years – now we’re just filming more of her role, and giving her a little more responsibility by actually being on site more and directing traffic on a few of the jobs. It’s an inside look into our business, our relationship and our family – with no holds barred!

How did Sarah handle working with you as "the boss"?

Let’s just say this is a bit of a role reversal…at home, Sarah is definitely the leader of the pack. She keeps the kids, the house, and our lives organized and running smoothly. I have no idea how she does it all, but when she’s away for a day and I have our 4 kids and a household to organize, I definitely miss her! On the business side, Sarah’s handled the transition very well – we try to keep our working relationship at the office, but of course there’s times when our two lives collide. We try to keep it lighthearted and have a lot of fun at work.

Moms always get asked about balance, so I'm throwing this question to you instead: can you think of a time when you've had "Dad guilt", or felt like work was keeping you from something important with the family? How do you resolve that?

Of course – I feel guilty all the time, but I try not to beat myself up about it! I learned quite young from my parents that in order to provide for your family, you have to make sacrifices. It’s impossible to be home all the time, and be the perfect parent every day. I’m not sure you can ever spend enough time with your family…but they need a place to live, they need to eat, and I feel a duty to provide them with the best opportunities I can to grow up happy, and be successful in their own lives. Sarah and I get asked how we balance everything all the time – and the honest answer is that we don’t! I don’t think anyone really ever achieves total balance – the scales are always moving, I think you just have to adapt and refocus your attention on the areas that need it, when they need it, and do your best. Life is too unpredictable for balance. Or maybe that is the balance?!

How would you finish the sentence "This Dad loves..."?

This Dad loves Purdy’s chocolate hedgehogs, scuba diving, Biltong (South African air dried beef from Florence Meats Butcher Shop), Sarah’s baked salmon (YUM!), Jack Daniels and Coke, Islamorada (Florida Keys) and the 30,000 Islands of Georgian Bay.

Now on to Sarah (a woman after my own heart, by the way, who gets her caffeine fix from diet cola instead of coffee):

The press release says that Bryan is the boss on this new show. How did you deal with that? Did any work issues spill over into home life?

Bryan and I have been working together for over 10 years in some capacity, both on camera and off, so the relationship between boss and co-worker is often blurred! We have always been partners both at home and at the office but we also have our own interests, independent of one another, which allows us to remain individuals. Truly, you only have to ask our four children who the real boss is in our household!!!

From one lifestyle blogger to another, I'm curious to know what you think the highlights and low points of blogging are?

The Sarah Baeumler website has given me an opportunity to engage with other women who have similar interests. It is an amazing accomplishment to finish a blog with the satisfaction of knowing I have shared something very personal that may also resonate well with others. I have enjoyed receiving feedback from all of my followers and readers. That being said, it can sometimes be a challenge to find the time to sit down and put my thoughts into words after a long day on set.

With four kids, I'm sure back-to-school was a busy time for you! Any tips to offer parents for managing school routines, paperwork, etc.?

Stay organized! Our family uses a shared Google calendar that helps Bryan and I keep track of who is where. I try hard to stay on top of things by preparing in advance for the upcoming week rather than running around frantically the night before. But inevitably, best laid plans…

How would you finish the sentence "This Mom loves..."?

This Mom loves all things chocolate

This Mom loves carbohydrates

This Mom loves hot yoga

This Mom loves scuba diving with Bryan and Quintyn

This Mom loves building sandcastles with Josephine on the beach

This Mom loves escaping to New York City for a weekend away!

Thanks for opening up, Bryan and Sarah!

Now, one lucky Canadian This Mom Loves reader will win a great prize package from the Baeumlers, consisting of:

One Sarah Delivered box featuring items personally selected by Sarah (if you're interested, these boxes are for sale every month)
One autographed Measure Twice book from Bryan

The contents of the winner's Sarah Delivered box will be different, but just to give you an idea of how packed with great products they are, here is what I received in her "Revive" box (kindly sent by HGTV Canada):

Please fill out the following form to enter to win, with bonus entries for following HGTV Canada on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and following This Mom Loves on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The contest will end Thursday, October 20th at midnight Eastern, after which time a winner will be chosen by random number generation.

