It was shortly after my son was born when my father-in-law first fell ill. An otherwise healthy, hard-working man in his early seventies, he was an incredibly kind and loving person who would lend a helping hand at the drop of a hat. He was a lover of life, a friend to all and a pretty darn good dancer. In fact, one of my fondest memories of my father-in-law was when he and I danced at my wedding and he practically cleared the dance floor. Watching his health deteriorate as leukemia took over years later was one of the hardest things I've ever had to experience.

This wasn't the first time my family's life was affected by cancer. My dad's brother had lost his battle in 2006. Then, in 2009, my dad's sister lost her battle as well. In the week following her passing, my husband's family found themselves spending nearly every waking hour in the palliative care unit at Princess Margaret Hospital, where my father-in-law had been undergoing treatment for his leukemia. The day he passed was one that changed our lives forever.

As much as it brings me to tears to write about such difficult losses, I am still hopeful that we will conquer cancer. That my mother's sister is a breast cancer survivor fuels that hope. This is why I am thankful for The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation and their mission to Conquer Cancer In Our Lifetime. The Doves of Hope campaign supports this mission and raised over $1 million in 2016. This year, I have dedicated a dove in honour of my father-in-law and you can, too. Visit dovesofhope.ca to personalize your dove and include the name of the person to whom you have chosen to dedicate it. Your dove will join countless others that each represent a unique story and is a symbol of love, resilience, and enduring hope. 

In addition to spreading hope by dedicating a dove, you can also donate to The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation and support the only Canadian research and comprehensive treatment centre devoted exclusively to cancer. There's no better time than today to join together and let hope fly.

In an era dominated by information and communication technology, it comes as no surprise that educational technology plays an essential role in helping to prepare students for an ever-changing future. As such, there has been a greater emphasis placed on key 21st century competencies that we, as educators, must strive to nurture within our classroom walls. These competencies complement the use of ICT and include critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity, aptly named "the Four C's". Yet, given that we are now more likely to find ourselves in front of a screen, I feel it is crucial that we tack on an additional "C" - connection.

If the first thing that popped into your head when you read that word was "wifi", please read on. While I agree that a decent Internet connection is invaluable, the kind of connection I am referring to is more of a fundamental nature, one that distinguishes us as human beings. By connecting with friends, family and members of our community, we can build a complex network of relationships that not only enriches our lives but also contributes to our sense of belonging and purpose while simultaneously shaping our identity.

This is why I feel incredibly fortunate to live in Canada, a country whose identity is forever evolving with every connection we make. Whether that means embracing new immigrants in search of a more prosperous future or forging stronger relationships with the indigenous peoples of our great nation, one thing is for certain: when called upon to make a difference in our communities, Canadians are always ready to lend a helping hand.

In honour of Canada’s 150th anniversary, RBC is challenging thousands of young Canadians to "Make 150 Count" and giving them $150 with one simple request: to make connections in their community and use the money to help make a difference. There are no strings attached. How they choose to use the money is completely up to them. They could put the money towards a fundraiser in support of a local charity, assemble packages for the homeless and at-risk youth, create an art display, or deliver flowers while making one-on-one connections with senior citizens in a home. Or perhaps they were inspired by the messages being shared at the recent WE Day in Montreal, an event that brought together tens of thousands of youth who are committed to making a positive impact, and now want to get involved in a WE Schools initiative or join the WE are Canada program.

Whatever they choose to do, RBC believes that “when we invest in youth, great things happen”. If you are between the ages of 16 and 25, and you want to inspire others with good deeds, share how you will Make 150 Count via Twitter or Instagram. Be sure to tag @RBC and use the #Make150Count hashtag. Or you can submit your application online at rbc.com/make150count where you can also find inspiration and read some of the many wonderful #Make150Count stories that have already been shared.

Thank you to RBC for turning the spotlight on the youth who will shape Canada's future and helping them to realize their potential!

Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by RBC. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

As a child, counting down to Christmas was a surefire way to brighten our spirits once the weather turned cold. Sometimes the countdown would end sooner than usual if we had a family vacation down south to look forward to. Whether we spent the holidays at home with the family or abroad on the beach, holiday smiles were pretty much a guarantee. Today, as a mother of two, I realize how much I had taken that all for granted. For the first time, we will be spending time in the hospital visiting with my mother-in-law who recently slipped and broke her leg. This was devastating news for my youngest, who wanted desperately to see her but was hit hard by the stomach flu. It was a difficult reminder that life isn't always easy; that illness and injury can take us all by surprise. 

For thousands of children and their families, the holidays will be spent in Canadian hospitals. But because Duracell believes in powering the imagination of sick children by helping to ensure kids can still be kids, they can still enjoy the magic of the season. For the 10th consecutive year, Duracell is donating a year supply of batteries to hospital playrooms across the country. The goal: to power smiles and imagination this holiday season and beyond. Knowing that a new working toy or game can help make a child's hospital stay a little brighter, Brampton singer Alessia Cara joined Duracell, who donated $180,000 to SickKids in her name, to promote their Powering Smiles campaign. In addition, Duracell, in partnership with Hasbro, also delivered a shipment of toys, along with the batteries to power them. Among these toys was the new Furby Connect.

In our home, Furby has been bringing smiles to my kids for the past four years. It first started with the original Furby and then the family expanded with a Furby Boom. For each one, we always made sure to use Duracell batteries. This year, we are thrilled to welcome Furby Connect to the family. My favourite features are his moving ears and his colourful eyes that display more than 150 animations to help express what Furby wants. You can pet him, tickle him, shake him, or turn him upside down. Furby reacts each time! Plus, when Furby Connect syncs with the Furby Connect World app, there are more physical and digital ways to interact and more surprises to discover, making this a great gift idea for the holidays. And don't forget to power Furby Connect with Duracell batteries since Duracell makes the magic of the holidays last longer.

For every pack of Duracell batteries sold at Walmart in December 2016, Duracell will donate to Children’s Miracle Network. Now only will you avoid a child's disappointment in receiving a battery-operated toy that is powerless, you will also help make a child’s hospital stay a little brighter. Join the Powering Smiles Campaign and help them reach this year's goal to raise $150,000.

Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Duracell. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

For many, the holidays are a time of great joy; a time to celebrate and reconnect with loved ones. Our homes are filled with festive decor and holiday music echoes throughout shopping malls. Children count down the days as they wait in eager anticipation of presents and stockings brimming with treats. But for some, the holidays are a reminder of a certain void in their lives, one that is not always easy to fill.

Fortunately, Hyundai Canada has partnered with Big Brother Big Sisters Toronto, a child and youth mentoring charity, to spread some much needed cheer this holiday season to provide extremely deserving children an opportunity to experience a truly personalized visit from the big man in red and his trusty elves. 

Watch the video below captured on one enchanted day as Santa arrives in his brand new Santa Fe Sleigh to personally deliver a gift wish list item to each of the children from Big Brothers Big Sisters. His one-of-a-kind sleigh, fully equipped with a reindeer and wooden sleigh on the roof rack, played a crucial role in transporting Santa safely from point A to point B while fulfilling his mission to provide Holiday cheer. 

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Hyundai Canada. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

During the month of December, our school board celebrates the virtue of charity. This virtue encompasses a range of small acts and habits that affect our own community as well as the larger global community. It can be as simple as giving someone a smile and participating in a neighbourhood cleanup, or it can be expressed on a larger scale by collecting non-perishable food for the needy or raising funds for charitable organizations. This year, I have chosen to forgo the traditional gift exchange at our annual staff Christmas party and, instead, have purchased a Get Better Gift in support of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). 

SickKids Get Better Gifts is a catalogue of gifts available online at GetBetterGifts.com. What makes this catalogue unique is that it allows you to give a donation to SickKids on behalf of someone on your gift list while simultaneously providing a special gift to sick children who have to stay at the hospital over the holidays. It is a unique opportunity to help almost 300 young patients by providing them with a few comforts of home that have been selected by you. 

