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

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

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

Congratulations to Sue and Cheryl who have each won a copy of The World Needs Your Child - How to Raise Children Who Care and Contribute (me to we books, 2009) by Craig and Marc Kielburger and Shelley Page.

Here are 8 parenting pearls of wisdom from this great book that I would like to share with you:

1. Of course your children are gifted: Your challenge and joy is to help them discover their talents.

2. Give the presence of time: Don't rush. Let your child discover her own abilities at her own speed.

3. Make room to explore: Your talents are your talents. Give your kids the freedom to find their own way to shine.

4. Take an interest in their interests: If your child is fascinated with dinosaurs, take him to the library or the natural history museum. No matter the flavour of the month, help him explore.

5. No pain, no pain: Dragging a kid to practice only works for so long. Help him find his groove.

6. Encourage effort, not results: Marks and scores are important to a point. A the end of the day, the real goal is for your child to feel a sense of accomplishment.

7 . Model optimism: Tell your children that you have faith in them and believe they can succeed.

8. Show and share: Encourage kids to share their talents with friends, family and community.

If you have any other tips, please share them. Talk to you soon.

Happy Friday ... especially because we are headed into the last long weekend before we kiss summer good-bye.

As I promised, I have a new contest ... but first, let me digress ... something that I must admit I'm very good at!

One of my favourite aspects of my job as the life & health editor at Canadian Living magazine is working with a wonderful organization, Free the Children (FTC). Started by two Canadian brothers, Craig and Marc Kielburger, FTC has built schools for hundreds of thousands of kids all over the world and been an advocate for children's rights.

(Check out our annual Me to We awards program with FTC online at www.canadianliving.com)

Why am I telling you about this?

Because the contest involves a new book that the Kielburgers have written called, "The World Needs Your Child - How to Raise Children Who Care and Contribute (me to we books, 2009). It's an inspiring read full of  heart-warming stories and incentive to nurture a sense of compassion and community in kids of all ages.

I'm giving away two copies of The World Needs Your Child.

What do you have to do to win?  Tell me about an act of kindness that you or your kids did recently!

I can't wait to read your replies!

Last time I wrote, I shared the news that my niece had come to live with us for the summer. That event has had me dusting off teen parenting books in my office here at Canadian Living magazine, and asking co-workers which books they'd recommend.

Here, I'd like to share four picks with you:

• Teen Brain, Teen Mind by Ron Clavier. I first read this book when it came across my desk four years ago. I liked it so much that I had lunch with Ron, who is Canadian, and asked him if he would answer parents' questions on our 12-16 Your Kids page. Ron and I have worked together ever since and now he has a new edition of this book out.

• Now I Know Why Tigers Eat Their Young - Surviving a New Generation of Teenagers by Peter Marshall. Another great Canadian parenting author, who reminds us that we weren't perfect as teens, so we can't set the bar too high for our offspring. Most importantly, this book will help you talk more effectively with your teen.

• Dr. Karyn's Guide to The Teen Years by Dr. Karyn Gordon. Dr. Karyn, as she calls herself, is very popular among urban parents, especially those with girls, and her book offers solid advice on troubling issues such as depression, bullying and drug abuse.

• Get Out of My Life, But First Could You Drive Me & Cheryl to the Mall: A Parent's Guide to the New Teenager by Anthony Wolf. I confess that I haven't read this book ... but I love the title and Wolf's columns in the Globe & Mail. Canadian Living's publisher, Lynn Chambers, tuned me into this book. She has a couple of tween/teen daughters and thinks it's very helpful. She also told me many of her mom friends love it, too.

Happy readin

P.S. Tomorrow I announce a new contest! (Sorry it didn't come together earlier this week but it's worth the wait).

Here's the Mother's Day card that Sophie made for me

Hello!  I had lovely Mother's Day despite a miserable cold and sore throat. (Hey, I'm just glad it's not swine flu. Though I did have a couple of glasses of white wine on Saturday night, so maybe it was 'wine' flu!)

My girls treated me to tea and peanut butter on toast in bed (thanks Dad for making that happen). They also gave me my favourite gift - cards and art. (Honest - I love that stuff! See the cards above and below.) Liv also made me a precious bubblebee out of tiny glistening beads.

The highlight of my day was seeing our new neighbours - two fuzzy baby robins that hatched on Sunday.

We had been keeping an eye on the nest that sits on top of our neighbour's eavestrough, peering at it with binoculars out of our back second-floor window. Around noon, my husband, Len, spotted fluffy feathers poking out of the nest. We all watched, excitedly grabbing the binoculars out of each others' hands, as mama robin flew off and returned with lunch.

When it was my turn, I saw two tiny translucent beaks open wide, stretching up out of the nest as mama robin dropped a tiny wriggling worm into one. I swear, it was like a scene straight out a National Geographic film. Mother Nature couldn't have orchestrated a more delightful Mother's Day surprise for me.

Talk to you soon ... and I promise to share my chat with a former CIA spy.

Who could ask for more?

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