Fruitz Dating App: Say Goodbye to Boring Swipes
Fruitz Dating App: Say Goodbye to Boring Swipes by Arianne Granada Ready to dip your toes back into the dating pool? Looking to date as a single parent can be tough, but Fruitz offers a fun and playful approach to online dating. With Fruitz, you can let go of the pressure and enjoy the journey of finding your perfect match with a light-hearted and enjoyable experience. Gone are the days of swiping endlessly through dating apps, trying to decode vague bios and cheesy pickup lines. Fruitz has revolutionized the online dating game with its fruit-inspired approach. No, seriously—instead of the typical "looking for something serious" or those overused "just here for a good time" opening lines, you can choose a fruit to represent what you're looking for in a relationship. We had the opportunity to sit down with the creators of Fruitz to provide single parents with insights into today's online dating habits. What is Fruitz? Fruitz is a fun and fruit-inspired dating app with a clear goal: release inhibitions and clichés by giving users the freedom to express what they are looking for and save time. Fruitz CEO Julian Kabab explained, "The idea for Fruitz came from my very first experience with dating apps, which was a disaster. Empowering people to be honest with their intentions was our first mission. To do this, we created fruit metaphors to give people a playful way to communicate what they want, removing the fear of judgment for both men and women. At Fruitz, we believe in healthy relationships - whether they are forever or just one night." What makes Fruitz different from other dating apps is that users select a fruit to represent what they're looking for in a relationship: Cherry: To find your other half #TieTheKnot Grape: To share a glass of wine and maybe dine #NoOneNightStand Watermelon: To find fruits with benefits #NoSeedsAttached Peach: To dance in your sheets tonight #GoBananas It's a fun and playful way to communicate intentions and make dating life more straightforward. How do I find my match? The user experience on Fruitz reflects its concept of being simple and effective. When people register, they pick the fruit that represents what they are looking for. Once two users swipe each other to the right, they form a match (or in Fruitz language–a smoothie!). Before the conversation starts, one of the two must choose an icebreaker: soft or spicy–the choice is up to the user. Once both have completed
Karen Khunkhun: Lessons on Motherhood, Communication, and Following Your Dreams
Karen Khunkhun: Lessons on Motherhood, Communication, and Following Your Dreams by Arianne Granada March is Women's History Month, and what better way to celebrate than by shining a light on a trailblazing woman in the media industry? For over 20 years, Karen Khunkhun has been a beloved fixture of Vancouver's morning radio scene. From her humble beginnings in the promotions department at CFOX to her current role as a co-host of one of the city's most popular morning shows, Khunkhun has become a trusted voice for thousands of listeners across the region. Early Career and Finding Her Calling Khunkhun's broadcasting journey began at Vancouver's Co-OP Radio while she was still a university student. From there, she moved to the promotions department at CFOX but it wasn't until she joined the famous Larry & Willy morning show as a traffic reporter that she found her true calling. Despite her initial nerves, Khunkhun quickly adapted to the fast-paced world of morning radio and became a beloved part of the team. She adds, "I used to listen to the CFOX morning show, and they were my favourite morning wake-up show. And I was so nervous because I was like ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t work with Larry or Willy like this. It’s too much!’ Once I got over all the nervousness and just being so scared, I started and that was kind of my way in and I’ve been there ever since." Her infectious energy and quick wit soon landed her other exciting opportunities, including stints at CityTV's Morning Breakfast Show and CTV News as a weekend weathercaster. While she may love both fields, she admits there's something special about each one. Radio provides a comfortable and safe space for her to research and prepare, while TV offers the thrill of being on the spot and performing. Each separate industry has taught me so much and it brought a lot of joy to my life like I sometimes even at this stage, I just kind of feel like “Wow.” Adapting to Change As the pandemic swept across the world, Khunkhun had to leave the familiar studio environment behind and work from home. At first, the prospect of being separated from her colleagues was daunting. But as Khunkhun settled into her new routine, she began to appreciate the silver linings of this unexpected change. I always think I'm such an extroverted person. I love being social, I love going out and about, but honestly, it all
