
Lies Parents Tell
Q. Leaf through enough children’s books and you’ll start to see a pattern: parents telling a lot of little lies and kids starting to doubt them. What are the most common ways in which parents try to bamboozle their progeny? . A. Blue Cross UK surveyed 2,000 parents about the

The Sweet Smell Of Home
Q. Which scents make people feel happiest in their homes? A. It’s something people are thinking about more, now that they are spending so much time in said homes. This month, House Beautiful Magazine reports that essential oil diffuser sales are up by 22%. Even before the pandemic, 70%

A Match Made In Free Fall
Q. Why do people do scary things on early dates? . A. In ‘romantic,’ ‘reality’ shows – no judgment! Lockdown – daters will be challenged with hair-raising adventures. Rappel down this skyscraper. Or free-fall. Leap off this scenic cliff. Take your fear of heights and climb up the cables of

Artists In Love
Q. Who are some renowned artists who were in romantic relationships with each other? . A. Ever so often, it is (was?) nice to shut down the phone, go to the library, and browse the books, aisle by aisle. It’s a slow-burn rabbit hole, where you find yourself sitting on

Young In + At Heart
Q. How is it that some people in their late 80s and 90s – some of whom have had tumultuous lives – still act and feel so young? . A. I know what my Mum, a nurse, would say: “Feeling young has nothing to do with age, Elizabeth.” When she

The Truest Friends
Q. What are the most important qualities of true friendship? All these months of social distancing have led many to think deeply about the friends they miss and treasure the most. A. ‘I have a new friend.’ So starts the charming bestseller My Best Friend, a 2020 picture book

Most Annoying Office Habits
Q. What do co-workers see as the most annoying office habits? A. At least for now, more people are starting to trickle into the workplace. Perhaps we’ve all missed each other enough that nothing our co-workers do will annoy us. Ah. Listen to the dulcet tones of your slurping your

How To Get On A Board
Q. More and more people are recognizing how important it is to have a diverse range of voices in power positions on organizational boards. But how to get on? . A. One thing I have seen over years of consulting with organizations: meaningful change does not happen without active support

Canada’s National Sports
Q. Happy Canada Day! 🇨🇦 What are Canada’s national sports? . A. ‘Are?’ ‘Sports – plural?’ Even those who have never stepped a foot inside Canada will not have much trouble guessing Canada’s winter sport. Why, it’s hockey, of course. Put it this way: I’ve met multiple Canadians who, when

Post Checkout Snooping
Q. Hotels. Remember those? Other than soggy towel mountains, what do hotel staff find after guests leave their rooms for good? . A. First, the abandoned bric-a-brac. A Choices Hotel Canada survey found the items most commonly left in hotel rooms are… Abandoned or Forgotten items i. Toothbrushes ii. Phone