March Break holds special charms for Chris Hunt. Here’s why it ranks over Christmas and New Year’s When I was a boy, I didn’t appreciate March Break for what it really was. Being your typical self-absorbed adolescent, I was grateful […]
Christmas
The gift of creativity
During the holiday season, parents and caregivers — and anyone with children in their lives — will be looking for gift-giving ideas. Although gifting has long been trending towards the experience-based, many kids and traditionalists (hello, Grandpa and Grandma) alike […]
It’s the little things
It doesn’t take much to teach kids how to give back My son Riley was kneeling in a sea of shredded Christmas paper and discarded ribbons. In front of him, a small mountain of toys loomed. Nestled around him was […]
Sharing is caring
The last page of a Sesame Street book shows Cookie Monster and Elmo splitting a snack and telling us, “Sharing is caring.” It has become a line often repeated in our home as we teach our three-year-old son, […]
Home for the holidays
‘Close to home’ takes on a new meaning during the pandemic, Kita Szpak writes No question about it, the phrase “home for the holidays” has a feel-good vibe: the coming together of family and friends all wrapped up in […]
The sweetest tree
This winter, create your own family holiday tradition, says columnist Kita Szpak I write this with joy and amusement. I only learned this year that my boys – I should call them men now but being a mom, they’ll always […]
One of everything
For Ottawa dad Chris Hunt, the magic of Christmases past and present provide fuel for the soul It was a mere minute past midnight and I was cowering in a stairwell. Outside, the only thing colder than the black night […]
Rested for the holidays
Whether or not you celebrate during the winter holidays, the chilly months seem to be busy ones for everyone, between visits with friends and family, school concerts, activities in the community, shopping for gifts and gathering for meals. It’s enough […]