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Or maybe the more relevant question should be, How much should you pay for? Because so far as I can tell, we don’t want our kids saddled by huge student loans, but we think they ought to contribute something, too.

Jasmine Miller wrote the article you see featured on the homepage today “University: The hidden costs.” If your kids are entering post-secondary school this fall, you’ll want to check it out.

My question about this is, how do you draw the line on what to pay and what not to pay? Are you obligated to help out your kids as much as you can, or should they tackle it alone and get loans like innumerable other students do?

I suppose the answers are as varied as parenting styles (not to mention bank-account balances), and I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

-Helen

Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge fan of escaping winter for sunny climes. But midsummer, I am loathe to leave the country because the weather is so hot. Enter the staycation–a vacation at home.

I polled those of you who follow us on Facebook, and I’m not alone. Camping, short road trips, and hanging out in the backyard were on the top of your list for staycation plans this summer.

Me, I escaped to a hotel with my husband last weekend, in a trip put together by the new staycation travel site Jaunt.ca. (Right now there are deals on for Toronto, Montreal and Miami.)

Kid-free for the evening in Toronto, we visited the Neubacher Schor Contemporary art gallery, then ate the best Peking duck I have ever had in my life (fairly high praise from a half-Chinese person) at Lai Wah Heen.

We overnighted at the SoHo Metropolitan hotel downtown, and the next day took a graffiti tour, more interesting than I thought it would be–I can now identify a couple different graffiti artists, with Toronto Urban Adventures.

Then we had to go home, but because the trip was short and luxe, I for once didn’t feel like I needed a vacation from the vacation, if you know what I mean.

How about you? Do you staycation? Or do you prefer to jet away when you get time off?

-Helen

Update, July 28: Thanks for the comments everyone. Denise, you are the winner!

Thanks yet again to Beth for this cleanser round-up, including a giveaway. Read on to find out how to win one.

Cool cleansers

Cleansers are great for faces over 40. Not only are they less drying than soap, they’re often packed with anti-aging ingredients to boost skin’s health.

Here are a few new products hot off the shelf.

For oily skin. Kiehl’s has just launched oil-free versions of its classic Ultra Facial line. The new formula removes excess oil and controls shine for 24 hours. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil Free Cleanser, $25.

For an anti-aging boost. Ole Henriksen has developed an anti-oxidant rich cleanser with Pumpkin, Vitamin C, and Omega 3 and 6 to exfoliate, stimulate collagen and hydrate. Ole Henriksen African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser, $38.

For sensitive skin. Dermaglow’s new Essentials line includes a cleanser that is Ph balanced for optimal tolerance on all skin types. Bonus: No rinsing required. Dermaglow Micellar Water-Based Cleanser, $26.

To win one of these cleansers, leave a comment about which one you’d like to try (by Wednesday July 27th, midnight) and why.

-Beth

If you’re a gal on the hunt for a new car, I bet you hesitate to visit dealerships without your best haggler family member or friend in tow because you’ve probably heard that women pay more than men. Apparently it’s true, women pay up to $1,300 more, says a brand-new Canadian website called Unhaggle.com.

The idea behind this website intrigued me, so I decided to interview one of the cofounders of the site, Radek Garbowski, to explain it further here. Bottom line: What I like about this shopping tool is you don’t have to give up your personal information to get quotes from real dealerships. However, there is a cost associated with the service: a one-time $47 fee. In a world where we expect all our online info for free, maybe that will be a deal-breaker for some.

More.ca: What is Unhaggle.com?
Garbowski: Unhaggle.com is a marketplace where car buyers can save time and find new car deals by getting local dealers to compete online – so there is no need to negotiate. With Unhaggle, car buyers can receive real offers on the exact vehicle they want, without giving up their personal information or the hassle of visiting multiple dealerships.

More.ca: Is Unhaggle.com only for certain areas of Canada?
Garbowski: Unhaggle serves customers across Canada in all major urban cities including the Montreal area. We plan to serve the remainder of Quebec in the near future.

More.ca: How does it appeal to our readers, women at midlife?
Garbowski: They really value their time. Unhaggle allows buyers to find a great deal on the exact car they want from the comfort of their own home by getting dealers to compete. That means no evenings and weekends spent haggling with sales managers. We bring transparency to the car buying process.

So would you use this tool, or do you prefer kicking tires and haggling, so to speak?

-Helen

As a beauty editor, I try lots of new and innovative treatments. Mostly that’s a good thing, although there have been a few disasters in the line of duty. Once I ended up with green hair after a salon treatment, while another time I had a severe reaction to an anti-aging cream and broke out in ugly hives that lasted several days. Ugh.

I am thinking about these incidents as I drive to the Lakeview Surgery Centre in Barrie, a small city about an hour north of Toronto, where I’ve been invited to try a facial skin-tightening procedure called Pelleve. Dr. Oz has recommended it on his TV show, which I find reassuring. Still I’m a little nervous.

Turns out I my anxiety is unfounded. The procedure is, dare I say, relaxing and pain-free. In just under an hour it’s over and when I look into the mirror I find a brighter, less tired version of myself.

