What once gleamed bright red under a rising sun now lay on the wet ground in a sad lump of dirty debris. The strong winds we experienced Monday night here in Toronto served as a scary glimpse of the destructive forces of hurricane Sandy. I hope that all those affected will be able to find some tranquility after all the chaos.

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Today, Disney released Secret of the Wings on DVD and Blu-ray, giving children the chance to enjoy the touching story and spectacular images in high-definition. Tinkerbell fans will rejoice in knowing they can also bring the 3D experience home with Disney Blu-ray 3D or download a digital copy of the feature film to be viewed anytime, anywhere on a computer or portable device. There are also bonus features including music videos and a 22-minute bonus adventure entitled Pixie Hollow Games. Come join in on an incredible journey to a magnificent new world.

In Disney's Secret of the Wings, the fairies of Pixie Hollow are busily preparing woven baskets to be delivered to the Winter Woods, an area completely off limits to 'warm' fairies. Yet, Tinkerbell, sensing a mysterious allure to the place, is determined to see what it is like on the other side of the border. She tinkers around and designs a warm coat that will prevent her wings from freezing and, now unable to fly, discreetly hops into one of the soon-to-be airborne baskets. What she discovers shortly after landing in the Winter Woods will change her life forever.

We are nearing the end of October and progress reports are right around the corner. Where has the time gone? It seems like only yesterday we were preparing for the back-to-school season. This year, thanks to Stampin' Up!, I was inspired to get involved in some hands-on crafts using items from the Stampin' Up! Storytime Suite. This collection is so perfect for teachers and makes my heart skip a beat.  From colourful embellishments to school-inspired designer paper, it was easy to kick the creative juices into gear. My only problem was trying to figure out what to use first. 

With Stampin' Up! Storytime products, teachers can easily enliven any school supplies and create do-it-yourself flash-cards or cute notebook labels. But they are also great for parents as well. The stamps and designer papers are perfect for writing thoughtful notes to teachers and classmates, and they make it super easy to add a personal touch to any project. The Storytime Suite is available on stampinup.ca, along with a myriad of other fabulous craft supplies.

The Blissdom Canada karaoke costume party is one of the highlights of my year. Last year, Eric Alper surprised us with Jordan Knight. And it was awesome. This year, the stage was graced with the vocal talent of Canadian pop rock singer and songwriter Andy Kim. Here he is singing one of my favourite songs, "Sugar, Sugar."

Author, actor, inspirational speaker and godfather of Canadian Hip Hop Wes 'Maestro' Williams visited our school a little over a week ago to speak about bullying and his book Stick to Your Vision. I am a huge fan of his work on Mr. D on CBC so it was an honour to meet such a down-to-earth, talented and multi-faceted individual.

A couple of weeks ago, Allison Tate published an article in the Huffington Post entitled, "The Mom Stays in the Picture." After having read it, I realized why the article kept showing up in my Twitter stream. It is a sobering reality that many moms feel the same as Allison who writes, "I avoid photographic evidence of my existence these days. To be honest, I avoid even mirrors. When I see myself in pictures, it makes me wince. I know I am far from alone; I know that many of my friends also avoid the camera." And while my friends may not exactly avoid the camera, many of them do feel reluctant to leave the comfort of being behind the camera in exchange for a position in front of it. The end result? A family scrapbook full of adorable snapshots of the kids but very few, if any, memories of mom for her children to look back upon.

Cowabunga dude! The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back! Nickelodeon just launched a brand new version of the show that I used to watch a couple of,... er... decades ago. All four original Turtles return: Michelangelo, Leonardo, Donatello, and Raphael, each sporting their signature coloured bandanas. The show has now been updated with a new CG animated look and it almost feels like I'm watching a full-feature film. The graphics and animation are that impressive. To celebrate the launch, Nickelodeon has teamed up with Toys "R" Us to bring you some totally cool action figures and accessories.

As a working mother of two, there are many days that I secretly wish I were more passionate about cooking our family meals. I am incredibly lucky that my husband loves meal prep but he shouldn't have to do all the cooking, right? While breakfast is an easy meal for me to put together, it is often dinner planning that stresses me out the most. After a full day on my feet teaching primary students and then picking up my children from daycare, I often lack the energy and the inclination to cook a delicious meal. Knowing how to properly season foods and how to cook them to perfection often eludes me. I need simple time-saving solutions that will help maximize the amount of time I can spend with the kids instead of in the kitchen. Enter Club House Flavourful Recipe Mixes.