It's been planes, trains, hotels and automobiles for me this week and here's what caught my attention along the way. How many times a day do you Google something? It's such a part of our everyday life that it's as important as oxygen at SavvyMom HQ. But have you ever wondered what the "Google machine" actually looks like?

New parents have a lot of purchasing decisions to make in the early years. Here are some wacky and wonderful finds (note that we're not using the word essential) to baffle even the most savvy buyer. Swarovski sparkle pacifier, anyone?

Our daily routine was very predictable: my son would arrive home from school, he and his siblings would be given a nutritious snack, and then it would be homework time. That's when the tantrums, rage and complaints would begin. Common complaints were that I was SO mean and unfair, or "torturing" him to do his homework! Here are some tips I have used to get my son to do his homework.

I don't really want to mention the horrifying tragedy of Amanda Todd's story, but I will because teen suicide and cyberbullying has to stop. These difficult issues have taken the mom media by storm lately, prompting discussion on how we can all help -- are legislative changes required or will more basic community changes make a difference

With four kids, money rarely physically stays on my person for more than a minute. It comes directly from the ATM, barely touching down into my wallet, before it goes out to the waiting hands of a retail merchant. I think this is partly because of safety concerns, but also it's also somewhat due to our own gullibility in believing what they really "need."

It's not that we parents don't WANT to connect socially, to share a laugh, dip some chips, or put our keys in a bowl and take our chances. It's just that we're pooped. Dark under-eye circles, can't finish a sentence kind of exhaus...zzzzz. Do you phone up your host an hour before a party with some excuse to stay home? You may be a Chronic Bailer. It's a serious (and LAME) condition.

So you went from being a slacker with unrealized potential to a mover and shaker in the world in 13 steps. Or more likely, you just read all the blog versions of the whole book (without skipping over too much, I hope) and you are wondering a bunch of questions. I will answer the questions first and then get to the ones who have gone through the 13 steps.

There is nothing less romantic or erotic than getting busy with the end goal of producing something that wears poopy diapers. "Trying" is really, well, trying. Anyone who thinks it's "the fun part" has never had to turn it into work -- relentless, scheduled, no-matter-how-tired-you-are, get-up-at-5:30a.m.-before-you-go-to-work, work -- which is then charted on graph according to basal body temperature.

With the kids, my husband is the sensitive one. While I am the screamer, he is the voice of reason. I almost felt inadequate when he told me his approach. But then I remembered: who I am is enough too. I don't have to change who I am, I just have to channel the qualities that make me who I am in the right direction.

When you are mindful of your daily life, your life is one of being present. Of really living and not just killing time to go virtual. Learning to care and to matter may be one of the greatest commodities in the age of ideas because then your work, play, study and relationship times become chances to experience, feel, think and grow. Live each day like it was the only one you have. Care about people and learn from everything.

A series of investigative articles in the Toronto Star this week bring forward concerns about serious side effects to ADHD medications, in my opinion, the article sensationalizes the risks, and provide no balance by pointing out the hundreds of thousands of kids, teens and adults who have been helped by these medications.

As an infertility counsellor, I see a lot of clients who are using third-party family building strategies. This includes using sperm or egg donation and/or a gestational carrier. One of the many concerns these individuals have about family building using these methods is what they will tell their child.

The young clients I work with tend to be addicted to: video gaming, magic cards, junk food and/or cannabis. Many would say that their addictions seem to provide a level of comfort -- a buffer from an unsafe world. Having an addictive nature means that you have a passionate nature. So, how do you take these passions and make them become something generative?

Just when I thought the stroller landscape could get no brighter-coloured, bigger-wheeled, better-equipped, along comes the Origami. While women control the bulk of household spending, decisions about vehicles remain dominated by men. He may have a mini-van in the garage but he has the sports car of strollers -- little storage, lots of chrome and gadgets.

There may be a screen between your family and the online world, but that doesn't mean everyone is protected. When it comes to the web, there are online screen names, cell phone use and GPS to consider. Make sure the kids are safe and secure online with these Internet Safety Tips.

So here you are, taking another stab at "making it" in life. Your parents are cautiously optimistic.You are non-committal. Your dog still thinks you're amazing (but he likes Yanni). It should go well. You're older. You've had a few "challenges" under you belt and you've survived. You're not on the street or in a cult or both. Then why so nervous?

The process of convincing a 18- to 36-month-old child to give up the freedom of a diaper and learn to use the strangely shaped porcelain bathroom furniture is not for the faint of heart. While the problems may seem humourous to many, including parents who have already gone through the nightmare, there are potentially germy consequences that need to be considered.

In a positive stage of your life, you're meeting with people who will accept you for following your purpose and sharing the qualities of passion and striving that you have in common. Each positive action builds upon itself. Each setback becomes merely a minor bump on the road you are travelling on and everything leads you towards your bliss. You may just find yourself unboxed and free for the very first time!