Good luck, and be sure to catch Bryan, Inc. on Sundays at 10 pm ET/PT on HGTV!

With the spooky occasion almost upon us, I'm sharing these helpful holiday tips from Sharon Schweitzer, an international etiquette expert, author and founder of Protocol and Etiquette Worldwide. (And just for the visual appeal, I'm also sharing some of my girls' best Halloween moments!)

- Select Appropriate Costumes: Costumes that represent a culture, race, ethnic or religious group or someone with a serious illness, poverty or other hardship, are inappropriate. Sexually explicit costumes and those mocking LGBT or gender identity encourage negativity. During this election year, American public political figures are certainly on the table; expect to see Clinton and Trump.

- Age Appropriateness: While many adults enjoy Halloween dress up, remember this is mostly a children’s holiday. What your teenager might wear, is not a good fit for a first-grade Halloween party. Gage the costume based on your child’s age, and the age of his or her peers. Even if you think your young child might be able to handle dressing up as Freddy Krueger, it might be too much for his or her friends.

- Candy Alternatives: Traditional chocolate or sugar-laced candies are always a hit. With more health conscious parents, consider sealed mini bottled water, pre-packaged popcorn, coloring books, pre-packaged healthy snacks, small inexpensive toys, or pens/pencils.

- If You Don’t Want Anyone To Ring Doorbell or Knock: By simply turning off the outside lights, you will alert trick or treaters to skip your house and go on to the next. As an option, consider leaving a bowl of candy by the front door. Putting the car in the garage may also remove the question of whether someone is home.

- Knock One Time and One Time Only: If no one answers, move on to the next house. There’s no need to be excessive and knock 10 times. The homeowner might be on an important call or trying to help a baby to sleep. On a related note: know when it’s appropriate to knock. Trick or treating generally starts just before sunset and ends by 9 p.m.

- No Homemade Treats: While it’s a nice thought to want to bake homemade Halloween treats, don’t do it. Parents have heightened safety concerns for good reason, and will discard these items. Buy pre-packaged candy from trusted brands like Hershey, M and M, Skittles, Dove and Reese’s.

- Teach Your Kids Manners: Halloween is a great opportunity to teach your kids manners, such as greeting and thanking each homeowner who gives them candy. Explain to older kids and teenagers that bullying and pushing smaller kids out of the way won’t be tolerated. When they encounter a bowl of candy at the door, make sure they are considerate and only take one or two pieces. Be sure they respect private property, including homeowner decorations, and don’t leave unwanted candy or wrappers on lawns.

- Never Arrive Empty-Handed: Anyone invited to a Halloween party does not arrive empty handed. Bring a small hostess gift such as tea towels, diffuser, candle, coasters, fresh fruit, wine, packaged sweets, or children’s game.

- Office and School Policies: Office culture varies, so be sure to research your workplace policy. Ask a trusted colleague about the ‘unwritten rules’. Some offices encourage tasteful costumes, while others frown upon the practice. Education policies vary, so don’t assume children may wear their costumes to school. In many school districts, costumes are prohibited for safety reasons. Double check and don’t assume.

- Stay Safe: Younger children should always be accompanied by parents or a designated chaperone. Older children and teens should trick or treat as part of a group. Never enter someone’s home you don’t know, no matter how nice they seem. Carry a flashlight and mobile phone. Follow your intuition and if you have a bad feeling about something, avoid it.

Thanks, Sharon!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Today I was hit with a realization: unless you follow me on social media, you have no idea that there is a new member of the Winn household!

Let's start at the beginning, shall we? In the middle of September, Olivia and I went to pick Eva up from a playdate at a friend's home...where we were introduced to their litter of baby bunnies.

