Category - how-to

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When We Worry Too Much And What To Do About It
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10 Offline Family Activities To Enjoy This Summer
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Three Generations of My Family Fell For Financial Fraud
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Giving Old Skin The Boot — Tana Loves Shoes
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Wishing You A Very Hairy April Fools’ Day

When We Worry Too Much And What To Do About It

I understand the parameters of reality, so why do I worry so much? It’s pointless and I know that worrying is harmful, so why do I keep doing it? I think I have an answer. The first time I recall being really worried was when I was seven years old. My dad traveled a lot and one night his plane was late. I was convinced he had crashed and I worried myself sick. Of course he was fine. I had worried myself sick for nothing.   Over the years I continued to worry about a variety of things from A to Z — some realistic, some ridiculous.  They say only eight per cent of our worries are realistic. And of those, we can actually only do something about half. This means ninety-six per cent of the things we worry about are a useless waste of time. Why do some people worry more than others?   I have a theory that we worriers have three things in common:   1. WE NEED TO BE IN CONTROL We dictate and delegate, but then end up doing everything ourselves because everyone else does it wrong. We like to organize and compartmentalize and strategize and basically orchestrate the outcome[…]

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10 Offline Family Activities To Enjoy This Summer

I have a love/hate relationship with technology. Social media, cell phones, texting — we have instant access to each other 24 hours a day. We tend to log in and tune out. Canadians spend more time online than any other country. This can mean that every member of a family is online on their own device, even in the same room. I just emailed this shocking fact to my husband sitting across from me on the couch. Many parents have expressed concern about technology’s intrusion into their family time. I feel it. Do you? I grew up pre-internet, so I learned how to maintain a conversation and can easily make human contact without being digitally connected. But can I say the same about my children?  Even if we limit our kids’ screen time, their learning and social skills are still impacted by OUR screen time. Have you ever shushed your child so you could finish composing an email? Have you looked away during your child’s soccer game to post an Instagram photo? Have you texted from the dinner table in the middle of your son telling you about his French test? Not proud of it, but I’ve done all of these[…]

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Three Generations of My Family Fell For Financial Fraud

These days it’s unlikely you’ll be pickpocketed in the city square by singing and dancing orphans (think “Oliver Twist”). It’s more likely you’ll be mugged without even leaving your home. Financial fraud can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone…and you aren’t even compensated for your loss with a jaunty dance number.  I have a few infuriating experiences of financial fraud to share that have been committed against three generations of my family this past year. Kids, seniors, and people with disabilities especially, are ripe for the picking. These shameless thieves don’t discriminate. Hopefully by sharing what happened to us, (along with some helpful tips from TD!) you’ll avoid the sting of scams like these…. and the new ones cropping up every day. Gen Z—Tweens and Teens My teen is uber tech savvy. Without him I wouldn’t know which remote to use to turn on the TV. But, this doesn’t mean he’s immune to fraud. In fact, he was duped into forking over money (ahem, MY money) for an app. He thought he was paying a one-time-only fee. It turns out the payment was charged to my credit card automatically every month. When I finally noticed and figured out what the charge[…]

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Giving Old Skin The Boot — Tana Loves Shoes

  My poor neglected boots… You thought I was talking about my 40-something skin? That’s okay. My skin is starting to resemble a potato, but it has to do with hormones and over-tanning in the 80s. My leather boots have also seen better days—but due to harsh Canadian winters and dehydration. Like our skin, leather boots (and shoes, purses and belts for that matter) need cleaning and moisturizing. My husband shakes his head at how much money I’m willing to spend on a pair of boots. Take the classic Frye boots I’m saving for—my family might have to eat baked beans for awhile, but these boots will be an integral part of my wardrobe for many years to come. So I need to protect them or my family will give me the boot. So to speak. My current foot faves are these browny-grey Fossil boots. I’ve had them for three years and they’re starting to show their age. Why yes, I AM aware these descriptors also describe the boot wearer. Ha, ha, sob. A little TLC up front would have helped to preserve them, but thankfully there are ways to bring them back to life. Following in his father’s footsteps[…]

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Wishing You A Very Hairy April Fools’ Day

  As usual I’ve left April Fools’ prank planning to the last minute. I toyed with the idea of trading our bald skinny pig with a friend’s furry guinea pig for the day. My children would awaken on April 1st to find bald-as a-baby’s-bottom Ernie had suddenly sprouted hair over night. Fun, right? Probably not as fun for my friend’s kids who would awaken to the shock of finding a bald guinea pig. That kind of sh*t leaves emotional scars. Thinking I’ll shelf that idea. For now. Speaking of cavy savvy gags, back in 2000, The Independent newspaper in the UK reported that researchers had developed a Viagara-like pill to treat sexually frustrated pets. The article claimed there was nothing as sad as a pet suffering from feelings of sexual inadequacy, noting “It’s not unknown for a guinea pig to sit in its cage thinking, ‘I haven’t had sex for months. Am I so unattractive?” Owners were instructed to grind the pills and sprinkle into the pet’s food. The pills were to be marketed under the brand name Feralmone. LOL! Do you include pets in your April Fools’ pranks? Do you even play any pranks at all? Or do you[…]

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