Video Games & Controllers - $36*

Crib Mobile - $65*

This year, the Orinoco Foundation will generously match* a selection of Get Better Gifts. Simply look for the matched tag online to find a present that will have twice the impact on children’s lives at SickKids.  * Up until December 31, 2016, gifts will be matched up to a maximum of $98K

With Get Better Gifts, not only are you giving a truly heartfelt gift to someone special, you are also making the holidays a little brighter for children at SickKids. This year, I selected a Wish List Gift that will fund the Toy and Game fund at SickKids. This matched gift will help provide the means for Hospital staff and parents to work together to get the most appropriate item from their wish list, so that a child does not miss out because of their illness. 

I purchased this Wish List Gift in honour of my nephew Luis, a compassionate young man who has spent a number of years volunteering in his community. His charitable efforts serve as an example that we should all follow.

To browse the full catalogue of gifts online, visit getbettergifts.com. Order gifts by December 2 and you can have your card sent to any Canadian address by December 24.

Disclosure: I am participating as an ambassador for the SickKids Foundation in support of the Get Better Gifts campaign. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

The most heartwarming story for me was about the crazy fire in Alberta. Everyone worked together to help those who were caught in the radius of the fire. When you help out others you achieve success in other ways. It makes you a better person. The firefighter, Chief Darby Allen, was brought to tears when kids from Fort McMurray came on to the stage to honour him with a trip thanks to West Jet.

I encourage and challenge everyone to find time, make time to give back.  I challenge everyone to BE KIND!

WE Day was amazing and life changing!

BE THE CHANGE!

I AM WE!

For additional coverage of the event, read WE Day Family 2016. 

Call me crazy but there's something about earning badges that is incredibly rewarding and extremely motivating. I wanted to get 'em all! But that wasn't the only fun part. At each camp along the route, we were greeted with enthusiastic volunteers who cheered us on. It was also great to tag along with Deborah and her son, whose company motivated my son to keep going as far as we did.

Along the way, there were plenty of snacks and drinks, as well as a variety of fun activities for the whole family, including play structures at the neighbourhood parks. Our first activity, aptly named "Messy Hands", had participants painting their hands and decorating a larger than life SickKids sign. 

Other activities included shooting hoops at Camp Spirit of Hope, identifying local plant life, brushing up on jump rope skills, enjoying lunch at Camp Wilderness Wonders and working in teams to cross a finish line using giant bear feet.

We may have even spotted an incredibly large bear along the way, not to mention Big Foot.

After hanging out at Camp Loopity Loop, we took a shuttle back to Main Camp where we grabbed some burgers, hotdogs, fries, freshly made ice cream cookie sandwiches and much more. We even noticed that some of our tweets appeared on the big screen at the main stage, which was really neat.

After all was said and down, I was extremely proud of my kids for dedicating their entire Saturday to participate in the event and even more so for surpassing our goal and fundraising nearly $700 for SickKids. 

If you're interested in registering for the 2017 Canaccord Genuity Great Camp Adventure Walk, I recommend that you sign up before October 15, 2016 so that you can save on registration fees, which are as little as $10 for youth and $20 for adults. Participants will not only enjoy a day full of fun activities, you will also enjoy great meals and snacks along the way and receive an event t-shirt and badges to commemorate the special day.

Next month, the kids and I will be in downtown Toronto for The Canaccord Genuity Great Camp Adventure Walk, a camp-themed walk to benefit The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). This means it's time to ramp up our fundraising efforts so that we can reach our goal before the big day. Knowing that funds raised from The Great Camp Adventure Walk support patient care, research discoveries, the hospital’s most urgent needs and more, I thought what better way to teach my kids the importance of giving back and helping those in need. 

Have you thought about joining The Great Camp Adventure Walk but are worried about raising enough money? Fundraising doesn’t have to be difficult. From a late summer lemonade stand to walking the neighbour's dog, every dollar can help make a difference for the patients of SickKids. Plus, it is easier than you think and can be fun for the whole family.

Back to school season is an exciting time for me and always has been ever since I was a little kid. Starting fresh, making new friends, sporting new clothes and packing up my school bag with classroom essentials were all part and parcel of the excitement in my school age years. But, for those who can't afford the latest school supplies, they may not share the same sentiment. Fortunately, Avery Products Canada is giving back to school communities across Canada by providing students with complimentary Avery school supplies for the 2016/17 school year as part of the #AveryGivesBack campaign. In conjunction with The Michael “Pinball” Clemons Foundation (MPCF) and change maker Hannah Alper of Toronto, Avery Products Canada delivered 7,500 school supply kits to students across the MPCF network of schools in need.

