5 ways to make the holidays stress-free for tweens of divorce
5 ways to make the holidays stress-free for tweens of divorce By Alicia Robertson Feeling anxious about how to get through the upcoming holiday season without too much drama? You’re not alone. While the holidays can be an incredibly joyous time, they can also be extremely challenging for families who are navigating divorce—especially when you’re determined to maintain the holiday cheer for your tweens. With careful planning and consideration for everyone’s top priorities and feelings, you can still achieve a stress-free holiday for you and your tweens this year. Make sure your legal agreement is inclusive of everyone’s needs The most important starting point is with the legal agreement that you and your former partner draw up when working through your divorce. Don’t rush through this step! Take your time to make sure that your final draft is truly inclusive of everyone’s needs, which will help ensure that everyone has a really positive holiday experience. Spend time discussing and determining everyone’s priorities: yours, your former partner’s, and your tweens’. Focus on the experiences that matter right now, but remember that over time, new family traditions may emerge and that the holiday season will look different at different ages and stages for your family. Remember that this is a legal document, so you want to be as specific and clear as possible. As parents, it’s your job to enforce this agreement when necessary, especially if your tweens get upset about the plans you’ve set for the holidays. In this situation, the best thing you can do to support your tween is to listen and validate their feelings—using statements such as “thank you for sharing your feelings and desires. This is not easy and how you feel and what you want is entirely reasonable. Let’s figure out how we can work through this together”. Care for your own emotions first In order to support your tweens through the emotions they’re going through during this tough time, you have to first focus on your own emotional self-care and healing. Start by having an awareness of what new feelings are coming up for you, such as grief around the loss of family traditions, not seeing the extended family you love, etc. Try to stay out of the victim mindset and flip that script by reminding yourself that you’re not losing or missing anything. You’re safe, well, happy, free, and you can make positive choices for yourself! You'll be better equipped to meet your tweens'
19 Gifts for Every Family Member: The Ultimate Gift Guide
19 Gifts for Every Family Member: The Ultimate Gift Guide By Arianne Granada Are you having trouble finding gifts for the whole family? We don't blame you. There are a lot of people in your life that deserve to get a gift this holiday season. While we're sure they'd all love an extra pair of socks or another shirt, it's also important to give them something they'll remember and enjoy for years to come. Here are some great choices: Tissot Bellissima Small Lady Whether your mom is an artist or a businesswoman, a classic watch will always be in style — and this one from Tissot is no exception. The Bellissima Small Lady features an elegant design with a timeless rose gold finish and a custom case back engraving for an extra personal touch. She’ll love its jewelry-like feel and versatility to wear with almost any outfit. Everlast Yoga Essential Kit Have a sister that's new to yoga and wants to get fit? Maybe she's looking for a way to get in shape that's not expensive and time-consuming but offers benefits such as pain relief, reduced depression levels, and increased muscle mass? This Everlast Yoga Essential Kit might just be the perfect gift. The kit comes with three great tools: a cotton yoga strap; lightweight EVA foam bricks; and a non-slip mat with printed poses on it. The perfect gift for beginning yogis who want to build confidence in their practice as well as more advanced students who want something they can carry while travelling. Tissot Gentleman Powermatic Open Heart Have you ever wanted to pamper your Dad with a luxury gift? Well, we’ve got the perfect classic and timeless (pun intended!) gift for him. Featuring a contemporary open-heart design, the Tissot Gentleman Powermatic Open Heart is an elegant watch. Its strong curved horns create a harmonious continuation of the watch, ensuring pleasant wear around the wrist. It is a stunning piece that dad will treasure for years to come. Jack Black Refresh & Restore Set If you have an athletic brother who's always on the go and needs to start taking care of their skin, give them the Jack Black Refresh & Restore set. With a body & hair cleanser, body lotion, and face cleanser, this set meets all his daily care needs. These best-selling formulas provide him with everything he needs to look good, smell good, and feel good all day long. Eilish Eau de Parfum 2-Piece Holiday Gift Set If you have
10 Ways to Have a Very Techy Christmas
10 Ways to Have a Very Techy Christmas by Arianne Granada Know that feeling when you receive a shiny new gadget for Christmas, and you can't wait to play around with it? Yeah, that's what we'll be like on the 25th. So, whether it’s your teen who loves gaming, a friend who can never live without music, or even a grandparent that just wants to keep up with the trends—we got you covered! Acer 317 Chromebook A Chromebook is a great laptop for families who want a simple, yet powerful laptop to use at home or on the go. An intuitive interface is designed to work well for both children and adults. Acer 317 Chromebook is definitely designed for multiple users. Despite being lightweight, this device still packs enough processing power to stream music and shop online without any issues when you're out and about. Using it is as easy as it gets. With built-in Google apps like Gmail, YouTube, and Maps, you don't need to install anything else. Apple Watch SE If you're looking for the perfect gift for your fitness-crazy teen, it can be tricky. With so many options, it can be easy to become overwhelmed. Thankfully, there's one perfect gift: an Apple watch! The new generation of Apple Watch SE continues to deliver the core Apple Watch experience, all at a more affordable price. It includes health and safety features like Activity tracking, high and low heart rate notifications, Emergency SOS and all-new Crash Detection. Powered by watchOS 9, Apple Watch SE delivers more than ever before. Available in midnight, starlight or silver—or even pink!