Tag: family

Do Less Better.

The Life and Times of Casey Palmer — The State of the #BloggerLife, February 2019 — Do Less Better. (Featured Image)

Last updated on March 21st, 2021 at 02:36 am

Table of contents

One thing I’ve been particularly horrible at is learning to say “no”.

The Long Road to Becoming a Better Blogger

They say hindsight’s 20/20, and if my old report cards are an indication of anything, the people around me could see I was sowing the seeds to my destruction long before I could.

The Life and Times of Casey Palmer—The State of the #BloggerLife, February 2019—Do Less Better.—The Pile of Work

We all know there’re only twenty-four hours in a day, but I’ve been working to optimise every minute of my days since I was twelve. I could sleep when I was dead—I had too many ideas and a plethora of interests; it was all about the short-term pain for the long-term gain, and I was confident that I’d reach the day where I wouldn’t need to work so hard anymore.

But it’s been more than twenty years of sleepless nights and wishful thinking since, and I’m still not quite so sure when I’ll figure it all out.

I mean, the question is this—how do you succeed with your content when you can’t make it your everything?

CONTINUE READING to see how much of The 2019 200 I pulled off in January, and what’s yet to come! “Do Less Better.”

Why Father’s Day Isn’t Mother’s Day II

Why Father's Day Isn't Mother's Day II — An Exercise in Fatherhood by Casey E. Palmer (Featured Image)

Last updated on April 13th, 2021 at 09:23 pm

“Happy Father’s Day to the single mothers out there doing both jobs.”

No.

Why Father's Day Isn't Mother's Day II—An Exercise in Fatherhood by Casey E. Palmer—Reading to My Eldest

Oh, I get it. And I agree that we should celebrate single Moms for everything they do to raise their kids—it ain’t easy; I have a hard enough time with two of us in the house. But let’s not diminish the efforts of the Dads who work hard to be worthy of their children’s love by treating Father’s Day like Mother’s Day II.

Real talk—we haven’t embraced the idea that we’ve got single Dads at home managing everything despite that it’s a growing demographic. I don’t see anyone wishing them a Happy Mother’s Day because they’re doing both jobs. And it doesn’t even reflect the modern family anyway—are you saying that same-sex couples need to decide what roles they’ll play? Why can’t you have two Moms or two Dads instead of trying to force them into a model that’s not as universal as it once was?

I’m down with celebrating single Moms and everything they do. But I’m going to do it on Mother’s Day. You know? The holiday we celebrated just over a month ago? The second-largest holiday for card giving in the entire year? I mean, it’s already hard enough for Dad to be taken seriously in a world convinced we’re all sub-par—let’s not continue pushing that narrative just because it’s easier to believe that “all men ain’t shit”.

CONTINUE READING my stance on Father’s Day and how special it is to me. “Why Father’s Day Isn’t Mother’s Day II”

The 2017 100 Wrap-Up: 31 Successes.

The 2017 100 Wrap-Up — 31 Successes. (Featured Image)

Last updated on April 30th, 2021 at 04:56 pm

Several weeks, a few dozen photos and four thousand words later, we’ve finally made it—the Casey Palmer, Canadian Dad 2017 wrap-up, filled with stories aplenty of 365 days spent in my not-so-orthodox life.

The 2017 100—31 Successes.—Leather 2017 Planner
Kelly Jean

After wrapping the year up on a quiet note (because two sick children under five will do that to you), I still felt it necessary to do this. These year-to-year changeovers offer a lot of perspective for me—with so much happening all the time, I often forget what I had for breakfast, so I write everything down. And if the height of the pile on my desk is any sign, 2017 was quite the year. But it’s also the time where I’m the most transparent, looking back objectively at everything I’ve done and celebrating successes, owning up to failures, hoping all the while that I’m somehow growing from the process.

But yeah—let’s do this as we did in 2016: look at the year in excruciating detail, figuring out what’s worth taking with me into 2018 versus what doesn’t feel part of my world anymore.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me present—the 31 things I did well in 2017! Let’s get it!

