As long as I can remember, New Year’s Eve has always been a pretty hyped up expectation and usually fell flat on its face. But since my kids were born, that changed.

Whether you are a traditional mama or a new and modern mama, you undoubtedly have some traditions you are making as an annual occasion with your children. This Christmas I did some of Grandma MOE’s traditional recipes. She let me take the reins this year to test out some favourites!

Years ago when I visited Italy, in the dead of summer, my friends offered me a drink that resembled milk. I was so surprised; I absolutely did not want a big glass of milk in the heat! Turns out, it was ice cold almond milk.

If you have been following my blog for a while, you know I am a fan of eating healthy (for the most part!). I try very hard to introduce good healthy foods to my children and so far it’s going pretty well. But now that they are getting older and I don’t need to bring a fully equipped diaper bag with me to go out, it is incredibly easy to slip into the “we can pick something up when we get there” mode to eating and snacking.

During the holiday season, it’s easy to get all caught up in the presents you have to buy for family, friends, colleagues…and yes, it certainly can add up. But what if we could all add one more important “person” on the list? By “person” I mean, and charity, community service, or local family in need. If everyone did that automatically when planning their holidays, think how much of a difference it could make!

I have decided to make it a point to introduce you to some amazing local talents this season. I just love giving gifts to friends and family knowing that they came from local artists and business owners. It’s a simple way of spreading the word on your community’s riches and letting friends in on some great products that they may not have known otherwise. I’ve actually worked with a lot of local greats with my charity event and love it.