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'
Sarah Drew Talks Motherhood, Holiday Films & the Importance of Family
Out of the ER: From Grey's to Reindeer Games Homecoming Sarah Drew Talks About Her New Holiday Movie and Her Family's Favourite Traditions by Arianne Granada Making her mark by playing iconic characters like Dr. April Kepner from Grey’s Anatomy and Sarah Brown from Amber Brown, Sarah Drew is set to make her writing debut with the upcoming Holiday rom-com Reindeer Games Homecoming as part of her two-picture deal with Lifetime. We sat down with Drew to talk about how she navigates motherhood and parenting while being a full-time actress, director, producer, and writer. Your new show Amber Brown has recently premiered on Apple TV+, can you tell us more about your role? I play Amber’s Mom, Sarah. She loves her daughter so much and is trying hard to navigate the giant changes in their lives with grace and kindness. Sarah creates healthy boundaries for Amber and is committed to repairing when there is a rupture in the relationship. Sarah is also coming into her own. She’s in therapy, learning how to identify and pursue her own desires while also parenting well. It’s fun to see both Sarah and Amber navigate these changes together. How similar or how different is Sarah Drew to Sarah Brown? I’m very similar to Sarah for all of the reasons I mentioned above. I’m always thinking about my kids. I believe in setting good boundaries. I’m committed to raising kind and brave kiddos and part of that comes with moments when they don’t like me very much. Like Sarah Brown, trust is absolutely essential to our family dynamic. We have a rule in our home that we never go to bed angry. We must make peace before saying goodnight. What is your favourite part about filming for Amber Brown? I loved the community that we built. I loved the brilliant words that Bonnie Hunt gave us to say, and how playful the set was. It was also a joy to watch Carsyn grow and blossom into a truly brilliant artist on set! How has being a real-life mom affected how you played your roles? I’m more selective about the jobs I take. Every job takes me away from my kids — sometimes out of the country even. I think about the fact that they will probably watch all of my work at some point, so I am sure that I’m making art that I’m proud of and that I’ll be proud to share with them. It
5 Signs of Teen Burnout
5 Signs of Teen Burnout by Carol Bunting We all want our teens to succeed in school, but putting them under too much pressure can lead to stress and anxiety. There's a risk of burnout if teens do too much at once—juggling studies, friends, family time, hobbies and chores. If you're worried about your teen's well-being, look out for these five signs of teen burnout. They're not taking part in their hobbies Hobbies help teens take breaks from their studies and unwind with fun activities. They also often help them to socialize if they're group-based hobbies, and they can offer a creative or physical outlet for letting go of emotions and burning off stress. If your teen is neglecting their usual hobbies, they may be overworked and unable to balance school and fun. They might also not have enough mental energy to devote to hobbies because school consumes most of their time. They're irritable It's common for teens to lash out or get frustrated with those around them because their moods can fluctuate as a result of their developing brains. However, stress compounds irritability, and if you notice the issue gets worse when there's a lot going on at school, your teen could be experiencing burnout. Perhaps they're irritable because they don't feel they're performing well enough, or because they're concerned about disappointing you. They aren't eating properly Stress and anxiety can impact appetite. For some, it causes undereating and cravings for sugar and junk food. A change in eating habits could indicate that your teenager is struggling with their workload. It may be particularly obvious that stress is affecting their appetite if there's a pattern in their eating habits. For example, if they don't eat their dinner during the week but tend to eat well at the weekends, they could be feeling extra anxious on school days. They isolate themselves Due to their irritability and desire for independence, teens spend more time alone in their rooms. However, if they suddenly start spending more time than usual isolated from others, especially if they're also avoiding spending time with their friends, this could be a sign that they're struggling. They have insomnia Symptoms of burnout include insomnia. Your mind is so busy worrying that you can't switch off and rest. Teens have different body clocks than adults and tend to stay up late, but if the late nights are lasting right until morning every night, there could be something else going on. Look for
