Toronto Teacher Mom

Thank You, Mom! #LoveHallmarkCA

Saturday, May 11, 2019
25 Comments

It’s Vision Health Month. Get Wise About Your Eyes.

Theodore and Pringle Optical, Bayview Village -Vision Health Month

Disclosure: I have partnered with YMC and Loblaw, and have received compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.

Earlier this year, I turned 41 years old. Forty-one, people! While my brain knows that I am far from being old, my body seems eager to prove the opposite. My knees are aching, my memory is not what it used to be and my hair has begun to turn grey. And get this: my Optometrist informed me that I'll soon be needing bifocals! I think I'll hold off on those for at least another decade, mkay? In the meantime, I'll be keeping up with my eye exams, which I schedule regularly every two years, to make sure that my eyes are otherwise healthy and to keep up with any changes to my current prescription. You see, I've worn glasses nearly my entire life, so when it comes to vision health, I mean business.

I was in first grade when my school teacher noticed me squinting while trying to read the blackboard. I thought nothing of it because I was sitting in the back row and just assumed it was blurry for everyone else sitting in my row. She recommended to my parents that I see an Optometrist and sure enough, I was myopic (or nearsighted). A few weeks later, when I tried on my first pair of glasses, it was as though a whole new world had opened up. That was the day when I told myself that I would never take near perfect vision for granted ever again.

Once I became a parent, I secretly hoped that my kids had inherited their dad's eyes. Not only are his eyes just plain beautiful, he's never needed glasses and neither have any of his siblings. While I was always pretty vigilant when my kids were little, I did not hesitate for a second when their pediatrician suggested that I take them to see a licensed Optometrist before they even turned a year old. It gave me peace of mind knowing that they didn't have any vision problems that could potentially contribute to developmental and learning issues during those crucial years. Plus, vision changes can occur without parents or children even noticing. However, there are some signs of vision changes in children to watch for:

Fast forward to today and I now have my eldest child who requires glasses for reading. And I never would have known if it weren't for regular eye exams. So how frequently do we need to see the Optometrist? It all depends on your age. The Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) developed the following evidence-based guidelines for the recommended frequency of eye exams:

Infants and Toddlers (Birth to 24 months) - First eye examination between the ages of 6 and 9 months
Preschool Children (2 to 5 years) - At least one eye examination between the ages of 2 and 5 years
School Age Children (6 to 19 years) - Annually
Adults (20 to 39 years) - Every two to three years
Adults (40 to 64 years) - Every two years
Adults (65 years or older) - Annually

Now that both my daughter and I wear glasses, we have a lot of fun shopping for frames and checking out the latest styles at the on-site Theodore & Pringle Optical while the boys go grocery shopping at Loblaws. You can even schedule an appointment to get your eyes examined, too! I'm due for a new pair of eyeglasses so I recently popped by Theodore & Pringle and was blown away by their impressive collection of frames.

I narrowed down my choices to these three classic frames but was torn between a pair of Kate Spade or Joe Fresh frames.

Eyeglasses - Theodore and Pringle Optical, Bayview Village -Vision Health Month

I have only worn frames that have nose pads (yes, nose pads!) because I find them to be more comfortable than those that don't. So as much as the Joe Fresh frames looked oh, so cute, I am leaning more towards these Kate Spade frames with a subtle yet sleek gold trim.

Kate Spade Eyeglasses - Theodore and Pringle Optical, Bayview Village -Vision Health Month

Given that May is Vision Health Month, I want to take the time to encourage you to "priorit-eyes" your eyes and book an exam with your Optometrist. We know eye health and vision care are important. But do we know why?

Through an eye exam, an Optometrist can uncover underlying health conditions, such as the early warning signs of conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol, vascular disease, thyroid disease, brain tumors and diabetes. Optometrists can also detect common causes of serious vision loss that often occur later in life, including cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, or diabetic retinopathy.

Visit the Theodore & Pringle Optical at your local Loblaws or Real Canadian Superstore to book an appointment with a licensed Optometrist today. There's no better time to get wise about your eyes.

Friday, May 10, 2019
4 Comments

Staples Teacher Appreciation Days Are Back!

