Hi all,



Many of you share my concern that the City is poised to cut a number of programs and services that affect children, including a number right here and in our community. The budget will be determined this month at a council meeting that starts on Jan 19th.



There is still time to impact these decisions.



If you are concerned, or want to learn more, please visit our website and sign our online petition. …

Turkey in my family is traditional for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Unfortunately, it is also traditionally very dry.  Some of my family members just refuse to eat breast meat as a result.  Others load up on veggies and bread.  This Thanksgiving we were saved by a new brother in law who…

Now this is dangerous.  Shopcastr is a new Toronto website that features products from local businesses, arranged in an easy-to-see format like Pinterest.  Select your neighbourhood (I picked Leslieville, of course), and see some great items for sale from local vendors. Nathalie-Roze & Co, Timmie Doggie Outfitters, Little Peeps, Baby on the Hip, Atomic…

When I started FITMOM 12 years ago I lacked community and felt like crap about myself. As a single mom I felt like an outsider. Once running FITMOM I came to learn that many women felt the same way I did even in happy marriages.  The truth is North American society lacks community. At risk of sounding like the poster child for people who like Leslieville I have to say again it is my little piece of heaven. I think I feel the need to talk about it because I hope it never changes but only gets…

If you've never had the time to bake a cake from scratch, you might want to try making a carrot cake. Your measurements don't have to be perfect and it always comes out moist.  Best of all, it is as simple as adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and pouring the batter into a pan.  This…

Here's the updated version of my Free Baby Activities in Leslieville chart. 

I've compiled a handy "week at a glance" style listing of the free activities for babies in Leslieville.  I know, the Edgewood Connection and the South Riverdale Parent/Child Centre aren't "technically" in Leslieville, but they're close enough.

You can download my PDF here.  And please let…

Does your dog make an embarrassing display at the end of her leash? Does she bark, snark and lunge?

”Reactivity” and “Aggression” are generally misunderstood and misused.

Just because your dog is grumbly on leash, doesn’t mean she’s aggressive. There is an important difference between the two terms and it’s key to know this before labeling your dog.

Aggression is reactivity on a higher scale with the intent finally to injure if all the other communication…

I had to start my Leslieville Blog by bragging about how much I love my new digs. I can do it here since more Leslievillers probably agree ( my friends from outside the hood are annoyed about hearing it ) .

A walk to the beach, the skateboard park,  the movies, the school. Could it be more convenient?

The truth is it is an active parents paradise.  While I have spent 20 of the last 22 years in Toronto I would get out and around the city. Since in Leslieville I…

Now that the weather is turning, I've been looking into playgroups and drop-in activities in the 'hood for those days when the cabin fever sets in.

I've compiled a handy "week at a glance" style listing of the free activities for babies in Leslieville.  I know, the Edgewood Connection and the South Riverdale Parent/Child Centre aren't "technically" in Leslieville, but they're close enough.

 …

Asking friends and relatives which Paprikash recipe is most authentic is as contentious as getting into religious or political debates.  Some people’s eyes widen with horror at the mention of including sour cream while others insist that only…

This was a question asked of me this week and it struck a chord. I can rant all day about the dangers of using leash-corrections, alpha-rolling a dog, hissing and jabbing a dog in the neck or the haunches, or forcing a dog into submission in a fearful situation...but will my words make a difference if people don't know why they do what they do? Likely not.



This is that hardest part of my job – watching people do the above to their so-called "best friend". Would you put a prong…

Hello!



I had the opportunity to attend a 5 hour Introduction to Thai Yoga Massage course at the Still Light Centre (276 Carlaw) this past Saturday and wanted to share with everyone here how awesome it was. I highly, HIGHLY recommend it.

The class I went to is an introductory course to a 20 minute sequence that you and a partner learn together, or you can go on your own and pair up with another solo person there, which is what I did.  If you're good at making fast…

One of my neighbours is kind enough to give me cast offs from her local produce delivery box.  When certain vegetables come into season they tend to dominate her deliveries.  In return for some veggies she is sick and tired of cooking I make a different dish and share the results…

As summer winds down, anyone with an herb garden will find themselves with an overwhelming supply of herbs to be used up before autumn.  Most basil will have flowered and should have been already turned into pesto.  Now is the time to gather up the last of the parsley for tabbouleh.  Other herbs can be…

A few weekends ago, Christian and I decided that it was time. It was time to deal with the unfortunate disaster that is commonly referred to as "the garage". 

Now, let me fill you in on something: in downtown Toronto, if you have a garage, that is pretty awesome.  When our area was built in the 30s, the houses were made to back onto a laneway, and little…