5 Tips to Raise a Resilient Teen
5 Tips to Raise a Resilient Teen By June Rousso, Ph.D. Teens today are faced with so much rapid change along with everyday academic and social demands. All of these demands can be very stressful at times. Our bodies naturally react to stress with a fight, flight or freeze reaction. However, we also can use our thoughts and emotions to develop resilience and better manage stress. This is where resilience comes in. But how to build it? Here are some tips for parents guided by the words of teens themselves from ChildResilient.org, a student-run non-profit organization born out of the pandemic. Tip #1: Encourage a strong sense of self in your teen. If you have a sense of who you are, you can easily direct yourself towards and away from situations — even toxic ones. As parents, give more choices when you can, and encourage your child not to be influenced by social conformity. While it is natural to want to be liked by others, it's also important to live by your own will. Let them learn to think independently, regardless of the good and bad opinions of others. Help foster resilience as well as build your teen's self-confidence by encouraging this kind of independent thinking. Tip #2: Don’t dwell on the past, especially the bad life experiences. While you never want to dismiss your child’s feelings, dwelling on the past prevents building up the strength to move forward in life. Children, especially teens, can be so sensitive to how they might have been judged in the past. Past opinions don’t matter and they need to learn to do things for themselves. Strengthen your teen's sense of self by teaching them not to be swayed by public opinion. With ongoing emotional reactions to stress — such as depression and anxiety — it is important to remind your child that these feelings are not all of who they are, which helps to keep your teen resilient. Tip #3: Explain that making social comparisons is natural, but overdoing it hinders being a resilient teen. When we compare ourselves to others, we usually come out on the short end of the stick or take on an arrogant attitude of feeling better. Communicating that there will always be people with more of something in some way is one message, but teens can also learn that these same people can serve as role models and be inspirational. At the same time, despite the social comparisons,
3 Ways to Suit Up for Prom 2022
3 Ways to Suit Up for Prom 2022 By Arianne Mae Granada Roll up your sleeves and put your dancing shoes on because prom is finally back! It is time to suit up for Prom 2022! (WARNING: Marvel reference ahead!) Still can’t have a sensation of the prom fever? Think of it this way: two years ago, Thanos snapped his fingers and took away the biggest events of your teen’s life — prom night, graduation day and spring break. And in a snap (pun intended!), they’ve all been brought back to life. That is their version of the blip. After 2 years of cancelled plans and dampened expectations, the long-awaited prom season is upon us once again. Prom can be a great opportunity to communicate and help you to connect with your teen. The highly anticipated celebration is set to be welcomed back with doubled excitement and 110 percent energy. Considered a huge milestone in every teen’s life, prom is definitely the special occasion they would invest their time and money on. Whether your teen is a first-time goer, a soon-to-be graduate throwing a “make-up prom,” or a hopeless romantic staging a promposal, it’s important that they put together the perfect ensemble to make it worth remembering. Along with failed dalgona coffee attempts and DIY haircuts, we’re leaving boring prom OOTDs behind in 2020. It’s time to suit up and welcome this year’s prom season with creativity and self-discovery. Whether you prefer an unconventional look over the usual prom dresses, or you want to put on a modern take on a traditional tuxedo, there are endless ways to style a basic suit and tie, and we are here to narrow down your options. For switching up a classic The Slim-Fit Stretch Peak Lapel Tuxedo is a modern take on a fashion classic that will make anyone stand out at the prom venue. This tailored suit is available in a variety of sizes and is gender-neutral… because there are no rules when it comes to fashion! For a chill night For a more casual look, this Slim-Fit Stretch Suit is available in five different colours including grey, pink and light blue, delivering versatility and an instant confidence boost. For an instant upgrade TipTop.ca also offers a range of accessories from bowties to pocket squares in a variety of different colours so you can jazz up your look with a pop of colour. One thing the pandemic has taught teens and young adults alike —