Teacher Appreciation

Wednesday, May 08, 2019
0 Comments

L'histoire de Pâques Mini Book #aimlang

AIM Language

Monday, April 15, 2019
0 Comments

French Word Search - Les contraires #aimlang

AIM Language

Working as a teacher for the past 17 years, I have taught many different subjects, from kindergarten to grade 10. When I started teaching French nearly 15 years ago, I was so grateful to be teaching what I loved most. The problem was that I was never happy. I was always staying up late, sometimes until 4 am, creating my own French worksheets and flashcards because I wanted to customize them exactly the way I wanted them to be. And still, I found myself always reinventing my program and myself. It wasn't until I dived into the AIM method two summers ago that I began to feel a sense of contentment. I started to finally feel successful because my students felt successful in being able to express themselves in French. Mind you, I still spend a lot of time creating my own complementary materials, such as interactive SMART Notebook activities, DIY magnetic words and mini books, to further engage my students. But I thoroughly enjoy it. The one thing I struggle with is leaving plans for an occasional teacher whenever I am away because my program is heavily based on oral communication and gestures. Quite often the OT does not know French well enough or, as is in 100% of the cases, they do not know the AIM gestures or the method in general.

The other day, I had to leave plans and, while I normally leave instructions for students to continue working at their own pace on their activities and ask the teacher for the next activity sheet when done, I wasn't so sure about the whole thing. Most of my students are now at a point where the activities are becoming more difficult and I want to be there in person to support them. So instead, I opted to leave something easier but that also gives them a bit of a break from their regular activities. And besides, who doesn't love a good word search, am I right?

Below is a copy of the one I created for my grade 2 students who are working on a level 2 unit. I chose to add a layer of difficulty by tasking them with finding the opposite of the words in the word bank. They know these pretty well thanks to "La danse en action" videos I play to give the kids a brain break. I designed this word search in Google Docs by inserting a 12 by 12 grid and adjusting the table properties so that the cell dimensions were square, making sure to centre the vertical and horizontal alignment of the cells. The title was created via a Google Drawing where I used Word Art and the "Luckiest Guy" font. I was so happy with how it turned out, I look forward to using it as a template for different and more complex word searches. If you like it, too, click on the thumbnail below to download a free PDF copy.

Wednesday, April 03, 2019
2 Comments

Enjoying Classic Comfort with #MyBrunswickBed

House and Home

After the past few months, I have arrived at the conclusion that a good night's sleep is crucial to maintaining my sanity. When I think about how I used to stay up until the wee hours of the morning designing worksheets on my computer, I can't help but shake my head. Of course, that was during the BC period - Before Children. Even still, once I started blogging back in 2006 while on my first maternity leave, I sacrificed many hours of rest, fine tuning my blog design, routinely posting content and commenting on other blogs. Now, things are different. Now, I can't wait to go to bed and fall asleep on my Douglas mattress. I've had it for over a year and a half, and I love it so much. But I would often feel a little selfish every time my son would lie down next to me and wish for a new mattress of his own. So when Novosbed approached me to test out their new Brunswick spring mattress, I couldn't wait to share the news with my little guy.

Spring Mattress in a Box #MyBrunswickBed

When I learned that the Brunswick is actually a spring mattress, I had to re-read the description a couple of times to make sure I wasn't going crazy. Could Novosbed really manage to find a way to roll up a spring mattress to fit into a box? Surely this is some type of sorcery, I joked. But it's true! Our full size classic mattress arrived in a box that was only slightly taller than my son, making it easier to carry up the stairs to his room.

As with the Douglas, the Brunswick was vacuum sealed and rolled up in heavy duty plastic. Before setting it up, I made sure to read up on the step-by-step breakdown which I found on brunswickbed.ca:

Take the boxed mattress to your room of choice, and open the box.
Slowly tip the package onto its side and pull the box away from the rolled mattress.
Place the rolled mattress onto the bed frame or foundation.
Peel away the outer layer of plastic wrap; fully unroll the mattress.
Open and remove the inner layer of plastic.
Watch it expand, and enjoy!

Once we had unravelled the mattress, I could see that it had springs but I still found myself trying to wrap my head over how they could possibly fit a spring mattress into a box. Please tell me I'm not the only one!

We waited a bit after the mattress had fully expanded and admired the comfy looking padded top layer of the Euro-top cover. I learned that hemp fibres are woven throughout, making it more durable and resilient since hemp has three times the tensile strength as cotton. It also has antimicrobial properties as well.

If you're thinking, "Now that looks like a cushy mattress!" you wouldn't be wrong. Underneath the cover is three layers of varying foam types to help balance support and cushioning. In addition, the two upper-most layers have a cooling gel that allow air and heat to circulate. But I'm sure you're also wondering if it feels like a classic spring mattress. It does! The Brunswick has a medium-firm feel to it, even when both my son and I tried laying on it together. In fact, thanks to the individually wrapped pocketed coils, I could hardly notice he was lying next to me. Which explains why I have unintentionally fallen asleep on his mattress on more than one occasion.

