Hello, isn't it nice to have an extra hour sleep thanks to the time change?

I hope everyone had a great Halloween. My two girls were sick - cough and colds - but managed to get out trick or treating for almost an hour. I know they were disappointed but I think they have enough loot to last them to Christmas!

Liv was trick or treating with a friend, Vivi, when she started to feel unwell and needed to go home. I took her back and then stayed out with Vivi.

I felt a kid again, going door to door with Vivi and treat or treating along side her, saying I was collecting the candies for my sick daughter who had to pack it in early. "Honest, this isn't for me!" I emphasized. What us moms won't do for our kids!

Well, I am off on an amazing work assignment until Nov 13th. Heading to Ghana with Cadbury's to see their fair trade chocolate operations and the delivery of hundreds of bicycles to children in rural villages who will use them to get to school. Very inspiring and exciting. I will miss my kids terribly, though.

I'll tell you all about it when I get back ... and there will be more contests.

Take care.

Ok, so I am sitting at my desk here at the Canadian Living office all decked out in pirate gear ... the hubby's white dress shirt, my skinny black pants, high black leather boots, belt with a plastic sword tucked in, red leather gloves, an awesome hat complete with a skull-n-cross-bones emblem and a faux black bird on my shoulder!

My kids helped with the face paint (beard and scars).

I challenge you to find another mom who loves Halloween as much as I do! I'm quite certain I like it more than Christmas. No line-ups, shopping, multiple trips to the mall — just great candy and spooky fun.

My girls love it, too ...

Sophie, 7, is capitalizing on the fact that she has lost four teeth this month and is going trick or treating as a witch. We found a great black velvet and taffeta girl's party dress at Value Village (my favourite Halloween store) for about $6. It has asymetrical layers and looks perfect under her cape.

Liv, 10, is going out as Coraline — the character from the movie by the same name. We bought black boots for $4.99 at Value Village and then spray-painted them blue. We also picked up a blue top ($2.99) and then ironed on white stars. I love pulling together costumes like these ... they're cheap, creative and completely originally.

Tonight, we are going to hang out at home and watch "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken." (Worth renting!) Then tomorrow night, we'll shell out and hit the streets of our 'hood. I can't wait — feels like Christmas Eve ... only better.

What are your kids getting dressed up as?

Happy Halloween everyone!

Wow - do you ever love Wii!

Thanks for all the great feedback. I wish I had one for everyone.

Hmm, since I don't have a system myself maybe I'll ask Santa for one this Christmas.

One thing is certain, come this winter I'll be on a mission to find more ways to get outdoors and exercise with my whole family. This past weekend inspired me. We rode our bikes down to Lake Ontario with our girls (ages 7 and 10) and hit the monkey bars - talk about a workout for your upper arms! Then on Sunday we hiked around High Park for over an hour.

I love cross country skiing but, sadly, have barely gone over the past two years. I'm not exactly sure why ... life just gets busy doesn't it? Also, I had foot surgery late last fall and come ski season I still wasn't feeling that confident on my feet.

Well, no more excuses. This winter I am going to make the cross-country skiing happen - with kids and hubby in tow!

So, you want to know who want won the Wii Fit Plus? Congrats to Lesley Rice.

Talk to you soon, Kathryn

Hello! I want to share some exciting news with you ... nope, not about the Wii Fit Plus just yet.

I have lost two inches off my waist line. Yeah for me! Big round of applause.

The loss didn't come easily. I have been working out with a trainer once a week since late April (a great guy who lives in my neighbourhood) so it's the accumulation of about six months of hard work. But boy does it feel good. I'll admit that I still have a "muffin top"(that little protrusion on the front of one's tummy) but I can see that the sides of waist are much more defined.(Can you tell I'm happy?!)

What I love most about my new work-out routine is that I don't go on the scales. I'm not interested in how much I weigh but in how my clothes fit, how I feel in them and that I'm building up my muscles and strengthening my bones. I happen to know that I whittled away two inches of my waistline because my trainer took some measurements in April and then again this week.

Enough about me and my waist. Now let's talk about Wii Fit Plus.

I don't own a Wii (sniff, sniff) but I have girlfriends who do and tell me the fitness workouts are amazing. What I do have in my hot little hands is a copy of the new Wii Fit Plus — and I'm going to give it away to one lucky blog reader.

What do you have to do to win? Subscribe to my blog and tell me why you deserve to have your very own Wii Fit Plus.

Talk to you soon! Kathryn

Is it just me, or is everyone a little too worried about H1N1?

