Archive - November 2014

1
Best of The Celeb Charity Songs
2
Make A Wish From The Heart…
3
How Do We Protect Our Daughters With Disabilities From Abuse?
4
Why We Got A Cat When I’m Not A Cat Person
5
2 smart ways to keep kids with special needs safer

Best of The Celeb Charity Songs

After hearing the latest celeb benefit song—Band Aid 30—I played the original 1984 version for my son. He wanted to know everything about it… who the singers were, who wrote it, why they wore those headphones, and was I sure that guy (Boy George) was actually a man? And so on… This lead to me showing him other versions including “We Are The World” and the Canadian “Tears Are Not Enough”. If you have a few minutes, take the musical memory walk for yourself and take your kids along! Band Aid—Do They Know It’s Christmas (1984): Written by Bob Geldof & Midge Ure to raise money for relief of the 1983–85 famine in Ethiopia. This will forever be my favourite. Stupidly, it took me several decades to clue in that it’s “There’s a world outside my window, a world of dread and fear” NOT… “a world a stratosphere…” Band Aid II—Do They Know It’s Christmas (1989): Remake featuring Bananarama, Big Fun, Glen Goldsmith, Kylie Minogue, The Pasadenas, Chris Rea, Cliff Richard, Lisa Stansfield, Technotronic, etc. Not as well known but a pretty decent effort. Band Aid 30—Do They Know It’s Christmas (2014): Bob Geldof’s modern day version of ‘Do they[…]

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Make A Wish From The Heart…

As a kid, I went berserk for Barbie. I had the clothes, the camper, multiple Kens…mmmmm, multiple Kens… And now *a few* years later my daughter Avery is playing “Barbies.” Sadly, I didn’t hang on to any of my Barbies (I gave them to a younger neighbour). It’s probably for the best—most of my dolls were bald-ish after I attempted and failed to master the “Dorothy Hamill” haircut. Not only do Avery and I love to play with Barbies, Avery has her own “Barbie My Dreams” account. This post isn’t about that, but I’m sharing because hello… 1. Barbie! 2. It’s free fun. 3. You can play with Barbie clothes and watch the latest “Life in the Dreamhouse” episodes (Hilarious. Seriously Ken?  Him on his proximity to cuteness~> “I suffer from ‘Hyper Cuteness Sensitivity Disorder‘. Whenever I’m in close proximity to something adorable I, well….faint. It’s quite common.” Hahaha! Also, “Schlond poofda!”). You can also play games, download ebooks & printables, etc. http://www.barbie.com/en-ca/promo/barbie-my-dreams 4. It’s like Pinterest, but Barbie. If you love Barbie or know a kid who does, you’re still reading. If you’re my husband, you’ve already bailed and clicked over to TSN to watch football. I’m so confident[…]

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How Do We Protect Our Daughters With Disabilities From Abuse?

We allow men of authority into our lives because why wouldn’t we? Celebrities, clergy, teachers, doctors—all intelligent, successful, well respected, and charming men—why wouldn’t we trust them? It’s hard to believe it when they turn out to be monsters. I have to wonder what happened to make them this way? You know that something happened. Somewhere along the way an incident or prolonged exposure to something dark or painful twisted them away from normal and decent. Despite what happened to them in their formative years, what they are inflicting upon others now is not okay. More than that, it’s humiliating and hurtful. It’s a hateful cycle that needs to end.  All women are at risk, but our daughters with disabilities are exceptionally vulnerable.  My daughter is beautiful, inside and out. She’s kind and loving and completely naive. She could easily fall prey to a monster disguised as a human man. How do I protect her online and in daily life? How do I teach her to respect and trust adults whose job it is to keep her safe at school and in activities and programs, but also council her to be cautious? How can she be wary when her eyes[…]

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Why We Got A Cat When I’m Not A Cat Person

^What people said when I told them we were getting a cat ^ A) We have reasons. B) Correct, I’m a dog person. Cats are pretty weird. C) You can never have too many pets, can you? Wait. Cat horders. I suppose you can. D) I am a little allergic—hives, scratchy throat, red eyes swollen eyes, sneezy allergic. So WHY get a cat??!! Because. Her.   Our girl likes loves animals. Dogs, cats, anything with fur. Or without fur even. RIP Ernie. We miss you tremendously.     When she grows up I imagine she’ll choose a vocation involving animals. Perhaps she’ll work as a vet tech? Or at a vet clinic or animal shelter in some capacity—greeting clients, feeding and grooming the animals. How perfect would that be? When she’s a bit older, I plan to help her set up and run a pet sitting or dog walking business. The way I see it, Avery’s passion is clear. So if we can do anything to help her gain the experience to guide her along that path, shouldn’t we?     So this leads us to our cat… KEVIN. My friend was telling us about her cousin’s cat, the original Kevin.[…]

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2 smart ways to keep kids with special needs safer

  Children wander. Some more often and farther than others… If I could microchip my daughter like a pet, I would. Wait, can I?! Our cat has a teeny chip the size of a grain of rice between his shoulder blades. If he’s found far from home, the finder will be able to return him to us. Mental note: ask sister in law the vet to micro chip Avery. Children with special needs may have trouble identifying themselves or asking for help. My daughter doesn’t know her phone number or address so I ordered this bracelet for her from Etsy. It’s stainless steel so she can wear it 24/7. My cell number is on the reverse side so if she wanders (just typing it makes me queasy) she’ll be more easily “returned to owner.”       When we’re out and about—visiting a theme park, hiking, playing at the park or taking a walk in the city, Avery wears a GPS fob. My friend gave us this one by T R I P LE  C.  The funky fashion forward fob is synced with your iPhone which allows you to locate your most valuable possessions (computer, pet…and yes, even your child!) You can[…]

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