I live in Ottawa, Canada with my children Keagan (18) and Keira (16) and a Morkie named Bailey. I am now an expert in board games, dispute resolution, inappropriate teen humour and JustDance!

 

I love singing in the shower, dancing around the house, watching movies with my kids, kayaking at sunset, photographing landscapes, wearing sparkly things, driving and talking fast, exploring the world’s mountains and oceans, practicing yoga, playing guitar by the campfire, and enjoying good food, good wine, and good friends…preferably together!

 

random facts about me

 

• I always have a song playing in my head, and know the lyrics and melody to a crazy number of songs. My parents said I memorized and could sing an entire Irish Rovers record (yes, record, I'm old) when I was two.
   

• I have been married twice. My first husband, Blair, died of cancer when I was 22. My second husband, James, and I parted ways when I was 35. People often look at me funny and ask “How old are you?” when they discover I have been married twice already.
   

• I had an amicable divorce. My ex and I consciously chose to make our transition from one home to two as easy as possible on our kids (then 2 and 4). A decade later, we continue to celebrate holidays as a family and work together as a parenting team.
   

• I've enjoyed my time as a single woman! I admit I didn’t at first, but I came to love the many benefits of single life: having the bed to myself, fun outings and spa days with my girlfriends, peaceful cottage vacations alone, buying myself the presents and flowers I want, even taking myself on dates!
   

• I've inherited my mother's pack-rat gene when it comes to food. If you looked in my basement, you'd think I was preparing for a nuclear war. I have three six-foot-high Ikea shelves filled with grains, rice, pasta, canned goods, juice, and so on. My friends say they'd know where to come if there was a natural disaster and they needed food.
   

• My family life is even better than before. My kids listen to and respect me. They help out and do chores without being asked. They are thoughtful and kind-hearted. They are happy, independent, and fun-loving. I truly love spending time with them…including road trips and vacations!
   

• Having children makes you understand fear like never before...fear they'll get hurt, fear they'll go missing, fear you'll die before you see them get married, fear you'll make so many mistakes they'll spend years in therapy.
   

• Having children also makes you understand love like never before. I love the way my kids smile, dance, laugh, act silly together, and are up for pretty much any family adventure.
   

• I have an obsession with Lululemon yoga wear. (I guess that makes me more of a Sporty Spice than a Posh Spice.) I also have an odd fascination with stationery, sticky notes, and boxes. (I like to organize things!)
   

• I have lived in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Ontario. I have visited St. Lucia, Hawaii, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica, Cuba, Antigua, Grand Cayman, PEI, Alberta, British Columbia, Boston, North Carolina, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Sedona. My favorite destinations to date are Hawaii, Sedona, and Banff. Places I want to go: Australia, New Zealand, Figi, Costa Rica, Europe, India, Africa.
   

• I am a nature nut. I love camping, hiking, running, biking, swimming...doing anything outside, really. Nature fills me up, relaxes me, makes me feel more like myself, and reminds me of what's important in life.
   

• I'm an artist at heart. I love writing, photography, music, and scrapbooking. I play guitar and piano. As a child, I wanted to be a dancer or a singer, or to author a book.
   

• My son once told me, “Mom, I don’t just like to help. I need to help.” I can relate. I, too, really need to help people and make a difference in the world. My daughter is a mega-helper too.
   

• I've always loved animals, especially horses. When I was young, I read Black Beauty and the entire Black Stallion series. I dreamed of being an equestrian and asked Mom and Dad every Christmas for a horse
   

• I love to read, but prefer non-fiction. I usually have several books and magazines on the go at any one time.
   

• I was neurotic about my studies when I was younger. When it was bedtime, I would hide a flashlight in my bed so I could continue doing homework once the lights were out. I also asked for dictionaries for Christmas (who does that lol?). I got great grades and scholarships, but paid too great a price in terms of stress and lack of social life. I'm now much more insistent on work-life balance.
   

• I have a degree in journalism yet I can't remember people's names for the life of me and don't watch the news (I find it too negative).
   

• I'm a classic empath and very sensitive to people's emotions and to the energy in a room. I'm also very intuitive and often know that things are going to happen before they do. But thankfully, I don't see dead people. :)
   

• For some reason, when I go near lightbulbs or electronics, they often short-circuit. I've blown countless house lights and street lamps, three computers, my camcorder (twice), my fridge, a bank machine, and my cell phone (more times than I can count).
   

• My parents used to call me "question box" when I was young because I would constantly ask "why" when they said anything. Little wonder I ended up studying journalism and becoming a life coach!