Here’s how it works: A technician passes a small, hand-held wand over your face to heat your skin, focusing specifically on lines, wrinkles and saggy skin. The wand uses radiowave technology to heat the deepest layers of epidermis. Once heated, your collagen contracts, thus encouraging new collagen to grow and plump up your skin. Some results are immediate, but best results are seen a week or so after the procedure. Often three treatments, a month apart, are required for optimal results. Each treatment is about $450.

-Beth

Thanks Beth! Now, a question from the web editor: Would you try it?

Last week, Linda Lewis wrote this note about Julyna in the Haute Flash newsletter (sign up here if you haven’t already). Normally this More Daily blog features brand-new content, but this message is so important, no matter where you stand (or shave) on the issue, that it is worth repeating. Let us know what you think.

Is Julyna a helpful message?
When journalists or PR peeps are looking to quote a cervical cancer survivor, I often get the call. Why? I am not the ultimate expert on the topic, nor is my story any more compelling than the next lucky woman to live with this disease (I say lucky when I consider the alternative). I am the go-to gal simply because I seem to be one of only a handful of local women willing to speak openly about a type of cancer now known to be caused by a sexually transmitted virus (HPV).

The stigma around cervical cancer is a deadly, pervasive virus itself, something that prevents far too many parents from allowing their adolescent children to get a vaccine that could ultimately save their lives.

So, I do admire anyone who tries to tackle the stigma, hoping to raise money and awareness. I applaud the spirit of the women who have started Julyna, the current campaign, endorsed by the Canadian Cancer Society. Inspired by the success of Movember, the moustache-growing fundraiser to fight prostate cancer, Julyna is a hair-razing humdinger of an idea: Women creatively shape their pubic hair in exchange for donations.

Still, I understand why this particular fundraiser has raised health experts’ eyebrows. My own oncologist Joan Murphy, who is the clinical lead for the Ontario Cervical Cancer Screening Program at Cancer Care Ontario, was quoted about her concern in the Globe and Mail last week: “Shaving your pubes to any different shape, I don’t think that’s going to bring discussion around the water cooler.”

Continued the Globe article, “Instead of fostering acceptance of cervical cancer, Julyna risks undoing efforts to destigmatize a disease that has traditionally been associated with promiscuity.” Noted Joan: “I’m not sure this risque campaign is going to help dig us out of that hole, frankly.”

After surgery, radiation and chemo, I can attest: Cervical cancer is one of the unsexiest causes around. Sure, if you want to help, go ahead: bikini wax away. But there is no one whose opinion I trust more than Joan’s, the first female gynecologic oncologist in Canada.

So here’s another option: donate to the cervical cancer fund at the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation. Joan and I co-founded it almost 10 years ago, in the hopes of eradicating this disease during our lifetime. It is possible — pubic hair notwithstanding.

Linda Lewis, Editor-in-Chief
linda@more.ca

After reading the amazingness that is Bossypants, the recent Tina Fey memoir, and nearly splitting my gut, the next book on my list was Jennifer Weiner‘s Then Came You. If you’re heading to the beach and looking for a light read, I recommend both of these.

Are you familiar with Jennifer Weiner? She wrote In Her Shoes (made into a Hollywood flick I haven’t seen) and Good in Bed, among others. Her latest page-turner tackles the issues of parental rights, egg donation and surrogacy, which now that I write it looks kind of boring, but I assure you it isn’t.

The thing I’ve discovered about the Venn intersection of More.ca visitors and Jennifer Weiner’s readers is that you seem to have read all her books. Comments (via our Facebook page) include:

“I think In Her Shoes is one of my favorites by her!”
“I have a romance with debut novels and Good in Bed will always be on my Top 10 Fun Reads list!”
And my fave, because it’s so sweet:
“Helen if you lived closer I would get the books to you!”
(Because I haven’t read them all. Don’t worry, kind friend. I’ll borrow them!)

If you have read Jennifer Weiner’s books, which is your fave?

And if you haven’t, More.ca has one complete Jennifer Weiner library to giveaway. You can enter to win until August 11th, just visit our contests page. Of course, I am sorely tempted to read these all before handing them over to the winner, but rest assured they’re a brand-new set coming straight from the publisher, Simon & Schuster.

-Helen

Today’s post (and giveaway) is courtesy of More beauty editor Beth Thompson. If you want to win one of these products, leave a comment here on which one you would like to try and why, before midnight, Monday July 11. We’ll pick a winner on Tuesday, so check back then to see if you won. Thanks Beth!

Summer skin needs a little TLC to keep it smooth and supple. But who wants to pile on lotions and potions during the dog days of July? A great alternative is a body wash, especially one that does double-duty as a moisturizer.

Here are a few of our faves:

For sensitive skin try all-natural Diane Lai Body Wash. Organic shea butter, lavender oil and pomegranate extract ensure supple skin, $14.

To improve texture try Live Clean Exotic Nectar Argan Oil Replenishing Body Wash. Rich in antioxidants, it nourishes while improving skin’s elasticity and texture, $7.

To hydrate try Nip + Fab Cleansing Shower Oil. You rub it into skin before you step into the shower. Not only does it hydrate your dry bits, once the water hits it foams into a fragrant, foamy cleanser, $16.

-Beth