Happy Friday!

Before I announce the two winners of the Taylor Swift CDs, I want to let you know about some great music I heard last night.

My dad and I went to see Gordon Lightfoot live at Massey Hall. It was a wonderful evening ... the company (when was the last time I went out with my dad?), the venue (I think Massey Hall is my favourite place in Toronto) and, of course, the music were all just superb. I still love Lightfoot's oldies the most and it was magical to hear him sing The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald and If You Could Read My Mind live.

I read in the house programme that Lightfoot is embarking on a country-wide tour in spring 2010 so watch for him in your town.

And now for the winners (drum roll please ...)

Congratuations to Alison (I, too, love Loreena McKennitt's To Drive the Cold Winter Away) and to Josie.

Thanks to everyone for all the great song suggestions. I have two favourite holiday tunes: The Huron Carol (especially when sung by my kids' school choir) and the original Band Aid's Feed the World - Do They Know It's Christmas Time?

Have a great weekend everyone. Watch out for another contest next week. Kathryn

Are any of you Taylor Swift fans?

I confess I'm not, but my eldest daughter, Liv, likes her music and she's a lot classier (Taylor, not my Liv!) than a lot of young music stars out there today. (Don't I sound like the prudish, judgmental mum?!)

I'm also happy to report that, in addition to Taylor, my daughter has a fair share of Abba (you gotta love Abba), The Beatles (best band in the whole world!) and ColdPlay (great to see live) on her beloved purple iPod.

My favourite CD these days is Dolores O'Riordan's "No Baggage." Dolores is the lead singer in the fab band, The Cranberries. If you haven't listened to her latest solo recording, it's a must. (Bonus: This Irish songstress married a Canadian and is now a mum who spends most of her time living in northern Ontario.)

Back to Taylor Swift ... I'm giving away two CDS:

Taylor Swift Fearless - the CD/DVD Platinum Edition

(includes videos plus six brand new recordings — is that a great plug, or what?)

You could win this CD/DVD

The second CD is Christmas on the Open Road, featuring two Taylor Swift tracks

that haven't been released yet in Canada!

You could also win this CD!

What do you have to do to win? Tell me what your favourite Christmas tune is ... and why.

Good luck! Kathryn

Hello! I've missed writing to you over the past few weeks while I had the extraordinary experience of going to Ghana with some lovely staff people with Cadbury Canada.

It was an absolutely amazing experience. We visited two cocoa farming villages north of Kumasi and I got to see, first hand, where chocolate comes from.

When I told my two daughters about it they said, "You mean chocolate really does grow on trees!" So sweet (no pun intended). And, well yes, it starts out in cocoa pods that do indeed grow on trees.

Cadbury's is going fair trade with all the chocolate in its Dairy Milk line, which will help the farmers in Ghana tremendously and allow them to earn a more stable and predictable living from their work. And if you're a chocoholic like me, you'll enjoy the fruits of their labours!

FYI: I am putting together a story and photographs on chocolate and fair trade cocoa for our web site - canadianliving.com - and I'll let you know when it's up.

Me with some kids in Ghana - aren't they adorable?!

The highlight of the trip was bicycles. Back in the spring, Cadbury developed a great program called the Bicycle Factory and they are shipping 5,000 bikes to cocoa farming communities in Ghana. I had the wonderful chance to see the first of the bikes being delivered. They are for kids who have to walk more than three kilometres (one way!) to school each day. The expression on the children's faces was pure joy — their spirit and tenacity just warms your heart.

FYI: I'll be writing a story about the Bicycle Factory and how it is helping more kids in rural Ghana get an education in a spring issue of Canadian Living magazine. I'll let you know when it's out.

While I loved the opportunity of visiting Ghana, I'd glad to be back in Canada. Sometimes you have to travel half way around the world to be reminded that everything you really need is right here at home ... well, except for cocoa trees growing in my backyard.

Talk to you soon. Watch for a new contest on my blog tomorrow! Kathryn

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.