During this meeting, I was asked to take photographs to "send to Daddy to convince him!" (Little did they know that Daddy needed less convincing than Mommy.)

After a lot of research (the Facebook kind and the expert kind, of varying weights in my mind) and lots of patient advice from my friend and happy indoor-bunny-owner Jen, we actually made the monumental decision to allow the girls their first pet. (Liv has no memory of our beautiful yellow lab, Belle.) There are so many benefits of pet ownership for kids, which I won't list here, and at this point we realized they are actually old enough to do most of the caretaking associated with owning a bunny...plus they've been begging for years, and they really are wonderful, responsible young girls (if I do say so myself).

We called dibs on a grey male (if there was one in the litter; it was too early to tell the sex of the bunnies at the time) and waited for our potential pet to be ready to leave its mother.

In the meantime, we spent over $300 preparing for our free bunny: starter kit including cage, food dish, water bottle, food pellets, hay, wood pellets (recommended by a friend as a litter), litter box, chew toys, brush...I'm sure I'm leaving something out.

Finally the day arrived when we could bring our bunny home. Compared to a new puppy, Thumper (creative, I know) transitioned quite easily. He didn't want to eat or drink the first day, but then decided it was safe and hasn't stopped since. He's the quietest pet you could imagine - another plus in my mind.

I was worried about having a pet smell in the house and - while perhaps I have just become desensitized to it - the only time I notice a scent is when urine-soaked litter goes too long without being emptied. The bunny himself has no smell, nor do I notice anything from his "droppings".

After only a few weeks, Thumper is actually doing quite well with litter training too - yes, you can litter train a bunny! Strategic placement within the cage is crucial: bunnies like to, um, eliminate while they munch on their food, so we arranged things so that his butt is in the litter tray whenever he's eating from his food dish or hay manger, and it really seems to help, as we hardly ever find droppings elsewhere in the cage now.

He's a super cuddly bunny and loves to be held, which is exactly what the girls were hoping for in a pet. While I've read that caged bunnies should have at least three hours of play outside of the cage each day, I have to admit we haven't worked up to that time yet...though now Thumper does come out to play for frequent short periods on the kitchen floor, where I know we can act quickly if he forgets to wait for the litter box (though so far, so good).

Recently Thumper celebrated his first Halloween with us...and the girls insisted that he needed his own costume!

While I swore that we would not be spending ridiculous money on a pet, we do plan to have him neutered in the new year when he's old enough, as we've heard that can have really positive effects.

So, is anyone else out there as shocked as I am that I just devoted an entire post to a pet? What's next, cooking posts?

It's true: flu season is upon us. Coughs, chills, aches, fever, fatigue, and runny or stuffy noses...who says it's the most wonderful time of the year? It's hard to say what's worse as a mom: getting sick yourself, taking care of a sick child, or taking care of a sick husband.

But never fear! Getting the flu this year is not a foregone conclusion. The obvious preventative measure, of course, is getting a flu shot (we’ll be heading to Shoppers Drug Mart very soon) since 70 – 90% of flu cases can be averted through vaccinations.

In addition, there are several ways we can try to boost our immunity to stay healthy, contract fewer illnesses and bounce back faster when we do.

Not smoking, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight (check, check, and check) and eating a healthy diet (hey, no one's perfect!) are all lifestyle choices that can improve immunity.

Today, however, I'd like to wax lyrical about my favourite healthy habit: getting enough sleep!

Sleep is so important for adults, and experts say that sleep deprivation can actually suppress immune system function. Obviously when there are special circumstances (e.g., feeding a baby during the night) moms can't all get the recommended eight hours. However I'm always surprised by how many women say that they just don't have time for sleep - not realizing that they would be so much more productive (not to mention healthier) during the day if they had adequate rest.