Avery Products Canada’s #AveryGivesBack campaign aligns with MPCF founding principle of empowering youth and inspiring dreams by helping to prepare students for the upcoming school year with essential tools such as Binders, Dividers, Hi-Liters and Kids ID Labels. Throughout this campaign, Michael “Pinball” Clemons and Hannah Alper have been busy capturing the kitting and delivery of these school supplies on video in the hopes that others will join the give back movement in their own communities.

Visit Avery Products Canada on Facebook and share their special "Give Back" video. For every video share, Avery Canada will donate $1 CAD to the Michael 'Pinball' Clemons Foundation!

No ordinary day.

No ordinary walk.

On September 24, 2016, thousands will gather together for The Canaccord Genuity Great Camp Adventure Walk, a camp-themed walk to benefit The Hospital for Sick Children here in Toronto. Canada’s leading centre dedicated to improving children’s health, SickKids treats more than 100,000 patients each year and is home to Canada’s largest, hospital-based child health research institute. In an effort to support patient care, research discoveries, knowledge sharing among medical professionals and the hospital’s most critical needs, The Great Camp Adventure Walk will embark on its fourth annual event and is something you cannot miss.

The Great Camp Adventure Walk is a 20-kilometre family-friendly walk that is open to participants of all ages and features themed campsites every 5km. Each campsite will offer the opportunity to enjoy fun activities, grab a snack, and pick up a unique badge for reaching distances milestones. While you can challenge yourself to walk the entire 20km, you can complete 5km, 10km, or 15km and catch the bus at any of the campsites for a ride back to Main Camp.

Where Does The Great Camp Adventure Walk Take Place?

How Do We Register?

Sometimes the holidays are all about buying gifts and wrapping presents. But sometimes we forget that the best gifts of all are the ones you cannot wrap up and top with a bow. I'm talking about the gifts of happiness and joy, kindness and love. In the hopes of spreading holiday cheer, Koodo teamed up with Choir! Choir! Choir! to share a special rendition of The Cure hit, Friday, I'm in Love and surprising Toronto Christmas Market visitors in the Distillery District.

The Cure's Robert Smith was kind enough to provide the song rights to Koodoo who passed them on to Choir! Choir! Choir! with the aim of aiding their efforts to sponsor a Syrian refugee family. Watch the video featuring 80 talented Choir! Choir! Choir! singers as they create a random act of Happiness during one of the craziest times of the year:

Several weeks ago, I made it my mission to purge and clear up the clutter around the house. Most of the clutter was strategically hidden away in closets, the crawl space or in the office where the mess can easily be hidden from view whenever guests are over. But after reading an excerpt on Marie Kondo's KonMari method, I told myself, enough is enough. Why hold on to old clothes that no longer fit, neglected toys that my kids have outgrown or books that are way below their reading level? It's time to let go and pass on these items to those who could really use them.

Fortunately, Glad sent over a special package to help inspire our family to clean out our closets and donate gently used items. I was happy to learn that this summer, Glad is teaming up with Goodwill in Toronto and the GTA to encourage residents to donate to the Donate4Good program. In doing so, they will be donating $10,000 + 10,000 black plastic bags to help corral your donated items.

Over the next few months, Glad will be stationed at five select Loblaws locations across Toronto on select weekends. There will also be a number of neighbourhoods that will have door-to-door bag deliveries to help you prepare before your local Loblaws drop-off date. We all benefit when we do our best to help others in need but when you donate a Glad blag with clothing and other gently used items, it's like you're helping out two-fold since Glad will donate $1.50 to Goodwill up to a maximum of $8,000.