Actor Dan Payne’s Judgement-Free Philosophy on Parenting and Mental Health
Actor Dan Payne's Judgement-Free Philosophy on Parenting and Mental Health By Tanishq Desai From John Tucker Must Die to Watchmen - Dan Payne has over 100 credits in the form of television features or indie films to his name. Apart from being a full-time husband, father and actor who actively advocates for mental health, the Mulligans heartthrob talks about his upcoming feature film, Corrective Measures, alongside Bruce Willis and Michael Rooker. Tell us about your new movie, Corrective Measures. “Well, it’s a big step up for me! I got to work with a couple of guys that I consider to be legends and icons — Bruce Willis and Michael Rooker — so I did a little happy dance the moment I found out that it was happening. And I also get to play a character that I’m not used to. He’s an ex-military vigilante, which is kind of far away from the loving-nature-doting-husband type of roles that I’ve played! This project is on a way bigger scale too. It’s Fox Tubi’s first original content release and I’m honoured that I get to be a part of it.” You play Walter Arthur Locke (aka Payback). Tell us about your character and what drew you to him? “So Corrective Measures is a graphic novel turned into a movie and Sean Patrick O'Reilly who directed, wrote and executive produced this did a magical job of making it a fun story and a great ride to be on. My character, Payback, is an ex-military guy, and some things happened to him that put him on a pretty strong vigilante path of revenge. But he ends up in one of the state-of-the-art hidden octane penitentiaries where all the main bad guys of the world get stuck. Now we’ll have to watch the movie to know if he ends up there on purpose but he’s got a pretty strong vendetta against criminals. When a radio magnetic pulse goes out over the world, it gives some people superpowers, kills the rest and some get mutated because of it. But this gives us a little good vs. evil because the good people put their powers to good use and the bad tend to go to evil, which eventually leads them all into this prison so you understand how it can get when there’s a bunch of superheroes and badasses put together. It can get messy.” Coming back to you working with some icons in this
7 Tips to Understanding Your Teen
7 Tips to Understanding Your Teen By Ishank Katyal Dealing with a teenager has always been the most complicated and challenging part of parenting—the significant change in brains and hormones, not to mention the impulsiveness and emotions that teens build after turning 13. External factors including academic pressure, peer pressure, social media, and many other problems adolescents face every day can affect them both mentally and emotionally and might restrain their relationship with their loved ones. Here are some of the tips which might help you understand your teen better: 1. Listen to them Your teen will listen to you only when you’re a good listener. It requires a lot of energy and patience, but it is a key tool for improving your relationship with them because it builds trust and helps them gain self-confidence and self-esteem. 2. Avoid asking too many questions Kids become more uncomfortable when you keep asking them questions and it feels like an interrogation rather than a healthy conversation. Ask only those questions which are relevant to the situation, otherwise, they could get irritated and be hesitant to share their problems. 3. Give them space Just like adults, teenagers also need some privacy and space from the people around them. Try to approach them not as a parent, but as an individual and learn to respect their privacy. Avoid barging into their room whenever you please and teach them the value of privacy and personal space. 4. Make sure they’re not addicted to their electronics Do they find it difficult to put their phone down while studying or doing any important work? Try to limit their screen time (no matter how much they fight for it!) to give them a break from social media and the Internet. This helps them to learn to be in the moment and can foster some great conversations. Even a small gesture like putting their phones away and joining you for a walk can go a long way in bolstering their moods. 5. Treat your teen as an individual Yes, they may take after you or your spouse, but your teen is their own person, with their own beliefs and opinions. Letting them express what they think and feel without judgement will help boost their self-esteem while fostering a great relationship. It can also make for some excellent dinner conversation. 6. Be honest with them One of the best things you could do for your teen is to be honest. A positive parent-child