In a recent issue of Redbook magazine, Dr. Helen Koenig, an instructor of medicine and infectious disease, is quoted as saying, "Sleep allows your immune system to regenerate overnight. While you sleep, your body releases chemicals called cytokines that help you better fight infection...It isn't glamorous or sexy, but it works!"

Speaking of glamorous and sexy, I'm not the only one who believes in the incredible value of sleep. A couple of super-productive and energetic celebrity moms feel the same way as I do. "Sleep is my weapon,” says Jennifer Lopez, “I try to get eight hours a night." Beyonce agrees: "Having peace, happiness and healthiness is my definition of beauty. And you can't have any of that without sleep." If these power women find time for shut-eye, what's our excuse?

Embed from Getty Images

I know it's not always easy, but common recommendations like limiting caffeine and screen time before bed and sleeping in a cool, dark room can really help. (I even tuck my alarm clock under my bed every night so the glow of the screen doesn't disrupt my sleep. For real.)

It's not just parents who need to get enough z's. According to the Canadian Paediatric Society, school-aged children (Kindergarten through Grade 5) should be getting 10 to 12 hours of sleep a night. Do some quick math: start at the time you usually wake your children up in the morning, and count back ten hours. Are they out cold every night by that time? As a teacher, I can't even begin to tell you how important it is that kids come to school well-rested...and not just because of the impact on their immunity.

My girls are both great sleepers (we can have the whole sleep-training discussion later), but my 10-year-old mini-me requires lots of downtime: reading before bed, and then some thinking time in the dark before she actually drifts off and I can officially start counting her sleep time. That means I have to make sure she's in bed well before that invisible 10 hour timer starts ticking.

See? We take sleep very seriously!

I can promise you, much to the amusement of my book club ("It's ten o'clock! Past Kate's bedtime!") I will remain passionate about getting at least eight hours of sleep a night throughout this flu season and beyond. And of course I will be heading to Shoppers Drug Mart as soon as possible to get my flu shot.

Now for a great 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/2016/11/boost-your-immunity-during-flu-season.html
2. A tag for @thismomloves
3. The hashtag #SDMflufighters

For example:

How to boost your immunity with sleep and win a $150 prize pack from @thismomloves
http://thismomloves.blogspot.ca/2016/11/boost-your-immunity-during-flu-season.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 Sunday, November 13th 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.

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 Selfwill 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 Parentmagazine. 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!

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.

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!

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.)

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!

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.

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.

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.

· 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!

When it comes to reading, my biggest piece of advice as both a teacher and a mom would be this: make reading as enjoyable as possible for your child. Start at an early age and help your child to associate books with cuddles and love from a caregiver. As soon as they are old enough, allow them to start choosing reading material (yes, even the same books over and over) in addition to new titles you want to share. Trips to the library or book store can be fun outings, and conversations about stories and characters show your child the value of what they read - because you think it's important enough to talk about!

That said, the time comes for every child (and will be different for each one) when they can begin to learn to read for themselves. It might surprise you to know that there's a lot more to it than letters and sounds - and many ways to continue the fun (even orally) as your child begins to build the necessary skills.

Today, Ruth Rumack (entrepreneur, veteran educator and creator of The Alpha-Mania Adventure Series) shares insights about the different components of reading, and how you can support your children at home.

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When it comes to learning to read, it’s important to identify the “Big 5” essential components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.

Phonemic Awareness

Phonemic awareness is the understanding that words can be broken apart into individual sounds (phonemes). It is important to note that phonemic awareness is an auditory skill; children do not need to know letter shapes and sounds (phonics) to develop basic phonemic awareness.

Phonemic awareness is one of the best predictors of future reading and spelling success. In order to develop phonemic awareness, several skills must be mastered, including rhyming, blending, alliteration, segmenting, and sound manipulation.

To help a child learn rhyming, use books and games that emphasize rhyme. For example, ask your child, “Which words sound the same at the end: sit, back, hit?” With picture cards, have your child match pictures of objects that rhyme.

