[bc_video video_id="6283914038001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] Holiday time means holiday parties and family gatherings, but sometimes getting to the salon or finding the time to make your hair look its best for an event isn’t always an option. So here are my top DIY holiday hairstyles! Holiday Snatched Pony  Step 1 – Section Hair So as you can see, Nina has already started part of her ponytail here. She’s also left out this section in the front because that detail is what’s going to make this ponytail go from gym freak to holiday chic. Step 2 – Snatch it So one tip that people can take away with them is, how to achieve a really snatched pony, (and I learned this from the Kardashians hairdresser wink, wink) so what you do is divide your ponytail in half and do it in two sections. You’ll see how the hair has been sectioned angled from the tip of her eye, and now Nina will connect that second section into the rest of the ponytail. This angled ponytail gives a nice lift to the face and gives the hair a super snatched look. Step 3 – Accessorize Now with this front piece that’s remaining, we are going to slick it to the side and anchor it using a very chic hair accessory. It’s the accessory that makes it holiday fun and while it’s not my style, you could possibly even go with a cute holiday decoration or something a little more festive! Whimsical Holiday Chignon        Step 1 – Section Hair into a low ponytail Nathalie has the hair already sectioned out into a low ponytail. Something everyone can do themselves. But we’ve left the front hemisphere of her hair out for some added glam after. Step 2 – Braid & Anchor Nathalie has already also braided her ponytail and anchored it with a little elastic. Super easy. This braid doesn’t even need to be perfect because next she’s gonna wrap this braided pony into her chignon. And she’ll anchor it with a bobby pin. Step 3 – Make your Chignon & Anchor Now with the remaining two pieces in the front, shes’ going to very loosely anchor these areas in the front leaving some hair dropping out for a very whimsical look. Tracy's Hairdo  STEP 1 – Tuck it So Tracy, what I’m going to have you do is tuck one side of your hair behind your ear tightly just like tuck it. STEP 2 – Bobby Pin it Next we are gonna take bobby pins that don’t match your hair colour. So, in your case, we found these really cute white/ silver bobby pins STEP 3 – Design and Layer Lastly, you are just gonna start sliding the bobby pins into the hair so they are visible. A lot of people will do a row of bobby pins and if you feel like being creative, you can actually do that plus add a few sporadic ones to add a little interest. Crisscross them, layer them on top of each other, there’s no right or wrong way of doing this.

[bc_video video_id="6281353133001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] As it gets colder, getting the kids to have fun in the snow is always important. Here are some DIY games that your kids will love and they are easy to do! 1. DIY Snow Paint  Save those empty bottles and fill them up with either water and food colouring or water and jello powder. We all know the kids are going to eat the snow anyway so why not make it taste, just don’t eat the yellow snow!   2. Snowball fight We all love a good snowball fight. Why not get some help from these snowball and brick makers that we got from the dollar store. Now, these are my kid's favourite winter toys, so you can make a bunch of snowballs in seconds for an epic battle and the brick makers are perfect for making a fort to protect yourself. 3. Ice Orbs Fill a 7” ballon with water to about 3’-5’, add food colouring and shake. Then place outside to let it freeze, once frozen, remove the balloon skin and behold the beauty of your creation. Make sure to be careful with these as they can be heavy or break when dropped! 4. Can Jam For this game, partners will stand across from each other and we play to 21 points. If you get your frisbee in the very small slot on the side of the can, your team automatically wins. It feels impossible, however, you can earn points in other ways. If I toss the frisbee and my partner knocks it into the can and dings the side, that’s one point. If you hit the can unassisted that’s 2 points, and if your partner manages to push the disc into the top of the can that’s 3 points. We made the cans out of builders tube which we got from our local hardware store. Cut the tube in half and add a slit to throw the frisbee into. 4. Snow darts If the can jam game is too hard you can play snow darts! Bring out some different sizes of hula hoops to create targets to throw at or use the snow paint to make the targets and colour your snowballs to be able to keep score.

[bc_video video_id="6281352088001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] The holiday deep clean is something we always put off. I am focusing on doing a deep clean, in one room, in 30 minutes! But if you ask me to give up the whole day, that's just not happening. However, a deep, thorough clean, is 100% possible in 30 minutes. 1. Start with a power tidy up  The very first thing we are going to do is tidy up. It is so easy to forget about things that aren't in their spot. If it doesn't have a home in that room put it in a new basket or find a new home for it. Get rid of old magazines (my personal weakness) and books that pile up. Be sure to recycle them and donate them, not toss them. 2. Dust everything  Start high and then work low because as you dust you will have particles that will fall down. Door frames, vents, corners of the room (I’m looking at you, cobwebs) picture frames, TVs, lamps. You don’t need any tools to do this. All you need is a clean microfibre cloth and a lint roller, that will tackle most of this for you. One of the tricky things to dust is your lampshade. My trick to dust a lampshade is to use a lint roller and you won't believe how much dust comes off! 3. Wash drapes and blinds It will not only make your home smell gorgeous, but it can hold major dust and allergens! Either take them to the cleaners or wash them yourself depending on the fabric that you have. This will freshen up a room quickly! If you have hard blinds you want to actually clean in between those as well. 4. Giving the softa a deep clean Do you have slipcovers? Toss them in the wash, along with any pillow covers that can be washed too. I recently discovered an oxy-booster and used it on my slipcovers, it is nothing short of amazing! Look at the difference between the top of this ottoman, which has been cleaned, and the bottom, which hasn’t been cleaned. 5. Cleaning floors and deep cleaning those carpets Now it’s time to tackle the floors. Obviously, give your rugs a good vacuum but take them to the next level and let’s really wash them. I’m not a fan of renting carpet washers. There are great ones out there that are so easy to use and don’t take up much more space than a vacuum. This one, the Hoover Power Scrub Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner, is super easy to use. You’ll find the whole Hoover vacuum lineup at your local Canadian Tire store. It also has this Spot Chaser™ Pretreat Wand to hit the tough spots like the kid's dried spilt cereal or the old pet accident. If you are in a super small space or have spots to clean like carpeted stairs, they have the Hoover Clean Slate Portable Deep Cleaner. Don’t get me wrong, it can handle the big stains, but it is super easy to carry around and needs very little space to store it.

