Claire's Archive

Super Bowl Game Day Chip Dip Recipe

This year the Super Bowl is set to play in New Orleans, pitting the Baltimore Ravens against the San Francisco 49ers.

Some of us have a horse in that race. The rest of us are there for the fun, food, and big budget commercials. And the food. Oh, did I already mention that?

One of my favourite appetizers is a perfect fit for this year's event, combining a rich creamy base with shrimp and...

Who Wore It Best? 2013 SAG Awards Red Carpet Recap

Another milestone in Rewards Season has come and gone, this time the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.  As usual, all eyes were on the red carpet.

Opinions always fly fast and furious over "Best" and "Worst", so this time we're going to shake things up a little and ask you instead: who wore each style statement best?

Two-Toned
Marion Cotillard, January Jones, and Juliana Margulies

Taylor Swift as "Rapunzel" in Disney Dream Portraits (+ more)

I'm always excited to see the new Disney Dream Portraits. Is it childhood nostalgia or just that I never truly outgrew fairytales in the first place? I'll never tell.

Taylor Swift is the latest starlet to appear in front of Annie Leibovitz's talented lens as Rapunzel. Here's a first look:


While our focus often lingers on the pretty, we would be amiss to ignore funny men Jack Black,...

Cranberry Banana Bread Recipe

After the holidays I discovered some forgotten cranberries at the bottom of my fridge. Looking over to the counter at some browning bananas, I immediately thought of my favourite loaf cake.

My husband calls this "casseroling" - combining leftovers of this and that he thinks should rather be thrown into the compost instead of a mixing bowl - but when I spy him later tonight wolfing down his third...

My New Year 2013 Beauty Resolution: a confessional

My name is Claire, and for 2013 I resolve to Stop Cutting My Own Hair.

Some people experiment for fun while others rebel with punkish pique against personal and societal expectations.  For years my excuse was that the mister and I were broke students living off of love and Ramen noodles. 

That was a long time ago, and yet I still occasionally feel the urge to trim a little of this or chop...

Holiday 2012 Must-See Movie: Les Miserables

It's Christmas Day and I just spent the last 2 1/2 hours gripping the arm of the stranger sitting beside me in a sold-out movie theater.  Les Misérables, smash musical based on the novel of the same name came to the big screen today and it's everything I hoped it would be.  

Academy Award-winning director Tom Hooper's cast includes Hugh Jackman (Valjean), Russell Crowe...

20 Fresh Ideas for Fun with Kids

I'm pretty sure they invented Teacher Workdays for the sole purpose of convincing we fence-sitters that we're really not cut out for homeschooling. Not even a little bit.

We just survived a month littered with at least 6 days off school (did I mention I'm a Work-At-Home Mom?).  It might have been more, but I think selective memory is shielding me from recalling every little...

12 Job Interview Tips (plus enter for a chance to win*!)

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You've written a killer resume, scoured the job postings, and worked your professional contacts. Now you've been invited to an in-person interview... are you ready?

Take confidence in the fact that being offered an interview in the first place says that the company is already seriously interested in your skills, so all you need to do is close the sale.  Here are 12 tips to...

Shopping on Black Friday: Deal or Dud?

In one week's time, around 150 million people will hit the Black Friday sales spending somewhere in the neighborhood of $11 billion, if last year's stats are an accurate predictor.

In many cases, people will go straight from their Thanksgiving dinner tables to stand shivering in the frigid cold for hours and prepare for what usually devolves into sharp elbows and shouting matches over cheap...

We Love Fridays: The Split Decision Pie Pan

Some people are gaga for donuts, others for chocolatey treats, but give me a good old fashioned pie any day of the week.

There's just one problem: I'm terrible with deciding which kind to bake.  That's why when I saw this "Split Decision" pie plate, I immediately put it on my Amazon wish list and spammed my husband's email with this happy piece of Christmas gifting intel.


This...