Picture this: Friday night, you come home exhausted from another week of running errands, shuttling kids and doing a million different things. Then, your husband shows up with tickets for tonight to that thing you love (fill in the blanks here).
But wait. Dilemma. You have children! You’d have to leave in a couple of hours to make it on time, but you can’t get a babysitter that quickly, nor do you know anyone who’s trustworthy on such short notice!
Looks like plans are cancelled and it’ll be another evening of Disney flicks while you enjoy a microwaved helping of whatever’s left in the fridge.
Now, take out the last paragraph and replace it with you going out and enjoying yourself.
No really, it is possible.
SOSsitter is a website designed for the busy-too-much-to-do parent. It is in short, a database for babysitters for you to find in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec (SOSgarde). On the site there is a database of over 4,000 babysitters who are all over 18. Also, many of these sitters are trained with children with special needs. But the site isn’t for just “baby” sitting. It’s also available for those who’d like a sitter for the elderly and for their pets.
The site was started by a single Canadian mom who simply wanted a solution for herself and the many other parents who need a good review of babysitters.
Each sitter profile includes distance to your home (based on postal code), third party recommendations, references and whether or not the sitter has had criminal background check, so you know what you’re getting when you begin the interview process. The only thing that would make the site better is if it was free, but it is at the moment a paid site. Membership ranges from $20 to $80 depending if it is monthly, quarterly or annually.
Whether you’re looking for a night out, or for a couple-of-days-a-week care, with so many sitters you’re bound to find one that fits your schedule.
We all need a break sometimes and you deserve a night out…without the kids.
The strategy of “I packed this lunch for you, and you’re going to love it!” doesn’t work as well any more does it?:
· Pack a lunch that your child won’t pitch(Globe and Mail)
So by this point, you’ve already scoured the house from top to bottom in search of any salvageable school supplies to put off yet another trip to the mall. What you likely turned up was a few mouldy lunch bags and three dozen chewed-down pencils.
It’s probably best to ditch the lunch bags and start fresh, but here’s an idea for those stray pencils: turn them into art! Check out even more by this amazing artist!
These sweet big-kid packs score high for kid-appeal and functionality, and have enough room for the average school load, including lunch, laptop and a couple of old-school books. Check out the images below for this year’s honour roll of best-in-class backpacks.
PS: Speaking of cuteness, don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win an adorable Skip Hop knapsack! Click here for details.
For more of this season’s best school supplies, check out CF’s Back-to-School Guide. And find our complete September 2010 issue available in digital edition here!
“No pain, no gain?” No ’shot’ in new flu shot with little pain. Don’t know if the kids will believe you though:
· New flu vaccines promise less pain(Health Zone)
It’s like the old saying goes: “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” Of course any new mom will tell you that she’s over the moon with her little bundle of joy, but so often—especially in those early days—it’s all about baby while mom’s needs fall by the wayside.
Recently, we had the chance to treat a few moms with brand-new babies to some much-needed pampering. We rounded up a team of amazing experts who helped make these deserving mamas feel great, inside and out. You can see their gorgeous transformations in our October issue.
But we couldn’t keep the pros’ expert advice to ourselves. If you’re a new mom, make sure to watch our behind-the-scenes video that captures essential tips on postpartum coping strategies as well as great advice on hair, makeup, skin care, clothing and accessories. You’ll be glad you did!
If your not-so-little little one is heading off to university, with studies comes a lot of beer and campus food. It all leads down one artery-clogging road:
· How to avoid the ‘Frosh 15’ weight gain(Parent Central)
Not like the kids will eat either, but nutritionally, what’s the better pick? Canned or frozen veggies? The verdict is in:
· Which is Better: Canned or Frozen Vegetables?(Sparkpeople)
The flooding in Pakistan has affected millions and has the already struggling country in desperate need of help.
Here is an example of a father’s story of the horrific flooding that had occurred.
“The water came at night. We left everything and ran to save our lives,” Shabbir Ahmed, a father of nine, told the World Food Program. “It’s more than two weeks now, we have nothing to eat, no shelter. Our kids are asking when we will go home, and we don’t have an answer.”
Ahmed’s family is one of many affected by the flooding: latest estimates put the number of homeless at 20 million. Many of those are children and the United Nations has said that 3.5 million children may die if they are not treated for diseases that they are battling, including diarrhea and skin diseases. There is also a lack of clean drinking water and proper sanitation. Monsoon season is not at its conclusion yet either and the situation is expected to get worse. Moreover, it is the agricultural parts of Pakistan which have taken the biggest hit. 3.2 million hectares of crops or livestock has been damaged or lost in the provinces of Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa and Punjab alone.
$800 million has been donated to Pakistan and the floods so far. Although few expect the donations to mount to the $3 billion that will be given to Haiti in the next few years, more donations are needed to curb the results of the floods.
Or, you could also help via a simple text message! Canadian wireless subscribers can text “REDCROSS” to 30333 to donate $10 to the Canadian Red Cross. Read about the Red Cross relief efforts here.