Blending involves listening to a sequence of separate word parts or phonemes, and combining them to form a word. For example, stretch the sounds in the word sun. Say sss…uuu…nnn, and then have your child blend the sounds together to say the word as a whole, sun. Practicing blending helps a child develop an understanding that words are made up of individual phonemes, a crucial component in learning how to decode, or “sound out” words when reading.

Segmenting is the opposite of blending. For example, say a word aloud, bus, and ask your child to say the word back to you one sound at a time: /b/…/u/…/s/.

To practice identifying alliteration, read stories with alliterative phrases and make note of the repeated sounds. For example, ask your child, “Which words have the same beginning sound: bed, box, kite?”

Manipulating soundswithin words involves deleting a sound from a word, or substituting a sound in a word. To practice deleting a sound from a word, ask your child, “What’s fish without the /f/?” Your child would then answer,“ish”. To practice substituting a sound in a word, ask your child, “Change the first sound in rake to a /l/. What’s the new word?” Your child would then answer, “lake.”

{Ruth's book series focuses on the Big 5 components discussed here}

2. Phonics

Phonics is the understanding that letter symbols represent sounds. It is also referred to as letter-sound correspondence. Magnetic letters and foam letters are great for identifying sounds and building words. Children must understand that specific symbols (letters) match certain sounds (“This letter is a T, it makes the sound /t/”.)

3. Vocabulary

Vocabulary is necessary for comprehension. It’s important to ask a reader to determine the meaning of a word as used in the context of the story.Children should be taught word-learning strategies, such as how to look up words in a dictionary, or how to determine a word’s meaning based on its roots.

4. Fluency

Fluency is the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and proper expression. It is an essential, but often neglected, component of reading.

The most effective approach to improving a child’s fluency is repeated oral reading practice. This might include reading the same story aloud multiple times, practicing lines from a play or reader’s theater, or guided reading instruction in a classroom.

5. Comprehension

Comprehension refers to a rich understanding of the meaning of the reading passage. This includes being able to answer the who, what, where, when and why questions of the text, predicting what might happen next, and summarizing the main idea or message.

Following this list in order will create a confident reader. And remember, it should be fun! Use long car rides to practice blending and segmenting skills, and read Dr. Seuss for some rhyming fun. Happy Reading!

{I love how Ruth mentions Dr. Seuss - we just had a wonderful Trent University Teacher Candidate in the classroom, and he did a great series of mini-lessons on rhyme using Dr. Seuss books. The kids really enjoyed it, and have a much stronger sense of rhyme!}

Ruth Rumack is the founder of Ruth Rumack’s Learning Space and the creator ofThe Alpha-Mania Adventures Series, now available on Amazon, alpha-mania.com, and Ruth Rumack's Learning Space. For more information, connect with Rumack on her website and the series'site, as well as Rumack's Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

Whether it's an official New Year's resolution or not, I'm sure you would love to streamline, organize and simplify your life in 2017...and while there are lots of things I am not good at (let me know if you want to see those in a blog post) I am definitely a skilled organizer. Here are my tried-and-true tips to help make your life easier!

1. Finances: Ensure you're receiving bills by email (as little paper-handling as possible, people) and pay as many as you can using preauthorized debit (or a points-earning credit card whenever the option is available). While I know many are wary of online banking, I couldn't function now without e-transfers, and I am also in love with e-deposits...no more carrying cheques around until I can hit a bank machine!

2. Streamline appointments. Think of the year ahead, and book all routine dental, eye, and immunization appointments for you and your family members, as well as any others that fit your situation. Get them all in your calendar (believe it or not, I'm still in love with using a paper datebook). For years after moving to where I live now, I continued to drive to my former community for the dentist and optometrist, and a few years ago I finally switched to local professionals, which saves a ton of time, especially when appointments are multiplied once kids come into the picture. While I was sad to see my family doctor retire (he actually delivered me) the silver lining is that my new doc is 15 minutes closer and much more convenient.

