No need to book an expensive European vacation this holiday season in order to visit a Victorian castle, ride a steam engine train, shop at an authentic Christkindl German outdoor market and see the night sky light up with festivals of lights. You can do it all on an easy-on-the-budget,
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If your idea of a white Christmas is one surrounded by pristine white sandy beaches, you can still enjoy the holiday spirit in your flip flops. Twenty-three miles of glimmering, snow-white sandy beaches and balmy weather await travellers to Daytona Beach, Florida. A popular destination on Florida’s east coast, famous
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Ever since I was a child, Christmas has had some powerful hold on me. I do everything over the top at Christmas: I start singing carols in October, I decorate my house from floor to ceiling, the Elf on the Shelf becomes another member of the family, and I declare
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’Tis the season for giving and for sharing. Choosing gifts for loved ones can be so much fun and is a big part of the excitement of the season. But… it can get tiring and frustrating too. Do you need to buy a gift for someone who really does seem to
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A friend of mine showed off a picture on his phone: “Check it out!” I wasn’t very impressed by the image in front of me: a bunny hill, notable only in that it was very busy. “So?” I yawned. “It’s inside a mall!” Sure enough, closer inspection of the small screen
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“Mommy, when are we putting up the Christmas tree?” Answer: “Um, next year?” Because we spent the first week of December in California and will be spending Christmas week with our family in Calgary it hardly seems worthwhile to put up a tree for a mere 2 weeks. Or maybe
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One of the things I love most about the holiday season is how every family has its own Christmas traditions especially when it comes to how Santa leaves gifts for the kids. These traditions are often passed down through the generations and are as important to families as the side
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Snowbear’s Christmas Countdown (words and pictures by Theresa Smythe) quickly became a favourite in our house.  The beautiful cut-paper collage illustrations make the pages great fun for the kids. Each day Snowbear does something new to prepare for Christmas.  On day 9 he gets a new tree; we were miraculously
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By Sarah Deveau Each year I look forward to decorating for the holidays with my three daughters. Invariably though, exactly 45 seconds into this delightful family bonding experience I’m dreaming of forgoing Christmas altogether in favour of a December getaway to warmer climes. If the hell that is decorating for
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Last year my son started playing with our local amateur hockey association and I was introduced into the world of morning practices, bad coffee, cold arenas, and writing cheques. Many, many cheques… But he really enjoys it and its awesome exercise so I embrace it as cheerfully as possible. I
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