Karen Bannister is a creative mom of 3; a writer, editor and digital publisher. When not writing for the web, she's trying to keep up with her three little ones, enjoying family and outdoor time.
She was a beautiful, easy-going baby and our time together until she started daycare at 18 months is among the favourite months of my life. We had ups and downs; at three week’s old she was tested for Cystic Fibrosis because she screened positive as a Newborn. Before the test, and when the possibility of…
We have a tradition in our family. Each Saturday night we make our own pizza and sit down in front of Netflix to watch a movie and eat dinner. It is a special tradition in our family; a lazy meal for mom and dad and wonderful memories for our kids. Netflix features many family-friendly movies…
I love fall; the air turns crisp, the kids head back to school and it feels like a great time to try new things and set new routines. I try hard to carve space in my life for alone and couple time. While I am excellent at making space for exercise (the junkie for sweat…
In a recent conversation about babies, I flashed back 8 years to the earliest months spent with my newborn son. Those days were precious, if drunkenly enjoyed on the nectar of way too little sleep. And for me, the earliest most sleep-deprived months were spent in a kind of washed ignorance. Postpartum Depression didn’t set…
Who doesn’t love it when you find something on the net that so accurately captures how you feel as a parent you are not only laughing out loud but nodding your head in agreement. We love parenting memes for that very reason: they are just so spot on for most of us! We thought we…
It’s funny what sticks out in your memory; seemingly trivial moments are often remembered with the greatest clarity. Two months into the most shocking emotion of my life, I remember standing at the window in my front hall. Snow was gracing the ground with fresh flakes of brilliant white and the sky was a deep…
Help! My kids drive me crazy at bedtime. When 7:30pm hits our household we begin the painful process of bedding three children down for the night. This involves asking, and then asking again, and then asking one more time if they will brush their teeth and get their jammies on. It involves saying, “No now…
Truth time: raising three kids is no walk in the park. And that, ladies, is the understatement of the year. We have had grocery store meltdowns, and playground battles. I have tried to explain the logic of pretty much every common sense action there is and I have had my fair share of anxious, blood-boiling moments…
Part of our Creative Voices Series – A Look at Loss and Miscarriage I have never felt so observed. Tilting my head to cry quietly into my husband’s shoulder as a sea of strange faces looked on. Lying cold on the hospital bed, while a woman, unknown to me, probed my womb. Confusion: After more than…
What does being creative mean to me? When in my life has creative expression saved me? When I was a little girl, I spent hours at the dining room table writing and illustrating stories. I can’t recall the story lines and wish I had a copy of these masterpieces today. I am sure they reflected the…
I have to admit something to you, dear reader. It’s about parenting. Come a little closer and take off your judgement hat. When I was a young single twenty-something, living with my fiancee (now husband) and contemplating the direction of my life – somehow I knew parenting was in it – I remember having very firm…
I have always had a love for the two things necessary to putting together a cosy house: a love for unique items that express my interests and passions AND a desire to shop! There are a few things I am particularly inclined to buy: pillows, baskets and wall art. After our move last summer, my husband…