Kasie Savage: (almost) Mother of the Year

            As far as my three boys are concerned, there are only 2 days in a calendar year that matter: Christmas and Halloween.   And they’re not alone - according to consumer stats, Halloween ranks second in retail spending.   That’s HUGE!!!   From Halloween recipes, to drinks, to décor, to costumes, wedding-themes (huh?), licensed merchandise, how-to-videos, pyrotechnics, outdoor lighting, inflatables and more, Halloween is no longer a one-night trick-and-treat. Used to be, when I was a kid, Mom took an old worse-for-wear bed-sheet (likely one that you permanently soiled during that nasty stomach flu), cut out jagged eye holes and a mouth, tossed it over your head casually and announced, “you’re a ghost – that’s your costume”.   One pumpkin on the porch was standard décor and kids excitedly tossed their pillows loose from their cartoon-themed pillowcases with the intention of filling them until the seams ...

We Canadians spend so much time indoors hiding from the miserable cold, that once the sun shows itself, we hit the patios, terraces, backyard decks and cottage docks with a vengeance. A bevie in hand and munchies in reach, there's nothing quite like an alfresco dining experience to rejuvenate the soul and boost any mood.  So why then do so few of us picnic?  If your definition of a picnic is eating a 12"cold-cut combo on a park bench, let me redefine the meaning for you: A picnic is a pre-planned, eating and/or drinking experience, typically between two or more people, in a casual outdoor setting surrounded by an inspiring natural environment (think trees, not traffic), whereby food and drink are toted to said location in a packed carry-all supplying linens, edibles, beverage, possibly tunes (via portable speaker or you and your acoustic guitar) with the intent to relax and soak in conversation and scenery. Now if ...

Why is it that it's SO easy to shop for Moms, but when it comes to Dads you always find yourself scanning a 96 piece ratchet set (just like the one you bought last year) or combing the shirt-n-tie aisle with a glazed-over look in your eye.  B-O-R-I-N-G.  I mean come on, this guy helped to create you!  Get him something with a little oomph!  I recently took to the park, streets, sidewalk and backyard and asked a bunch of cool-looking local Dads what they desire more than anything in the world for Father's Day.  Their responses were all identical.  It was almost as if they had formed a secret society of listless, down-in-the-daddy-dumps Dads, some night, in some garage, where they pledged to only ask for one simple thing - the whole strength in numbers routine.  100% of respondents replied: "All I want on Father's Day is for an entire day to myself where nobody barks orders at me, or has me working on a project or running an errand....