When you're a kid, playtime is as important as naptime and meals - you can't live without it. North Americans undervalue their vacations and are overworked ... time for the weekend quickie!

Are you ready to ring in the New Year with your usual laundry list of resolutions? All the things in your life that you promise to do better this year... Instead of making promises that you're sure to break, consider embracing YOU!

It might be the most wonderful time of year, but it’s also the most stressful, busy and downright exhausting. So how do you find happy amidst all this noise?

My original itinerary had me arriving at 3 pm, early enough for margaritas on the beach before meeting friends for dinner. But I was bumped to a flight 8 hours later. What was I thinking, leaving my family for this silly, selfish trip? My journey had become so complicated ...

We tramped through the forest, the twinkling between the leaves, guiding us along. My husband led our troop; my mom and dad followed him, muttering about not being allowed a flashlight. The children filled the middle, and I brought up the rear, relishing the growing darkness ...