It has been nearly three months and my son still gets that dreamy look on his face when he mentions how much he loves his new mattress. Overall, he and I both love the ultra comfy foam top and appreciate the cooling feature. We also love the edge-to-edge support because, unlike my old mattress, it makes it seem like there is more space to snuggle into when you can curl right up to the edge. You see, as a mom, this is crucial for those moments when I wake up to find an arm across my face and a knee in my back.

Novosbed recognizes that it may take a few weeks to get used to a new sleep surface, which is why there's a 120-night risk free trial, a policy invented by the mattress company's founder. If, between 30 and 120 days, you want to return the mattress for any reason, you can receive a full refund.

Designed and built in Canada, the Brunswick mattress is made only after you place your order and ships quickly to every province and territory. Plus, shipping is free for 99% of Canadians, with a delivery fee only to remote areas. To try out this premium spring mattress, visit brunswickbed.ca.

Disclosure: I received product to help facilitate this review. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Tuesday, April 02, 2019
5 Comments

Vaping: Do You Know the Health Risks?

Healthy Living

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Health Canada. Any opinions expressed herein are my own.

When I first became a mother, I did everything I could to make sure my daughter was healthy and safe. I did what most parents do: I read parenting books, sought advice from family and friends, childproofed the house, bought the latest baby gear, took her regularly to the pediatrician. The list goes on. When it was time to convert her crib into a double bed, I made sure to secure every bolt and tested the bed myself to ensure it was 100% sturdy. I followed all the guidelines for transitions between rear-facing car seat to front-facing car seat to booster seat. I equipped her with the proper safety gear whenever she rode her bike or went skating. Then, when it was time for her to walk to school, I followed from a distance to make sure she observed the rules of the road while looking out for her little brother. And that's when it hit me. From that moment on, my daughter was well on her way to becoming more independent and I had to trust that I had empowered her with the knowledge to make the right decisions.

Now, my daughter is preparing for high school and she is very much excited about this next stage in her life. And for the most part, so am I. It is only when I think about the realities teens face regarding tobacco, alcohol, drugs and other risky behaviours that I begin to feel ill at ease. Luckily, I feel confident that my daughter and I have established a solid foundation based on honesty and respect, one that allows us to have those sometimes-difficult conversations. The problem is that I don't always have all the answers, especially when it comes to the latest trends, such as vaping. For this reason, I am grateful that I can turn to a trusted source to learn more about the health risks of vaping.

Vaping nicotine can alter teen brain development #vapinginfo

It comes as no surprise that Canadian youth are curious about vaping and that some have already tried it. Every time I walk into a gas station, there they are, vapes on full display while regular cigarettes and other tobacco products remain out of sight. What I was surprised to learn when I read up on the risks of vaping is that vaping can expose you to nicotine which can lead to nicotine addiction. While not all vaping liquids contain nicotine, those that do can contain varying levels of nicotine, some containing more than a typical cigarette. But was upsets me most regarding the health risks of vaping with nicotine is the way that it can alter teen brain development, potentially reducing impulse control and negatively impacting cognitive and behavioural development.

As if it weren't worrisome enough that the appeal of vaping could lead to nicotine addiction amongst youth, it is crucial to note that even if there is no nicotine, vaping can also increase exposure to harmful chemicals and metals, such as nickel, tin, aluminum, formaldehyde and acrolein. While some of the chemicals found in vaping liquid, like vegetable glycerine and propylene glycol, have been deemed safe for use in products like cosmetics and sweeteners, we do not know the long-term consequences of inhaling these substances in vaping products.

What You Should Know

For smokers, vaping is less harmful than smoking. Vaping is not intended for youth and non-smokers.
Vaping is not harmless, yet Canadian teens are trying vaping products. Data from a recent Health Canada survey showed that 23% of students in grades 7–12 have tried an electronic cigarette.
Vaping products have many names such as e-cigarettes or mods and come in different shapes and sizes, some resembling a USB drive. Vaping liquids come in a variety of flavours and some may not leave any lingering smell.

What Can Parents Do

Use the information from Health Canada's Talking with your Teens about Vaping tip sheet.
Start the conversation.
Keep the conversation going.
Work with your teen’s school.

For more information on the consequences of vaping, visit Canada.ca/vaping-info.

Sunday, March 31, 2019
1 Comments

I'm a PC Insiders Member and I Love it!

Life's Like That

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of President’s Choice Services Inc.

All opinions are 100% mine.

