The January blues, aka post-holiday depression, seasonal depression, winter blues, or what I like to call temporary insanity, can be a common occurrence after the festive season comes to an end. It's natural to feel a little down after the excitement and celebration of the holidays but add in the shorter days, some extra weight many of us carry into the new year, and temperatures as cold as a witches tit, and it's no wonder we're collectively depressed. As we inch closer to Blue Monday, the …
Far and Away, “Come From Away” is the Best Musical Out There
Come from Away, currently playing at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa through Broadway Across Canada, tells the true story of how the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, welcomed and supported passengers and crew of planes that were diverted there on September 11, 2001. For 22 years, people around the globe have been inspired by this remarkable tale, but here at home in Canada, we're not only inspired, but proud to claim Newfoundlanders as our own. Canadians are known worldwide for their …
Make Memories, Not Stuff: Unique Experience Gifts for Christmas
Welp, you've gone and done it now. The big day is just around the corner but you’ve procrastinated too long and now Amazon can’t even get to you in time. That's a good thing, because this is your opportunity to blow Christmas out of the water with experience gifts that will be remembered long after that thing-a-ma-bob you almost bought in a panic. Why Experience Gifts are Better Than Traditional Presents Whenever my kids or partner ask me what I'd like for a gift, I give one of two …
The Gift of Giving, Secret Santa with a Twist
This year my friend group added Secret Santa with a twist to our annual Favourite Things Party. The twist was that all gifts for the exchange had to be something our inner 8 year olds would have wanted. The best part was that the toys would be making their way to kids in need the next day. We all know by now that it's better to give than receive but what made this Secret Santa with a twist even more enjoyable was that we were able to give, receive, and then give again. This, my friends, is …
How to Host a White Elephant “Favourite Things” Party
White elephant parties are growing in popularity as the cost of goods soar, and buying individual gifts for all of your friends would require a lottery win. Let's face it, it can be pretty expensive trying to be Santa to everyone. In case, you've never heard of it, a white elephant party is a type of gift exchange in which each guest brings a wrapped, usually gag or joke, gift to a gathering. The origin of the name comes from the idiom “a white elephant” which means an expensive and unnecessary …
