Things have been busy in 2012! As of February 1st my role at CF has officially changed, and I’m now Content Editor of CanadianFamily.ca, which is an exciting step for me. And our team has been celebrating some great successes, which is very exciting for all of us. So I guess you could say that I’m quite content, indeed (haha)…

Here are a few of the stories that have been keeping me busy in the past couple of weeks.

• Beyoncé and Jay-Z Share First Photos of Blue Ivy Carter on Tumblr
I kind of love that the first snaps of Blue Ivy weren’t sold to some gossip mag for millions of dollars. The photos are really lovely. And just look at all that hair!

• Meet Justin Bieber’s Valentine, 6-Year-Old Avalanna Routh
Fact: I have been known on more than one occasion to roll my eyes at the antics of one Mr. Justin Bieber. But this story is so sweet, I am genuinely impressed with the Biebs. I may be crossing over into Belieber territory…

• Check Out Scholastic’s List of the 100 Greatest Books for Kids
Scholastic Parent & Child magazine recently released a list of the 100 Greatest Books for Kids. Some of my favourite titles made the list, but there were also a few more that I’d like to add…

Also worth mentioning is that I made CF.ca’s list of 14 people you should follow on Pinterest (not that it’s biased at all… haha). If you haven’t joined Pinterest yet, but want to see what it’s all about, just leave me a comment below and I’ll send an invitation your way. But be warned—it’s addictive!

Babies on the Billboard charts! Parents gushing about their kids at the Golden Globes! New studies revealing that babies have secret powers you didn’t even know about! It’s all happened in the first three weeks of 2012, and I’ve been talking about it over at canadianfamily.ca. Check out the links below.

• Celebrity Baby News: It’s a Girl for Beyoncé and Jay-Z!
It’s a girl for Beyoncé and Jay-Z! The couple welcomed baby Blue Ivy Carter on Saturday, January 7, 2012

• Highlights from the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards
Some of the best moments of the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards were inspired by family—particularly the sweet acceptance speech of actress Michelle Williams

• Careful with the Curse Words—Your Baby Might Be Reading Your Lips
According to a new study, babies are lip readers! They begin to study mouth movement while people talk to them at around six months.

Wondering what else I’m up to this year? Follow my antics over at My Life in Binary while I attempt to cross everything off The List by December 10, 2012.

A how-to by yours truly for weddingbells.ca

We’re not very far into the New Year yet, so I think I can still squeak in a look back at 2011 without it seeming ridiculously overdue. It was a year of big transitions for me, both personally and professionally. I began the year as Associate Web Editor for Best Health, but moved to the digital team at Canadian Family in April when my contract ended. It was something of a homecoming for me, as I was an intern and temporary contractor for Canadian Family in 2008/2009. I’m looking forward to seeing what 2012 has in store for me.

It was also a very, very busy year, with plenty of writing opportunities (which I love). Here, in no particular order, are six things that I wrote in 2011 of which I am particularly proud:

The Shocking Secrets Behind Celebrity Fitness (besthealthmag.ca)
It’s not always easy for Hollywood stars to get in shape for the big screen. From five-hour workouts to 6000-calorie diets, here are some of the shocking ways celebs prepare for their next big roles

Family Health: Will You Be Participating in Julyna? (canadianfamily.ca)
You’ve heard of “Movember,” that month-long event where men grow wild, fun facial hair in an effort to raise awareness about prostate cancer? Well, now there’s a new awareness campaign on the block. But this time, it’s all about the ladies.

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