[bc_video video_id="6281153968001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] If you’ve ever tried to ask a child "How was school?" it’s an instant conversation stopper. There are other specific things you ask instead, before we get to that – I have lined a few ways you can connect with your kids after school. 1. Take the long way home If you can walk, walk. Give your kids some time to decompress. Walk at your kids’ pace, take a different route, and throw in a stop at a playground or two. They will need that time and space to get rid of that pent-up energy. 2. Do what your kid wants to do  Although it may not be your cup of tea, engaging with your child shows that you are interested in what they are interested in. It makes you more likeable, trustworthy, and relatable. These are all characteristics that will make you someone your child wants to speak to. 3. Ask open-ended questions At our dinner table, we ask questions that force kids to answer beyond yes or no. It allows them to reflect on their day and offer more meaningful, insightful answers. It also allows your kids to take the conversation where they feel it needs to go. For example, we always ask, ‘What was your favourite part of your day?’ 4. Other questions to ask: 

• What did you do that was kind today?
•  Did someone make you laugh today?
• What did you work hard at today?
• Did something upset you today? How did you turn your frown into a smile?
• Play ‘Glad, Mad, Sad.’ (This is where you go around the table at dinner and each person says a thing that made them glad that day, something that made them mad, and something that made them sad.)
• We always answer too in order to make it an easy conversation that the whole family is a part of it.

5. Ask yourself these questions at the end of a week to make sure you have the best circumstances for an open chat:

• Are you making space for conversation?
• Are there times when the devices are off and you are talking with your child?
• Is it happening in the car, at the dinner table?
• Are you happy with your conversations?

[bc_video video_id="6281139461001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] Debt can be complicated, overwhelming, and personal. It’s hard enough if you have to deal with your own debt but what happens when you have to deal with your partner's debt? I talked to the counsellors at Credit Canada and here are three examples: Small, medium, and massive.

• Small: The couple was constantly fighting because one of them was a frequent online shopper and only paid the minimum of $4K in credit card debt, infuriating the spouse.
• Medium: The person overspent on joint credit cards which he was in charge of. The spouse didn’t know until the collection calls started and her credit score was trashed.
• Massive: Young woman, 3-year-old child. In our offices because the husband had secretly racked up tens of thousands of dollars in gambling debt and then died. So, she was left as a single parent, with massive debt.

So what happens if your partner's in debt, are you on the hook for that? Yes, and no. No, if the debt is listed in their name alone. And yes, if it is a joint credit card account or a loan agreement you signed. But even if you aren’t technically on the hook for it, your partner’s debt can affect you in a number of ways:

• Like Renting an apartment: The landlord wants both your credit scores.
• Or Applying for a mortgage: Again, both your credit scores.

But I think the biggest thing is that it may affect your ability to live the life you want. You want to travel or save for a new car, and you can’t because of your partner's debt. (Now, I say “your partner’s debt," but it could be you. You’re sitting there, wanting to change the channel, because you realize your debt is affecting your partner). Impact on relationship It can have a huge impact, in tangible ways, like you can’t save for retirement. And in intangible ways, that you can’t measure, but you certainly can feel: Stress. Resentment. Anger. Very often, the debt issue is a secret. Secrets in a relationship can be really damaging. Secrets are at the source of betrayal. Advice for couples  We want to make your debt stress disappear. So, you need to talk about it. That can be uncomfortable and upsetting, but it is so much better than the alternative. I have a few steps to guide you:

1. Park the blame-mobile outside: It just isn’t helpful. It might make you feel better, for a minute but it is not helpful. We’re going to get the finger-wagging done in advance. (Grab your finger, let’s wag it out. Feel better? Good).
2. Look for the root cause: When you’re in it, it might feel like your partner is doing this on purpose. Not likely. The problem with debt may be connected to:

• • A mental health issue – They’re anxious, so they shop. They’re depressed, so they gamble. They have ADHD, so they have weak impulse control.”
  • Or, it could be connected to the lack of skill— they have never learned how to budget. They don’t know how to stay organized, so things are paid on time.

How do you plan for what lies ahead?

• Agree on the goal: Figure out what you can agree on as a couple.
• Brainstorm solutions: This is going to take some creativity. Depending on the circumstances, you may participate in the solutions or not. So, maybe you cut the cheque from your bank account and get it done with. Or you lead the process to refinance your mortgage. Or, you stay out of it entirely.

What resources are out there?

• Marriage counsellor: Money is one of the biggest topics they deal with. They can be more objective on what’s actually going on, and help you practice the communication skills you are going to need.
• Non-profit credit counsellor: There are agencies across the country that will take your call for free and guide you through your options. From basic budgeting to a debt consolidation program, to a consumer proposal or bankruptcy.

This is such a tough question to time correctly. Too early and you could sound money hungry. Too late and you’re in love. What I would do is listen for the signs:

• As you get to know them better, how are they about money?
• Do they talk about it?
• Are they stressed about it?
• Do you see them spending wildly?
• Does that fit what they do for a living?
• What are things they’re excited about?
• Are they the things you’re excited about?