Top 10 Blogs of the 2010s

While I've only been blogging since shortly after the minions were born (August of 2011), these end of the decade wrap ups still are a good enough excuse to bring together my top blog posts of all time.  I am also working on a top 20 albums list of the 2010's, but will be posting it later.

Take a read, or a walk down memory lane, like I have. I am so happy that I've continued to write about my journey as a parent and my lovely kids.  Hopefully one day they'll cherish this blog as much as I do.

My Top 10 Blog Posts of All Time

Hiking Algonquin

via Giphy

Happy Wanderer - Hiking Algonquin Park Booth Rock Trail 

Newborn Days

First Time - Post Baby Shopping List

Fine Motor Skills

Hands - Activities To Boost Fine Motor Skills

Parenting

via Tenor

Footloose - Motivating Kids With Rewards

Playground Reviews

via Giphy

The Whole World is Our Playground: Vermont Square Playground Review


The Whole World is Our Playground: Marie Curtis Park 


The Whole World is Our Playground: Review Neshama Playground/Oriole Park


The Whole World Is Our Playground: Revisiting Jeff Healey Playground  

Milestones

via Giphy

The First Time - Celebrating Little (Big) Moments 

Body Image

The Climb - Body Image

10 Most Popular Blog Entries of 2019

These year end lists are popping up everywhere, especially with us entering a new decade, but more on that later.  I thought I'd round up my ten most popular posts of 2019.  Reviewing this helps me figure out which posts touch people the most and create better content for next year. If you missed something check it out and enjoy.  I hope I can continue to provide informative and mostly entertaining content into 2020.  Enjoy

10 Most Popular Blog Posts of 2019

via Giphy

Playground Reviews

The Whole World Is Our Playground: Playground Review Humbertown Park

Money

10 Ways to Save Money While on Vacation with Kids 

via Tenor

Highly Debated Topics

Rebel Yell - Why I Let My 7 Year Olds Dye Their Hair

Should We Move Halloween to the Weekend?

Twin Life

via Her Campus

10 Things I Hate About Being A Twin Mom 

10 Things I Love About Being A Twin Mom

Raising Self-Sufficient Kids

Loser - Making Kids Accountable For Their Own Stuff!

Hiking

Hiking Murphy's Point Provincial Park

via Giphy

Parental Struggles

Those Moments - When Spiderman Goes Wrong

Anxiety & Big Little Problems

via Giphy

My Tummy Hurts, Anxiety, & Other Reasons to Call Home

Things My Kids Say As Shared On Twitter

My kids say and do a lot of smaller things that never make the blog.  This regular round up is a fun way for me to share some of the smaller moments from my parenting journey.  Enjoy! 

1. Me: They say they want a collage for this project. J: Okay fine.  But remember I don't want anything touching or overlapping. Me: Do you understand what a collage is? J: Yes.  So nothing touching #SMH #SchoolProjects #parenting #crafting

via Bustle

2. Who walks all the way to school before they realize they left their backpack at home despite several reminders? My kid that's who! #parenting

3. Me: you can get dressed up when we go to church to see your cousins perform in the Christmas service. M: like in a costume? I think I’ll wear wings like an angel. Me: no that’s inappropriate. I mean fancy. M: okay but that’s not as much fun #parenting #smh

via Tenor

4. Me: How are you feeling today buddy? J: Much better! And I learned an awesome new word: sharted.  Don't worry, dad told me that I'm not allowed to say it at school #parenting #thingskidssay #SMH

5. When you leave your son unattended to sign holiday cards #smh #parenting

6. When you have to tell your son that #venoming (yes this is a verb in our house) is not appropriate while watching a church pageant #parenting #SMH #SundayFunday #SundayMorning #Marvel

Image Courtesy of Giphy

7. Within the first fifteen minutes of real cold weather we have already lost one pair of gloves and discovered that winter boots no longer fit 'when I wear my cozy socks' #parenting

8. J: I can't wear pyjama shirts with buttons. Me: Why? J: Because they make me furious and that's not what pyjama day is all about. (And today we celebrate the true meaning of um...pyjama day?) #parenting #thingskidssay #smh

via Tenor

Paperback Writer - Sharing My Writing On Other Sites

While most of the writing I do nowadays is ghostwriting, which I can't share, there are still a number of articles that give my name credit beyond this blog and parenting writing. 

It's been a while since I've shared, and it's been a busy/ November/ December so there is a lot of content. I am so thankful that I get to write and learn new things every day in my work whether I'm ghostwriting or otherwise.  Please click on and share any of the links that interest you, and as always, if you have any article ideas for me for the blog or anything else shoot me an email or a comment! Enjoy!

Holiday Season Writing

Experiential Gift Guide For The Last-Minute Shopper

10 Ways To Reduce Your Environmental Impact This Holiday Season 

Body Positivity For Profit

Sweat Equity…Why Boutique Gyms May Start Lapping the Competition

Friends

via Giphy

10 Friends Stars Who Regret Their Time On The Show (10 Who Were Sweethearts)

20 Photos Of David Arquette's Past (That Courteney Cox Wants Erased)

Personal Finance & Money 

Millennials Shouldn’t Bank on Inheritance from Baby Boomers

Will Student Debt Bury Trump in 2020 Election?

