I’m Narrowing My Focus To Serve You Better

I had hoped that I could throw together a recommended family events page, but I cannot. Compiling listings and publishing accurate information is a much bigger job than I realized. Instead, let me reference a few well-established Toronto-area family events pages and then I’ll just blog about stuff I like as I come across it.
First, […]

Too Late for This Year, But …

Okay. I’m leaving for the big in-law dinner in the burbs any second now, but I want to share one little idea. I’m proud of this one.
Get your kids to make wrapping paper by drawing on craft paper! This makes the little one’s feel involved and is so very sweet and it’s eco-friendly to boot.
Also, […]

Trees, Trees, Trees

Growing up, we always got a real tree, but never more than one week before Christmas. (And often not more than a day or two before.) There was, therefore, a long-standing tradition of scrambling around, from one parking lot to the next, searching for any remaining trees. My husband and I have more or less […]

Season’s Greetings

I’m going to have to keep holiday hours in the coming weeks here at Playground Confidential. Christmas is approaching and my weekends and evenings are full of festive obligations. I’m also picking up extra shifts to help staff company parties and pay Santa’s bills. (It’s amazing how quickly a 19-month old grasps the idea of […]

The Curse

I’d like to believe I live in harmony with my body. I’d like to tell you about the wonders of herbal tea and yoga and how connected I am to the phases of the moon. But it would be a load of crap. Don’t get me wrong. I chart my cycle (sorta) and I really, […]

Chocolate Face?

A day or two after his cousin’s third birthday, Colum had a mild pimple-like rash around his mouth that lasted a couple of days. I immediately focused my suspicions on the chocolate cake — it was Colum’s first real exposure to chocolate. Over the past couple months, then, I’ve held off on chocolate for the […]

Holy Trick or Treat, Batman!

I was all set to write a vitriolic rant against the idea that kids should go to Halloween parties rather than trick-or-treating. Over the past few years (admittedly, before I had a kid) I seem to remember a lot of ado about the nutritional and safety related dangers of trick-or-treating. This campaign against the practice […]

Bye Bye Baby

Colum turned 18 months yesterday and, it’s official, I no longer have a baby. Looking at him today, I can clearly see that any residual baby-ness is just that — residue. His ultra-fine wispy hair will need a cut soon enough. His chubby cheeks are going the way of those chunky knee folds and elbow […]

Gary Taubes on prenatal tests

New York Times Magazine allowed top-selling author Gary Taubes, of Good Calories, Bad Calories fame to answer questions from readers. I was pleasantly surprised to find a question about the ethics of some types of prenatal screening given the extremely high rates of false positives and the subsequent stress and anxiety those results can cause. […]

Baby’s First Reading

Here is my very first post, and I’m already foregoing any real information or insight in order to boast about my boy. I left him strapped in his stroller at the bottom of the stairs while I ran up to fetch some last minute item. Returning, I find that he’s picked up the “notice […]