For me, summers have always meant birthdays. I have such fond memories of big summer backyard birthday parties with timeless themes and elaborate cakes that my mom would spend hours decorating. Now with my own little ones celebrating their birthdays in the summer and fall, these traditions live on. But just like at Christmastime with My Kindness Advent Calendar, it’s become important for me to add one more layer to our birthday celebrations. And no, I don’t mean one more layer of chocolate cake, but a layer of kindness, so my kids can experience balance between giving and receiving on their most special day of the year. Here are some of my favourite ways to incorporate kindness into your kids' birthday celebrations - kindness to charity, to your guests, and to the planet. 

As the saying goes, “it's an honour just to be nominated”. But as a mom, always thinking of my kids first, I'm going to tweak the saying: “it's an honour and teachable moment just to be nominated”. How do you talk to your kids about competition and kindness? There's no time like the World Cup to tackle this important topic! 

Tulips. Sunshine. Afternoons at the park. There are so many things to love about Spring. At the top of my list – the Garage Sale. I have a not-so-secret love of the Garage Sale. That’s why this year, I decided to organize a neighbourhood yard sale as our family volunteer initiative for last month’s National Volunteer Week. At-home volunteer projects can be the best way to introduce young kids to the idea of volunteering and giving back in their communities. The Garage Sale is a perfect vehicle for kids to get involved and learn lots of valuable lessons along the way.