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Archive for the ‘Motherhood’ Category

10 Lessons From 10 Years in Business: A Mompreneur’s Tale

Friday, January 27th, 2012

By Guest Blogger Virginia Champoux-Sokoloff

When I was young, no one told me what to expect out of life. They’d just say life is filled with ups and downs, so you gotta learn to roll with the punches. Good advice? Maybe. But what if all you needed to do was invest in what you have, trust your gut, go after what you want, and have fun doing it?

I graduated with a degree in Communications. I then climbed the professional ladder and landed a high pressure, demanding job in Public Relations for the International Air Transport Association. In the midst of it, I met an amazing man and got married.

From the very moment my husband Jay and I decided to share our lives together, we were faced with serious decisions. Jay suffers from cystic fibrosis, so a regular 9-5 job would be difficult since he would likely spend lots of time in the hospital. It then became our priority to shape our life in a certain way, so that we could deal with unexpected hospitalizations.

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Hangovers N’ Hockey

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

I almost feel like this would be the name of a great blog. Yes, a blog about the musings of a beer drinking, ass-kicking hockey team– you know, HangoversAndHockey.com. But sadly, no. You’re still at WomenOnTheFence.com. It’s still the same me– the same go-getting, inspirational diva, just wrecked after a weekend of over-drinking and over-arena attending. But hey, what would life be like if you ONLY walked a straight line, right?

Friday night marked the beginning of a big intercity hockey tournament weekend for my 8 year old son. It was again, another weekend that our family would NOT be skiing, and would not see the light of day. We’re talking 2-3 games per day if the team advances through the rankings. See right there, I’m already starting the weekend a little p-‘d off. The ongoing argument every weekend goes something like this:

Me- WE MUST SKI.

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The Magic Room: A Tale of Six Lives Woven Together

Friday, January 20th, 2012

By Guest Blogger Jeffrey Zaslow

There’s a very old saying: “Every time a marriage takes place, a new world is created.”

In 2012, does this sound impossibly quaint? Does it sound naïvely romantic?

We all know about the odds for divorce today. We’ve seen how little the marriage vows can mean in the Kardashian Age. Indeed, a recent Pew Research poll shows that 39 percent of Americans now believe marriage is becoming “obsolete.” That’s up from 28 percent who felt that way in 1979.

And yet, at a small-town bridal shop in the American Midwest, I found reasons for hope.

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A Year In Review: Highs, Lows and Everything In Between

Monday, December 19th, 2011

As I’m preparing to wind down for a couple of weeks, I can’t help but reflect upon the past year. 2011 has been, well… one of the most interesting years of my life.

There were highs:

We took the kids to Disney World for the first time (it was my first time too).

The plane ride home

In January, I was named to the coveted list of The Top 20 Women in Canada.

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Wisdom Wednesday: When You Thought I Wasn’t Looking

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

Our school principal sent this in this week’s newsletter. I think it’s magic.

“I want to take this opportunity to remind us all, that to our own children, we are their role models and heroes. They look to us for guidance, support, encouragement and love. Children are always learning from the adults around them as the following poem so eloquently states:”

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you feed a stray cat and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

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Family Traditions Shared From Generation To Generation

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

It’s almost that time of year– the holiday season! This is by far my favorite time of year. Right around now, I love to grab a nice hot peppermint latte at Starbucks, Nat King Cole’s  ”Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” is playing softly in the background, and everyone is festive. Holiday time in Montreal is so beautiful. We have the snow which adds such a vivid dimension to holiday time. It’s cozy. In fact, I walked by Ogilvy’s with the boys just last weekend (a department store in downtown Montreal), and they already had their Christmas window up!

Yesterday, I was talking to the great peeps at Kleenex, and we were chit chatting about our plans for the Christmas holidays. Because the Kleenex Cool Touch program (which I so proudly am the Brand Ambassador for) is all about softness worth sharing, we somehow ended up on the topic of sharing family traditions, and what holiday traditions have been shared, and passed down from generation to generation.

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The Secrets Teens Keep and Ways To Get Them Talking

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

By Guest Dr. Blogger Barbara Greenberg

I’ve had a career working with teenagers for many years– 21 years to be exact, and have raised some as well. So, I’m in the know. And today, I am ready to share their secrets, so that raising your teens will be an easier and more joyful experience.

Please promise not to tell them that I’m giving up their secrets! But understanding them is the key to a great relationship.

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