How does the saying go? When it rains, it pours! Just when things begin to settle down, life decides to throw a bunch of curve balls and a wrench for good measure. On top of the constant battle of finding work-life balance, the unexpected happens and catches me off guard. Take, for example, the costly auto repair that left me without a vehicle for a few days. First world problems, I know. But aggravating nonetheless. Nope, I'd rather spend that money on that which brings me joy and make time for more important things like family. And good food! We all know time is a precious commodity so whenever I can save time, you know I'm game. This is why I am so excited to be a PC Insiders member. Are you thinking of becoming a PC Insiders member? Get your first month free on a monthly PC Insiders subscription by using promo code "1MONTHFREE" (Offer excludes Quebec residents; terms and conditions apply).

With a PC Insiders subscription, I get to shop for my groceries online and enjoy free pickup through PC Express. There is usually a small fee for this service but, as a PC Insiders member, the fee is waived.

All I need to do is place my order online at a participating store, such as my local Valu-Mart, select a time window for pickup, drive up to a reserved parking spot and call the phone number on the sign. I simply wait in my car while my groceries are brought directly to me. Yes, even during a snowfall!

I absolutely love the convenience of the PC Express service because it saves me the time and hassle of shopping for groceries after work during the pre-dinner rush, when I'm usually starving and end up buying extra food to munch on. But this is not the only reason I love being a PC Insiders member. With my subscription, I get to enjoy the added benefit of getting 20% back in PC Optimum points on select brands and free shipping from joefresh.com and shoppersdrugmart.ca, for example. I recently purchased some pyjamas and leggings from joefresh.com and didn't have to worry about paying for shipping. Yay!

joefresh.com online purchase #ImAPCInsider

Plus, because I have an annual subscription, I get to apply the cost of the membership towards a $99 PC travel services credit, so I essentially recoup the cost. What more could you ask for? Annual subscribers also receive a surprise gift with product samples shipped to your door. They've thought of that, too! Honestly, they had me at free PC Express pickup.

Thursday, March 07, 2019
3 Comments

TD Grade One Book Giveaway – Supporting Children’s Literacy Programs

Book Giveaway

This post is in partnership with TD Bank and the TD Grade One Book Giveaway program.

When I was a little girl, I loved storybooks. Our class visit to the school library was a highlight of the week for me because it meant I could sit back and listen to the librarian read to us. Sometimes she would even play the audio version of the book (on cassette tape!), with the author bringing the story to life with silly voices and sound effects. After story time was over, I would often rush to sign out the newest book before anyone else so that I could be the first to read it. I would also admire the pristine cover and that "new book" smell.

As much as I enjoyed picture books, I struggled with reading as a child. I often wondered if this is related to the fact that, aside from the solitary library book I could sign out each week, I really didn't have access to a lot of books at home. You see, my parents immigrated to Canada in the early 70s without knowing a lick of English. Both sacrificed so much to be able to provide us with basic necessities. My mom worked day and night as a cleaner and my dad worked in construction. Thanks to their incredible drive and work ethic, we never did without. Yet, I really didn't have a lot of story books growing up. It's not that my parents didn't feel it was important, but rather, as an immigrant family, other necessities took priority. They did, however, manage to save up enough money to buy us a set of encyclopedias, of which the medical reference volume proved quite enlightening.

The yearly book fair at school was often hard because I remember wanting so desperately to buy at least one new book that I could call my own. It got to the point where I would periodically sneak into my mom's purse and rummage for loose change in the weeks leading up to the book fair, so that I had enough money to secretly purchase a book. I loved that book so much but, ironically, I couldn't enjoy it at home because then I would have to explain where I got the money to buy it.

My struggles with reading gradually grew to be more challenging in later years. Independent novel studies became tiresome because despite my ability to decode words, I would end up re-reading pages for lack of comprehension. Sometimes, I would give up entirely. One year, I submitted a made-up book review based on what little information I could gather from the few chapters I read at the beginning and at the end of the novel. Needless to say, it didn't take long for my teacher to figure that out.

Now, as a mother and an educator, I see great value in exposing children to reading as early as possible. For this reason, I applaud initiatives, such as the TD Grade One Book Giveaway that put books into the hands of young readers. Not only does it help foster a love of reading, but also provides critical opportunities to develop crucial literacy skills.

Did you know the TD Grade One Book Giveaway provides more than 500,000 English and French grade one students with a free Canadian children’s book each year?

