Reader’s Digest Special Issue

I’m particularly proud of the new December issue of Reader’s Digest. It features an essay about my good deeds project – in which I did a good deed a day for 50 days. In my piece I write about the importance and impact of daily kindnesses, even in the busiest of lives. This is the second time I’ve written on this theme in a major Canadian magazine, and regular readers of this blog will know it’s a story that is particularly close to my heart.

What’s extra-special about this issue is the cover girl: my beautiful 10-year-old daughter, who played a key part in my good deeds journey. You can bet she’s loving her appearance on the cover of a national magazine!

Also for December: catch my OWL magazine story about how animals manage to stay toasty in cold weather. Although we’ve been lucky with the mild weather so far this season, I am always open to ideas when the frigid temperatures hit!

How Does Our Healthcare Compare?

Have a look at the November issue of Best Health magazine for my analysis of the health of Canadian women, as compared to Americans. For this piece I explored 11 key health issues, like cancer, osteoporosis and obesity, to find out just who’s on top. My results are presented following a thought-provoking piece by American-born Rona Maynard, touting the advantages of the Canadian healthcare system. It’s definitely worth a read.

School in Afghanistan

Be sure to pick up the November issue of OWL magazine with my story on Afghanistan. This is the magazine’s special top-ten issue, and my article highlights ten ways that international aid workers are making sure more boys and girls have access to education. November has only just begun but it’s already proving to be an incredibly busy month, with lots of work on the go as well as new releases still to come. Keep watching this space for more publication news!

Fitting in at a New Job

A lot of folks are in transition right now, and my short piece in the new November issue of Reader’s Digest offers up advice for men and women who are adjusting to a brand-new workplace. Plus the October issue of OWL magazine is still in stores, with my science story for kids. This one’s about all the teeny-tiny creepy-crawlies that live on or near our bodies. I never expected to freak out my own daughter with one of my articles, but there you go. Icky!

Eating on the Run?

If you find yourself shuffling kids to after-school activities in lieu of sitting down to a leisurely family meal, then my latest online article is for you. Read about the challenges of “dashboard dining” at ParentCentral.ca. The tips and strategies in this piece can ease the supper scramble and reduce your stressload!

More Fall Releases

Just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the new October issue of Best Health magazine answers your questions with my feature, “Girlfriend’s Guide to Healthy Boobs.” The title says it all! And my piece in the October issue of Canadian Family magazine, “Teenage Dirtbag,” addresses your adolescent’s hygiene issues. You’ve got to love the editors who come up with these headings.

 

Plus if you’re one of the four million Canadians who deal with migraine headaches, visit Best Health online for my new piece on diagnosis and treatment. (Botox for migraines? You’d better believe it.)

Grandparents Raising Grandkids

The October issue of Zoomer magazine has hit the newsstands. This issue includes my story on grandparents who’ve made incredible sacrifices to step in and raise their grandchildren. At least 37,000 Canadian kids live with a grandparent, with no parent present in the household. There’s no question these grandparents take on huge emotional and financial responsibilities, and receive little or no support or recognition. Yet they don’t balk at taking in these kids. As one grandmother told me: “I never hesitated for a minute, because I cared for them and was close to them.”

 

Several other fall releases are in the hopper, so stay tuned. I’m also working on a few new pieces and prepping for a national magazine photo shoot. I have a feeling it’s going to be a busy season!

Meet Some Inspiring Moms

Hot off the press is the fall issue of Blush, a new Canadian magazine for moms and moms-to-be. Look for my article profiling mothers across the country. Each of these women shares her special story, whether it’s starting a new business inspired by parenthood, caring for a beautiful new baby from a wheelchair, or managing the chaos and joys of quadruplets and a preschooler… all at the same time. The family photos alone will make you smile – so many exuberant faces on one page!

Weight Loss Tips

What’s your diet personality? Whether you eat for comfort, grab your food on the run, or snack constantly, there’s a healthy strategy for you to manage your weight. Learn more from the article on Best Health’s website, written by this self-confessed “sofa snacker.”

Looking Ahead

I’m not going to say much yet about heading back to school – we’re still soaking up the last of summer. But do check out the September issue of Canadian Family for my piece on eye check-ups and glasses for your school-age child. It stresses the importance of early examinations. Often, kids don’t know they have vision problems because, to them, everything looks normal. A check-up can rule out these and other eye-related concerns. Just in time for… ahem… school.