—this is sure to be their favourite Christmas present this year! Lenovo Duet 5 Now, this little gem is a great option for anyone who wants to share their favourite tablet games with their grandkids. Its touchscreen makes it a great way to play mobile games on a large screen. The effortless navigation also makes it easy to use. This ultra-thin model—with its 13.3’ lightweight display—also makes it easy to carry this laptop anywhere! Whether your grandparent wants to receive and view photos of their grandchildren or watch the news, this Lenovo laptop ensures a bright and clear image wherever they may be. iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Plus Christmas is the perfect time to reward your hardworking teen. And we have the perfect gift idea: iPhone 14 Plus! Any teenager will be impressed with the features of this phone because it is the latest and greatest from
10 Self-Care Gifts for the Holidays
10 Self-Care Gifts for the Holidays By Arianne Granada Holiday season is a stressful time of year, especially if you’re running around trying to get everything done. With all the parties and dinners, it can be easy to neglect your own self-care. This holiday gift guide will also help make sure you don’t forget yourself while shopping for others! Aveeno Calm+Restore Nourishing Oat Cleanser The thing is, dry winter months can be a major stressor for your skin. That's why it's important to keep up with your skincare routine during the colder months—especially if you have sensitive skin. Infused with nourishing oat and calming feverfew, Aveeno® Calm+Restore Nourishing Oat Cleanser gently cleanses and hydrates to maintain the skin's moisture barrier. This product gently lifts out dirt and impurities, leaving skin feeling hydrated and healthy. The perfect gift for skin enthusiasts! Genestra Sleep Gummies The holiday season is a perfect time to bring your loved ones together. But all that travelling and visiting can also lead to some pretty bad jet lag and sleeping problems. So skip the jet lag altogether with these Genestra Sleep Gummies instead! Besides helping reset the body's sleep-wake cycle, these delicious gummies help you fall asleep faster and sleep longer. 24" Rx Matrix Hollow Roller Like you, your family and friends might sometimes find themselves feeling tense and stressed. It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of a holiday season and neglect the body's needs. An effective foam roller can help relieve muscle tension, improve circulation, improve flexibility, and promote relaxation. Foam rollers are also great for getting a workout! Everlast's 24-inch Rx Matrix Hollow Roller penetrates deep into muscles for a relaxing massage. It is lightweight and portable, so you can transport it from home to the gym and when you're on the go. By combining a hollow core with a linear matrix design, it provides full-body relief for both large and small muscles. Jack Black's The Balm Squad The right lip balm is like a best friend—it’ll never fail you, and it will always be there to comfort you. This winter season, Jack Black's soothing Moisture Therapy Lip Balms SPF 25 make a great gift. In addition to providing long-lasting hydration and smooth lips all year-round, these award-winning flavours also protect lips from the sun. Remember to use them daily to maintain smooth lips throughout the colder months. Tom Ford Oud Wood Candle While you're stressing about what to get your loved ones this holiday season,
7 Ways to Jumpstart Your Holiday Shopping
7 Ways to Jumpstart Your Holiday Shopping by Rachel Naud No matter how much you love someone, finding the perfect gift is never easy. And when you're trying to get gifts for the whole family, it can seem downright impossible. Whether you're looking for a gift for your favourite kid or a stocking stuffer for your favourite adult, we've got you covered. Unique Gifts for Less The holidays can get expensive, which is why the first place to look for gifts is Giant Tiger. There, you can find unique gifts, like these fun light-up gnomes and mystery squishymallows, which are very popular right now. Alternatively, this great cocoa set would make a great stocking stuffer—and it's less than $20 each! It doesn’t matter who is on your list, you can find gifts that say more, for less at Giant Tiger or online at GiantTiger.com! Charcuterie Boarding School For the person on your list who likes to entertain and put together charcuterie boards, you can get them some pickled veggies to bring their board to the next level! Matt & Steves is a Canadian company that makes snacking social and fun with their pickled veggies and snacks! From their Extreme Pickle Spears that come in hot & spicy and garlic & dill to their baby dills, Asparagoos and Extreme Bean, there’s something delicious for everyone to enjoy! A Cheers-Worthy Holiday Celebration You might want to give these three brands to a mixologist or someone who enjoys a festive cocktail over the holiday season. Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry First up is Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry, which is perfect for having an after-dinner sipper because this cream cherry is full-bodied and rich with a mellow sweetness. Serve it chilled, over ice with a slice of orange or mix it in a cocktail. It makes for a fantastic gift for any wine lover with a sweet tooth because it goes perfectly with any sweet pastry! Stoli Vodka For the cocktail lover on your list, this Stoli Vodka, which has been around for 80 years, is made in Latvia and is a high-quality premium spirit. It's such a must-have spirit to have over the holidays and year-round because it has a perfectly smooth and consistent flavour. You can also use it for martinis or just add a splash of soda! Kentucky Owl Wiseman Bourbon Whiskey Surprise those whiskey lovers on your list with Kentucky Owl Wiseman Bourbon Whiskey. It’s new to Canada and has hints of maple, pecan and allspice to