The program, which began in 2000, is the largest of its kind in Canada and was created to help encourage literacy in young children. It is a program that shows how TD is committed to giving youth access to reading programs. Thanks to the support of Canadian Children's Book Centre, more than 9.5 million Canadian children's books have been distributed from coast-to-coast since the program first launched. In addition, the TD Grade One Book Giveaway is part of the TD Ready Commitment, a multi-year program launched last year targeted towards community giving and initiatives that will help open doors for a more inclusive future.

In 2018, students were able to take home a copy of Giraffe and Bird, written and illustrated by Canadian author Rebecca Bender.

When my son and I first read Giraffe and Bird, it didn’t take us long to draw a parallel between the two main characters and our family. Similar to my own two kids, Giraffe and Bird tend to do things that irritate each other, like making funny faces and sticking out their tongues. Some days, they invade each other’s personal space and complain of bad breath, or chew food with their mouth open. Sound familiar? In the end, Giraffe and Bird come to realize that, despite the difficulties of always getting along, they are better off together. It’s a sweet message that pairs so perfectly with the beautiful illustrations. My son and I also enjoyed reading the emphasized words thanks to their onomatopoeic qualities, along with the French version La giraffe et l’oiseau.
“Cui-cui!”
“Miam, miam!”
So cute!

Giveaway!

As part of the TD Grade One Book Giveaway, one lucky follower will receive a literacy-themed giveaway that will include:

• Copy of Giraffe and Bird by Rebecca Bender
• Giraffe lunch bag
• Stuffed giraffe toy
• Cute and colourful notebook and pencils

The giveaway will be open to residents of Canada only, excluding Quebec. For a chance to win, please complete the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, March 04, 2019
31 Comments

Disney's The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Now Available on Blu-ray and Digital

DVD Review

It's here! Disney’s “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is now available on Blu-ray™ and Digital. The dazzling adventure features a star-studded cast, including Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy and Misty Copeland, along with Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman. Inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s classic tale and the beloved ballet “The Nutcracker”, follows the adventures of 14-year-old Clara (Mackenzie Foy) as she travels along a golden thread to a magical, mysterious world where she encounters sweets, snowflakes, soldiers, scurrying mice and more.

One of my favourite scenes in “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” takes place at the very onset of the film where we are taken inside the attic of Clara's home and are instantly captivated by a complex Rube Goldberg-esque mousetrap as Clara narrates laws of physics. The fact that the female lead portrays a female in STEM garners the film two thumbs up!

The story continues at Drosselmeyer’s (Morgan Freeman) annual party, where Clara finds a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a music box that holds a priceless gift. She soons enters a mysterious parallel world and encounters a Nutcracker soldier named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight), along with a gang of mice and three Realm regents, including the Sugar Plum Fairy (Keira Knightley). Clara's journey continues as she ventures into the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren), to retrieve the key and return harmony to the unstable world.

Disney's The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Now Available on Blu-ray and Digital

The Blu-ray release of the film includes the following bonus features:

On Pointe: A Conversation with Misty Copeland - Copeland shares the thrill of portraying one of her favorite characters in a whole new way.
Unwrapping “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” - Dive into the production design, sets, costumes and more that helped transform a beloved ballet into an adventurous movie.
Deleted Scenes –

The Stahlbaums Arrive- As the Stahlbaums enter the Christmas Eve ball, the butler attempts to announce them to the assembled guests.
Follow Your Ribbon- Drosselmeyer encourages a reluctant Clara to go find her gift.
Deleted Scene: Clara Asks About Her Mother- Sugar Plum gives Clara a tour of her mother’s bedroom.
Left, Left, Left, Left, Left- Wandering lost in the forest, palace guards Cavalier and Harlequin quarrel about which way to go.
Out with the Old- Sugar Plum makes sweeping changes to the palace decor.

Music Videos

“Fall on Me” Performed by Andrea Bocelli Featuring Matteo Bocelli- Experience superstar tenor
Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo Bocelli performing their first duet together in this uplifting song.
“The Nutcracker Suite” Performed by Lang Lang- Get swept up in a series of images from the movie, set to Tchaikovsky’s music and featuring world-renowned pianist Lang Lang.

Download The Nutcracker and the Four Realms Colouring Pages!

For fans of the film, I have shared a set of colouring pages courtesy of Walt Disney Studios. Simply click on the image below to download a PDF copy.

Disney's The Nutcracker and the Four Realms colouring pages

Win a Blu-ray and Digital copy of Disney's The Nutcracker and the Four Realms!

To be eligible to win, please complete the Rafflecopter form below. This contest is open to residents of Canada only, excluding Quebec.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This post is in partnership with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada. Film still courtesy of Walt Disney Studios.