CONTINUE READING my much-belated but still VERY awesome 2017 wrap-up! “The 2017 100 Wrap-Up: 31 Successes.”

Scotiabank True Patriot Love Symposium

We Stand on Guard for Thee — Scotiabank and the True Patriot Love Symposium (Featured Image)

Last updated on November 9th, 2020 at 11:37 pm

War isn’t something I’m familiar with. I have a veteran cousin and friends who’ve served, but all I know about service comes from the media. From whatever I hear on the radio. I can’t even begin to appreciate combat and the issues that come with it!

But sadly… far too many can.

We Stand on Guard for Thee—Scotiabank and the True Patriot Love Symposium—Husseini K. Manji, MD
Photo courtesy of the True Patriot Love Foundation

We have over 100,000 military personnel in Canada, 2.4 million in the States, and countless family, friends and others supporting them. That’s countless people working through the repercussions of horrific experiences, surrounded by a world that doesn’t know or appreciate the difficulties Veterans face. It can be isolating—military life values pride, strength and being tougher than anyone else around you, so when invisible wounds like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse wreak havoc on military families, how do you learn to feel okay going in the opposite direction?

It’s questions like this where symposiums like True Patriot Love find their strength. In an environment where a stiff upper lip’s the norm, it made talking about the struggles often hidden behind closed doors acceptable with the hopes that one day we’ll reach the point where these issues become part of everyday military conversation.

Let me tell you a bit about it!

Continue reading “Scotiabank True Patriot Love Symposium”

Sherkston Shores, Port Colborne

Make Vacay Matter More with Stays at Sherkston Shores! (Featured Image)

Last updated on April 24th, 2021 at 11:21 pm

Let me tell you a little bit about Sherkston Shores.

As a family influencer, the issue I have with a number of my pitches is that they require time away from my family! It sounds nice in theory to explore different cities and celebrate in festivals across the globe, but taking care of two boys under four as a solo parent ain’t easy, and it’s a fate I wouldn’t wish on any parent—least of all my wife!

So it was great when Port Colborne’s Sherkston Shores invited the entire family for a weekend stay at their Lake Erie resort, letting our boys experience something different from what they’re used to in downtown Toronto!

Sherkston Shores Day 1: A Time to Learn

Make Vacay Matter More with Stays at Sherkston Shores!—The Sherkston Shores Sign

While the commute to Sherkston wasn’t the greatest (rookie mistake leaving Toronto at 4 PM on a Friday), the accommodations were impressive! The three-bedroom Premium Rental Cottage proved plenty for a young family of four! It had a living room flush with furniture and a cable TV with far more channels than we had to offer at home; a spacious deck where the boys could run around once they felt too penned up; and of course, high-speed Wi-Fi for someone like me who never wants to be too far from the interwebs! It didn’t hurt that the team at Sherkston put a nice care package together of fruit, snacks, and local wine to welcome us to our vacation!

  • Make Vacay Matter More with Stays at Sherkston Shores! — Packing the Car
  • Make Vacay Matter More with Stays at Sherkston Shores! — Our Premium Rental Cottage for the Weekend
  • Make Vacay Matter More with Stays at Sherkston Shores! — The Deck of Our Premium Rental Cottage for the Weekend
  • Make Vacay Matter More with Stays at Sherkston Shores! — The Premium Rental Cottage Master Bedroom
  • Make Vacay Matter More with Stays at Sherkston Shores! — The Premium Rental Cottage Hallway
  • Make Vacay Matter More with Stays at Sherkston Shores! — Inside our Premium Rental Cottage
  • Make Vacay Matter More with Stays at Sherkston Shores! — Inside the Premium Rental Cottage
  • Make Vacay Matter More with Stays at Sherkston Shores! — Canada150 Oh Canada M and Ms
  • Make Vacay Matter More with Stays at Sherkston Shores! — Henry of Pelham Baco Noir

After a good night’s sleep in our queen-sized bed (we put both boys in one bedroom so they wouldn’t feel lonely), we set off to explore the grounds, starting with the Family FunPlex!

Continue reading “Sherkston Shores, Port Colborne”
%d bloggers like this: