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Lemony, Garlicky, Cheesy Pasta Primavera with Asparagus

Asparagus is having a moment. And your kids probably don’t care (or are even actively yucking this particular yum). But if there’s a way to get your kids to love this cruciferous veggie, it’s this pasta. Full of flavour and super-easy to pull together on a weeknight, give this recipe a whirl and see if they’ll change their tune.

Are You Counting Down to Summer Vacation?

There are only about six weeks of school left, and people are divided on whether or not this is a good thing. Some parents are counting down to slower mornings, no school lunches and no homework to supervise, while others are just transitioning into summer camp season (same chaos, warmer weather). Where do you fall? Are you excited for the school break, or will your summer be just as hectic as the school year?

🗳CAST YOUR VOTE

The results of last week’s poll:
How do you feel about travelling with your kids?

🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️ Awesome! Family trips are so fun! (32.6%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 The prep work is stressful but eventually worth it. (36.9%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Hard no. Staycations and day trips only, please. (10.9%)
🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ We have yet to attempt it. (15.2%)

Do I Have to Celebrate Mother’s Day?

Mother’s Day as we know it was created at the turn of the twentieth century, as a day to honour the contributions of mothers. More than 100 years later, it remains a nice idea, but we have become more and more aware of the fact that it can be a triggering occasion for many people.

For some, Mother’s Day serves as a poignant reminder of loss, strained relationships and complicated family dynamics. It brings more grief than joy, and is a looming date on the calendar.

For writer Katie Smith, who penned our Mother’s Day essay, it has required a shift in thinking to make the day work for her family, which was built through adoption. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that I need to work hard to shift the discourse for myself around Mother’s Day, and not see it as a day that in any way measures my worth or how much my family loves me. I have the immense privilege of parenting my children 365 days a year, and our relationship and my experience of being their parent doesn’t need to be summed up by how we spend a day in May,” she says. She also says the day morphs and changes year after year, to meet the needs of her family. Some years, they don’t mention the day at all.

So, dear friends, that’s the bottom line: If you don’t want to celebrate, don’t. Or change the narrative and make the day what you and your kids need it to be. Read the whole essay below.