DROP OFF DATES AND LOCATIONS:

LOBLAWS YONGE ST. - 3501Yonge St, NorthYork

• Friday, August 14 from 4PM-8PM
• Saturday, August 15 from 10AM-2PM 

LOBLAWS LESLIE ST. - 17 Leslie St, Toronto

• Friday, August 28 from 4PM-8PM
• Saturday August 29 from 10AM-2PM 

LOBLAWS MUSGRAVE ST. - 50 Musgrave St., Toronto

• Friday, September 18 from 4PM-8PM 
• Saturday, September 19 from 10AM-2PM 

LOBLAWS DUNDAS ST.W. - 2280 Dundas St.West, Toronto 

• Friday, October 2 from 4PM-8PM  
• Saturday October 3 from 10AM-2PM 

LOBLAWS MCLAUGHLIN - 5970 McLaughlin Rd, Mississauga

• Friday, October 23 from 4PM-8PM 
• Saturday, October 24 from 10AM-2PM 

Have you ever bought a battery-powered toy as a gift for a child but then forgot the batteries? Nope? Neither have I. Okay, yes I have. It's worse when the child opens the gift on Christmas day when there aren't any stores open where you can pick up some batteries after the fact. But imagine having to spend the holidays in the hospital. Think of the thousands of children across Canada who, instead of asking for toys and games, hope instead for a full recovery or a cure that will allow them the luxury of never having to spend another holiday in the hospital ever again. To help ensure these kids can still enjoy the magic of the season, Duracell is donating a year’s supply of batteries to hospitals across Canada, batteries which will power the thousands of playroom toys and games that children and their families will be playing with this holiday season and beyond.

In addition, for every pack of Duracell CopperTop and Quantum batteries that are purchased at Walmart locations in Canada from December 1st to December 31st, 2014, Duracell will donate 20 cents to Children’s Miracle Network. Their goal: to raise $150,000 for the Network. To learn more about the campaign follow @Duracell on Twitter.

Math is sometimes a dreaded subject with complicated number sentences and algebraic equations. But there are no unknown variables when it comes to the following equation:

TARGET CANADA + PATHWAYS TO EDUCATION = HEALTHY MINDS

This afternoon, at an event held in the heart of Toronto's Regent Park, Target Canada Senior Vice President of External Relations Derek Jenkins announced that they will be contributing $250,000 to support the Pathways to Education program. 

A charity designed to help youth in low-income communities graduate from high school and successfully transition into post-secondary education, Pathways to Education believes that where you live shouldn't determine your success in school. For the past 13 years, Pathways has given youth the academic, emotional and financial support that other young people can take for granted by poviding the following:

It was only fitting that the event take place in the Regent Park Community where Pathways first began. Since then, the program has installed sites in 13 communities across Canada. As Pathways President and CEO Vivian Prokop announced in her opening remarks, the results from the Pathways program have been outstanding.

   'Graduation rates more than doubled.' @VivianProkop @PathwaysCanada President & CEO @TargetCanada #GraduationNation pic.twitter.com/n6LjY6fWEW
— Diana M. (@TeacherMomOfTwo) January 23, 2014

Thanks to Pathways' efforts and through the support of Target Canada and the Ontario government, there has been a reduction in dropout rates of over 70% as well as an increase in youth attending college or university of 300%! This is Pathways Vision - to create a Graduation Nation by "fueling a movement that levels the playing field so that all youth have an equal shot at a rewarding future." And Target Canada shares that vision. Through their investment of $250,000, Target Canada is helping to fund food and nutrition programs for all Pathways sites across Canada. This includes healthy snacks and/or meals for tutoring and mentoring sessions, as well as nutrition and healthy-eating education support and meals for community celebrations.

On hand to host the event was the one and only Michael "Pinball" Clemons. During his remarks, he spoke about his own pathway as a youth, one that, contrary to popular belief, was not rooted in football but rather in education. He credited a large part of his success to his mother and her unyielding dedication to keeping him focused on his academic journey. He concluded by affirming the importance of healthy nutrition and the role it plays in developing a healthy mind.

