Blogs on More

Sometimes you just have to take the label and run with it! Here’s a shot of our team’s entry in the office pumpkin-carving contest - do you think it did Courtney Cox proud? Kudos to head carver and associate art director Shelley Frayer.

Do you have any tales from the Hallowe’en weekend? Feel free to share.

People - you can’t live with them, and you can’t live without them. The Globe and Mail has a look at neighbourhood disputes up this week of the sort that strike fear into many an urban homeowner. 

I was thinking that probably everyone has a story about “the neighbour who…” but I have to admit my own are benign - teenage parties replete with detailed descriptions of - well, stuff no one wants to know about their neighbours’ kids; the woman who used to come into my backyard to tie my tomatoes up better. 

For the most part, I’m actually glad to have neighbours and a neighbourhood. Yes, we all have our quirks: one of my neighbours leaves his dandelions way too long and another has a dog who used to bark with glee for about 20 minutes right when my son was going to sleep. But all in all, I’ll keep them. What about you?

I’m sorry but enough is enough.   First, we all had to dye our hair or risk being the only mother in the schoolyard who looked like our children’s grandmother. Next it was Botox and filler.  If we couldn’t bounce a nickel off our foreheads we were obviously letting ourselves go. But the latest “must have” item is taking midlife peer pressure to an extreme – I’m talking about the Facebook profile. 

Do I get my hair and make-up done and take a really hot picture of myself so I look in the same league as my friends who’ve obviously had their pictures retouched.  (Or, more importantly, in case my ex-boyfriend from university looks me up?)  Or do I go for a more casual shot like the one of me with the loopy but endearing smile taken at the cottage last summer following one too many cocktails on the dock? How do I accurately depict my Relationship Status and why can’t I select both “Married” and “It’s Complicated”? 

And why do I agonize for hours to come up with a witty, clever and impressive response to a friend request before giving up and tapping in my usual, mundane, “Yes, I’ll be your friend.” It’s gotten to the point that I begin to sweat each time I see a new message in my Inbox telling me someone wants to be my friend.  Enough with the friends! 

If we don’t all stop upping the ante and turning our online networks into the cyber equivalent of a high-brow cocktail party I see only one alternative – to hire a Facebook profile stylist.

I’m pleased to introduce Karen Hamilton as a guest blogger for More.ca. Karen is the woman behind the Toronto website thebestkeptsecret.ca and will be blogging from time to time to share great Toronto finds and talk about midlife here in Toronto. She’s also hosting our Best Kept Secret - Toronto forum.  (If you’re feeling your town is left out, get in touch with us to recommend a local blogger! We’re looking!) –  Jenn

Hello, my name is Karen and I’m a middle-aged woman.

There are those who think this is a bad thing - the ones who might respond, “Hi Karen” and expect me to tell the tale of stumbling to the depths of despair before accepting my affliction and embarking upon a 12-step program on my way to becoming . . . what?  A reformed middle-aged woman?

Granted there have been some despair worthy moments.  Once I accidentally spent $60 on a bottle of shampoo because my middle-aged eyes couldn’t make out the fine print on the price tag.  Then there was the missing condiment incident when the family spent two days searching for the ketchup bottle because I couldn’t remember where I put it.  (It eventually turned up in the broom closet.)

Still, I would contend that this is the best stage of life.

Yes, we face challenges we never signed up for – caring for aging parents, dating again, questing for meaning or just for a pair of jeans that fit our changing bodies.  But I also know we’re more interesting, confident, fit and savvy than we have ever been.

For the past year, I’ve been celebrating with and supporting Toronto women over 40.  My mission has been to help my peers by searching for the best products, services and ideas that Toronto has to offer us.

Beginning today, I’ll be sharing some of my favourite Toronto finds here on more.ca.  You’ll see me pop up from time to time as a guest blogger, as a voice within The Best Kept Secret – Toronto forum and as a “Toronto beat” reporter as I continue to search for Toronto’s best for you, the 40-plus woman.

If you live in the GTA and are looking for something in particular, let me know – I’ll see what I can find out.  Or if you’ve come across a great Toronto find I’d love to hear about it in The Best Kept Secret – Toronto forum.

In the meantime, don’t let anyone make you feel bad about being middle-aged.  They’re probably just jealous.

This crazy office prank really is worth the click.  In summary, staff walled off the executive offices over night.