Yes, I know the risks are real but we've survived other health scares. Think SARS, West Nile and bird flu.

I don't mean to sound glib but I am personally more worried about saving for my kids' post-secondary education than swine flu ... in large part because I don't believe in worrying about things that you don't have a lot of  control over.

This morning I was listening to CBC Radio and Vancouver residents were talking about asking coughing citizens to leave a public bus. I have allergies and this time of the year, I cough a lot. And I don't have N1N1. This leave-the-bus business is taking things a bit far, don't you think?

Speaking of control ... tell me how you plan to protect yourself and your kids from H1N1. Will you - and they - get the vaccine?

Let's talk. I want to hear your opinions.

The weekend forecast doesn't look that great, but I'm still excited about Thanksgiving.

We are fortunate enough to be heading up north to the Parry Sound region, where I know the leaves will be glorious — despite the fact it's supposed to snow on holiday Monday. Brrrr! All the more reason to cozy up around my parent's wood-burning fireplace.

On the three-hour drive up, I plan to ask my daughters, "What are you thankful for?" Kids always come up with the most simple yet inspired answers, such as, " the clouds, rainbows, fresh air and sunshine."

I'm thankful that I have a healthy family. I have been especially grateful for this gift over the past month because my closest girlfriend's mother is dying and I realize how precious our health really is.

Write and tell me what you'll be saying 'thanks' for this weekend.

Enjoy the time with your family ... I'll talk to you next week.

P.S. The winners of the thing-a-ma-boob keychain are Kimberley, Jeannine and Katherine. Send me your mailing addresses and I will get them out to you

Thing a ma ... what? Thing-a-ma-boob!

It's a brilliant little idea — a key chain that helps you remember to do breast self exams and raises money for breast cancer. The key chain is made of pink beads of different sizes; each one represent the size of lump that can be detected through a variety of breast screening methods.

The smallest beads represent the average size lump found during regular mammograms. And the biggest one is the average size lump found by women checking their own breasts. It's a real eye-opener.

So-o, where can you get one of these funky and functional key chains? You can buy them through the Canadian Cancer Society ... or win one of three that I am giving away.

What do you have to do to win? Write to me!

Tell me what you love best about your body - and why.

I can't wait to read your responses.

Welcome to October!

This weekend my hubby, kids and I will be heading to downtown Toronto to take part in the annual CIBC Run for the Cure. It's an event that I have participated in since it's very inception. In fact, the very first run of this kind was held in my 'hood of High Park, Toronto.

While many men sign up for the run/walk, I love the whole girl spirit that's a huge part of the event ... the pink balloons and ribbons, girlfriends walking together and mums with babies in strollers.

When my eldest, Liv, was just 7 months old I ran pushing her along in a baby jogger, cheered on by scores of participants and volunteers. And when Sophie was just five months old, she came with me in her Bjorn baby carrier.

Everyone knows someone who has had breast cancer, don't they?

Little did I know when I started getting involved in the Run for the Cure many years ago, that I, too, would have a personal connection to this disease. Six years ago, a dear friend, Mary-Ellen Murray, died of breast cancer - she was only 36. I'll be thinking of 'Mimi' this Sunday when I do the run.

Tell me how breast cancer has touched your life or family ... and do you do your monthly self-exams?

Talk to you soon, Kathryn

Happy Friday!

Congratulations to Kiki and Roseanne who are the winners of my Canadian Living Slow Cooker Collection contest. I hope you both love the book.

For those who didn't win, watch for it in bookstores in October - you'll love it!

Thanks to everyone for your great comments. It's nice to hear there are so many men helping out in the kitchen. (Way to go ladies!)

Talk to you next week. Kathryn

I'm excited to annouce a new contest ... read on!

One of my biggest mum dilemmas is keeping meals healthy, easy and yet not serving the same old thing week after week. Can you relate?

If you haven't used one yet, you must try a slow cooker. You can make amazing one-pot meals, get your kids involved in the prep, and ... the best part ... you don't have to worry about rushing home from work to get stuff in oven. Plus, there's no multi-dish clean up. What's not to love?

Do I sound like a slow cooker pusher? Well, I am. I'm completely sold on the concept. Once you have a slow cooker, all you need is some great recipes. That's where my contest comes in.

I am giving away two copies of  the Canadian Living Slow Cooker Collection worth $22.95.  This book isn't out on shelves until Oct 20th so two lucky winners will get an advance peak.

What do you have to do to win? Tell me how you get your kids and/or guy to help out in the kitchen.

Talk to you soon.