@PathwaysCanada & @TargetCanada chefs with Pinball Clemons #regentpark #Toronto #graduationnation #client pic.twitter.com/g39KDrx8od
— Sybil Eastman (@SybilEastman) January 23, 2014

In celebration of the exciting news, Target Canada executives and Pathways students teamed up with chefs at cooking stations to create nutritious foods for the attendees. Fellow blogger Kate of Little Miss Kate joined Mr. Jenkins at the turkey meatball station and I teamed up with Raj and a couple of Pathways students at the chicken station. While it was a little nerve-racking at first trying to come up with a recipe and a creative name for our sandwiches, we managed to work together to create garlic aioli chicken sandwiches and butter chicken sandwiches. We had hoped to make two additional international-inspired sandwiches as an ode to the cultural mosaic that is Canada but we ran out of time. All in all, it was a heartwarming (and stomach-filling) event. It was an honour to be a part of it and to be able to work with such wonderful students. May the partnership between Pathways and Target continue to grow and contribute to the bright futures of our youth for years to come.

If you know me or follow me on Twitter, you already know how much I love Zumba. It is such a fun way to add fitness into my week and work on my Latin dance moves at the same time. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, " Zumba® is a Latin-inspired dance fitness program that blends International music and contagious steps to form one of the fastest growing fitness programs in the world." This year, we have weekly Zumba classes for the staff at my school and they are lead by the extremely talented Geisha Chin. You may recognize her as a top 12 finalist on the hit television series “So you Think you Can Dance Canada." A dancer for the past 20 years, she has studied ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, acro and tap, and is a recent graduate from Carleton University. She has performed on ET Canada's NYE special, danced for various artists such as Victoria Duffield, Aleesia, Keshia Chante, Massari and Blake McGrath, and was most recently seen in Shawn Desman’s “Alive” Movie. Her passion for fitness began in 2012 when she took her first Zumba® class and she is now a certified Zumba® instructor and Aqua Zumba® instructor.

Earlier this month, Geisha opened her very own fitness studio in Aurora called GR Fitness. In a few short weeks, she will be hosting a Zumba with Geisha Annual Zumbathon charity event to support the non-profit program called Angel Hair for Kids (A Child’s Voice Foundation) and to increase awareness of hair loss in children. Many kids are either born with, or develop later on in their lives, health issues that cause hair loss, such as: illness, skin conditions, medication side effects, or stress and trauma. Hair loss at any age can be devastating and difficult to cope with. Wigs can be extremely costly and put financial stress on children’s families.

The charity provides wigs and hair loss solutions to financially disadvantaged children in Canada, who have lost their hair due to medical conditions or treatments. Providing a child with a wig or hair loss solution will help the child’s self-esteem and improve their self image during a complicated and often painful time in his/her life. And since Geisha's sister has been living through a difficult time with hair loss, it has opened Geisha's eyes to the needs of others and has inspired her to make a difference by supporting a cause she truly believes in.

What: Zumba with Geisha Annual Zumbathon

When: Saturday, February 1, 2014 at 1pm

Where: GR Fitness Studio, 265 Edward St., Aurora, ON

Cost: Donations only!

I hope that you will be able to attend the event and show your support for such a worthwhile cause.

Whip your hair because you care!

Family fun during the holiday season often means rolling up your sleeves and getting you fingers all sticky as you decorate the much-anticipated gingerbread house. It is twice the fun when you join in Habitat Toronto's Annual Gingerbread Build. The best part is knowing that 100% of the proceeds will help build more Habitat homes in Toronto. With Bounty as one of the title sponsors, though, you need not worry about the mess. There is plenty of paper towel on hand! As a P&G Mom, I was invited to bring my family and experience the party first hand. And I'm so glad we went!

Each family also receives a ticket which gives you a chance to win some pretty amazing door prizes including the newest version of the Cascades cardboard playhouse, one of which was set up for the little ones to play with, and lots of toys including one on my daughter's wish list: Equestria Girls. 

This year, Starlight Children’s Foundation™ Canada has partnered with Toys“R”Us, Canada to bring you the release of Beario, the 2013 limited edition collectible Starlight bear and the fifth to be sold in Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us stores. A portion of Beario’s sales will benefit seriously ill children across Canada through Starlight’s hospital programs.

Starlight child Dylan, a seven-year-old with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, was selected by Starlight to design this year’s collectible bear.


He modeled the bear which features a charming smile and a red star on its paw after his favourite video game character, Super Mario™, all with the help of his big brother Connor.