3. Declutter. Yep, I'm hiding this one in the middle of the list, even though it is almost always my streamlining priority. Get rid of stuff. I know that not everyone gets an actual high from purging clutter like I do (I assume it's like doing drugs, though of course I wouldn't know), but I don't think anyone is immune to the good feeling that comes from paring down belongings. Take the altruistic angle if it helps: donating the clothing, toys, and household items that are no longer being worn or used in your home can help to bring happiness to so many others who may not be in a position to buy everything they need, and getting the kids involved also helps teach them some very valuable lessons about giving. Start as soon as you're done reading this post; just clean out a drawer. Maybe your underwear drawer, maybe the kitchen utensils - no, you don't need six whisks. I swear. Post the before-and-after on social media (maybe not of the underwear drawer, and tag me, of course!) and inspire others to do the same. I have a big donations delivery heading to Vinnie's this week; maybe I'll see you there!

4. Do a digital declutter. If you spend a lot of time looking at your computer screen, that desktop needs to be organized into folders with a nice wallpaper image...and again, delete as much as possible. If you're really ambitious, you can even delve into folders and look for documents and other items that are outdated, which I do about once a year. While some time-management experts don't feel "Inbox Zero" is worth the hype, I keep as little in my inbox as I can. Most emails I receive are deleted as soon as they're read (or even before), others get filed away immediately for future reference, and a precious few remain in my inbox as a to-do list (which, again, some advise against, but it works for me). If it's still in my inbox, whether for my work or personal account, it means I have to do something about it...so I do. You should also unsubscribe from any blogs or newsletters that you don't truly read and enjoy (keeping This Mom Loves, of course!) and brand mailings that you don't actually take advantage of. I even do a social media cleanout every so often, streamlining which accounts I'm following.

5. Simplify lunches. No one knows as well as my colleagues how lazy I am when it comes to lunches, and I have absolutely no leg to stand on when it comes to promoting healthy eating. So when I tell you that you should keep simple snack and lunch items at work, you should take that as fresh-cut fruit and veggies, Greek yogurt and whole-wheat pitas (that's all healthy, right?) when what I really keep handy are a big box of Cheerios, milk, crackers, cheese and huge pack of granola bars...and rarely have to think about what I'm taking for lunch (leftovers are also a big hit, and working at a school gives me the perk of hot lunch days once a week as well!) My husband, however, is great at cooking up chicken breasts, vegetables, rice, etc. on the weekends and freezing individually portioned lunches to pull out each morning before work. Maybe try it his way.

6. Mobilize your children. Unlike the tip above, this one's a definite do-as-I-do. What chores could you train your kids to do at their ages? My daughters are 10 and 8. They've been making their own beds as long as they've been dressing themselves (at first I had to accept less-than-perfection, by now they're actually pretty good) and they also fold and put away their own laundry, load and unload the dishwasher, dust and vacuum their rooms, and do all bunny-related care. When they get in the door after school, they unpack their bags, leaving their agendas, notes, etc. in a designated spot on the counter, before making their lunches for the next day. This they've been doing since Eva started kindergarten and Liv was in grade 1, and they know the rules about what they need to pack. Next it's guitar or piano practice, then singing, and homework as necessary. Rest assured that my girls get tons of free time, and also more valuable time with mommy since I'm not wasting time on jobs they can do themselves. (Speaking also from a teacher's perspective: you're not doing your kids any favours by coddling them.)

I could go on all day about this topic, but I'm getting the urge to purge...so I may head to my closet and see what I haven't been wearing regularly (it's easy to tell, because I have a system where I move items to the right end of the rod once worn...is this gift a blessing or a curse??) I certainly hope these tips are helpful to you, and I'd love to know if you have any other ideas to share!

Hey, what are you doing, about to click on something? You have a drawer to clean out, my friend!

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