Ringing For My Robot And The Next Bull Market

Female Leadership

Is Diversity Leadership Dying

Music Gossip

via The Loop

20 Little Known Facts About All Of Selena Gomez's Past Relationships

Frances Bean Cobain: 20 Photos Of Kurt's Daughter All Grown Up

20 Little Known Facts About Kid Rock's Relationship With Pamela Anderson

Celebrity Gossip

20 Things Keanu Reeves Wants To Keep Hush Hush

20 Surprising Facts About Katie Holmes And Suri Cruise's Relationship

20 Surprising Details About Jaden Smith And Will's Relationship

10 Celebs Who Were Married For Minutes (5 Who Stood The Test of Time)

Celebs Behaving Badly

via Giphy

20 Candid Lohan Family Photos Lindsay Doesn't Want Us To See

20 Shady Facts About Jessica Simpson & Her Family That Everyone Ignores

10 Actors Known For On-Set Tantrums (And 5 Total Sweethearts)

Celebs Before They Were Famous

via Giphy

15 Rags To Riches Celeb Stories (And 5 Who Faked Them)

20 Rare Pics Of The Cast Of Big Bang Theory Before Fame

Marijuana Investment

Is Aphria Going to Finally be the New Number 1?

2019 Family Holiday Season Bucket List

Time seems to move faster around the holidays.  We've found in the past if we don't make a list of all the things we want to do (and check it twice ;>) we end up missing out on something we love to do as a part of building and maintaining holiday traditions.

Here's what's on our list this year, some of it is new and some of it is longstanding tradition....I hope it inspires you.  If you have any can't miss personal events or Toronto based things to do please share!  I'm checking it off as we go and hopefully we can do all of it!

Holiday Season Bucket List

Lights near our neighbourhood last year

Attend the Santa Clause Parade (this year was our first one)✔

Order, sign & send out holiday cards✔

Make Holiday Pomanders✔

Visit Kringlewood (the Toronto street with all of the giant Santa's) - To learn more about Kringlewood click here✔

Visit the Sparkle Tunnel (The Tunnel of Glam) to learn more click here.✔

Tunnel of Glam in 2018

Visit Santa✔

Go to The Aurora Festival✔

Visit the Christmas display at Centennial Conservatory Green house✔

Conservatory circa 2018

Go bowling✔

See Jumanji II in Theatres✔✔

See the Star Wars Movie in theatres (just the adults)✔

Visit the festive Christmas Houses near Keele and Bloor (including the one with the Greatest Showman display)✔

Attend a family carol sing along✔

Hold our own family carol sing along✔

Boxing Day family hockey game✔

Go to the ROM ✔

Decorate a gingerbread house✔

Treats for Santa & his reindeer

Movies and Holiday Specials To Watch

Nightmare Before Christmas

Scrooged✔

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer✔

Frosty the Snowman✔

Home Alone✔

Home Alone II✔

Love Actually (just the adults)✔

Serendipity (just the adults)✔

The Office Christmas Episodes✔ 

A Christmas Carol

Charlie Brown Christmas

Christmas Vacation✔

Elf✔

Miracle on 34th Street✔

The Grinch✔

Die Hard✔

Gremlins

Simpsons Bone Storm Episode

Mr. Hankey Episode of South Park (This is the only time of year Jack is allowed to watch South Park) ✔

Bring Back Anne With An E

Dear CBC/Netflix Executives,

When I was a little girl I fell in love with Anne of Green Gables.  Anyone else who loved Anne as much as I did instantly became a kindred spirit (see what I did there?).  My childhood bestie and I would read dramatic Anne monologues pretending that we ourselves were begging to stay at Green Gables and charm Matthew Cuthbert and Marilla into allowing us to do so.

Image Courtesy of Deadline

In my late teens and early twenties I bonded with another friend who binge watched Megan Follows' Anne of Green Gables any time she was under the weather.

When CBC brought out Anne with an E around the time my daughter turned six, I knew I had to share Anne with her.  This Anne brought so much more than the Anne I grew up with, in the best possible way.  She had the sharp spirit that reminded me of Sarah Polley and yet was so much her own Anne, with charm and fierce tenacity.

Together my daughter and I watched episodes and I got to fall in love all over again alongside Molly.  Last year when Molly decided she wanted to go out for Halloween as Anne I happily worked on some sensible Anne clothes for her truly Canadian costume.

Molly of Green Gables

Through bringing modern themes to a classic tale, my daughter and I have been able to talk about so many important issues that would not normally come up in natural conversation between a mother and now eight and a half year old.  We talk about feminism, classism, racism, tradition, standing up for what you believe in, and fighting injustice, even when the people you love oppose you - all because of Anne with an E.

This past summer we went on vacation to PEI so we could visit Green Gables.  When Molly asked if she could pack and wear her Anne Halloween costume, we made it happen.  While we explored Green Gables we were enthralled with a collage of the different interpretations of Anne we and others have enjoyed.  Molly was able to sit with Anne and her friends outside the house for 'tea' and was thrilled when other tourists asked if they could take photos of her in her Anne costume.

Anne brings a feminist perspective from the past.  The work done with the series has truly been remarkable.  While I know that all good things must come to an end, this journey doesn't seem over.  There is so much more to explore and learn together.  Let's see Dianna fly, Gilbert become a doctor, Delphine grow up under the care of Bash, Miss Stacey's next chapter, and Anne become the woman we all know she can be. Today I implore you for the sake of me, my daughter and numerous others, please bring Anne with an E back.

Sincerely,
Sara & Molly

To anyone who hasn't watched Anne with An E, go, check it out, stream it now so the people in charge can see how many people are in love with this show.