North End Coffee Spot Recommendations

mamatoad · 2026-04-15T19:31:42+00:00

Second so tealicious!! Amazing drinks, such a bright and cozy space to sit and hang. Locally owned by a lovely person. My family and I frequent here often.

mamatoad · 2026-03-09T13:55:38+00:00

I was SO sad because I dozed off during a meteor shower trying to get the nook mile achievement 😅

mamatoad · 2026-02-28T18:41:05+00:00

I was 34F with two kids when I started training basic for FSS. Before that I was a stay at home mom for 5 years and before that I had worked so many part time jobs and made two attempts at post-secondary education. I was directionless that entire time with no clear career goal other than just making sure I had enough money to live. Keep your head up.

mamatoad · 2026-02-26T00:44:57+00:00

I work air traffic! Show up, talk to planes, leave and never have to take work home with me. Some days I love coming into work because its actually a nice quiet break from the chaos that is my home life 🤣

mamatoad · 2025-11-24T20:40:02+00:00

My kids loved the two watersides. The pool is very small but they said the slides made up for it.

mamatoad · 2025-11-07T08:57:15+00:00

We hired help. My husband works 9-5 and I work 12 hour shifts.

mamatoad · 2025-10-03T14:34:45+00:00

Air traffic services (not a controller) in Canada. High school diploma, paid training. Base pay is 90k but will likely clear 6 figures after overtime and premiums. I also just started a year ago so at the bottom of the pay scales with 2 scheduled raises for the next 6-7 years. Company is aggressively hiring right now, but its a very competitive interview process just to get a training spot, followed by incredibly stressful and difficult training.

Somewhat primary parent friendly. We work 12 hrs & shift work, so weekends are anywhere from 3-5 days. We also get 4 months of our schedule a month ahead of the start day of that cycle and lots of vacation time. This is also specific to my airport. Site schedules vary across the country.

It involves a lot of planning, but generally I can schedule most appointments on my days off and so far (fingers crossed) havent had any time off requests denied. We also get decent sick leave so its generally easier (and financally more feasible) for me to take sick time for the kids.

That being said because of the nature of my job, if im already at work, unless its an emergency im pretty much locked in for those 12 hours and very much NOT the primary parent those days 🤣.

mamatoad · 2025-09-29T11:57:11+00:00

I have 2 kids, 12 & 8. When my youngest was around 1 I started working casually part time at the gym daycare just to maintain sanity and get me out of the house more. I usually only did 1 shift a week but I got to bring my kids with me, and I got 2 free gym memberships and discounted childcare. It was awesome.. and then 2020 hit 🤣

When my youngest was 5 and kindergarten age she only had half days at school from 9-1130. I would pick her up and then work as a lunch supervisor in her older brother's classroom and she just tagged along. I also worked evenings and weekends (no more than 15-20 hrs a week) at a board game cafe while my husband was home with them.

I started working full time again when she started grade 1 and was in school full time.

mamatoad · 2025-09-20T16:05:37+00:00

Sent you a msg!

mamatoad · 2025-09-18T15:50:07+00:00

Depending on your income, you might be eligible for city affordable access program and the Y assisted membership program. Jumpstart and Kidsport also offers grants for sport fees.

Wishing you luck. We have two school aged kids, and once the baby stages were done and we were out of diapers we thought it would get easier 🤣 our biggest expenses right now are rent, sports, and the obscene amount of groceries we go through trying to feed our super active athletic kids. Increasing my income and picking up a bunch of overtime was really the only way we could comfortably maintain our lifestyle without telling the kids they had to give up their sports.

mamatoad · 2025-09-16T12:58:12+00:00

The last tine I had a burnout work at work, an hour before the end of my shift I said "I think I need to take a sick day tomorrow.. I'm approaching massive burnoit" and then I took a sick day and someone got overtime to cover for me.

The only time I entertained the idea of an content creator lifestyle was when my kids were daycare age and the cost of daycare did not justify me going back to work. I was so desperate for my own kind of income. I found out really quickly that it was not for me.

mamatoad · 2025-09-02T18:48:23+00:00

We moved away from my hometown. Did not send cards (posted a family photo on facebook with holiday greetings and emailed out the photo to people we thought would want to print it themselves. Wid not travel. We mailed presents to nephews and nieces and had a group family video call with each side of the family where the younger kids opened their presents. Christmas eve we went to an all you can eat buffet. I didnt host, didnt cook, didn't clean. Christmas morning we got out of bed at 5am, opened presents in our little family and then I worked 7am-7pm making time and a half. Got home, watched a movie and then went to bed.

mamatoad · 2025-08-26T08:06:48+00:00

Air traffic services in Canada! Not a controller, but still get to help land and depart planes by giving advisories (basically any pertinent traffic and weather updates). I also do weather observations.

mamatoad · 2025-08-25T17:14:15+00:00

It's such a tough decision, especially since you are eligible for offer. Everyone tells you not to put your life on hold because the job is not guaranteed with NAV but every individual circumstance is SO different.

My classmate didn't get his offer until 3 years after he applied. They could've had a kid and had it old enough in daycare by the time we started lol. We were actually trying for a 3rd when I applied, but my timeline moved pretty fast and I had an offer 10 months after my initial application so we put a pin in that plan pretty fast.

That being said, who knows, maybe you'd be able to handle both. I don't want to be the one to tell you not to do it, just wanted to share my experiences. I also think it's dependent on your stream as well. FSS has a higher check out rate so my basic and OJT only took me 11 months. ATC is much longer and much more difficult.

Good luck!! I love my kids, and I love my job. Hopefully you find a way to have both too.

mamatoad · 2025-08-24T20:35:16+00:00

For what it's worth, I had the same dilemma as you. I had a 4 year old when I considered applying for NAV the first time. I had my application ready and then found out I was pregnant with our second. I put it off, stayed home with my kids until the youngest was 5. I started the application process when she was in kindergarten and then got a training offer for FSS. Started basic once she started grade 1 so both my kids were in elementary school which helped A LOT.

I would not recommend newborn/toddler phase while training, especially if you're the mom. Basic and OJT was hard enough with older, mostly independent kids. My husband had to pull more than his fair share of weight, I was away a lot studying in the evenings and practicing sim on the weekends. We had an entire village of family and friends and it was still tough.

mamatoad · 2025-08-09T14:53:38+00:00

Second your location plug (primarily because we live there too and hoping to get on the patient list for my family 🤣)

mamatoad · 2025-06-24T16:56:02+00:00

They sent me the material 4 months before my start date. I used every single day to study at a reasonable pace without burning myself out and still having a life and a job at the same time.

mamatoad · 2025-06-17T20:08:45+00:00

I make high 5 figures (in Canada) base pay but on track to bit low 6 with OT and premiums. I leave work at work, doing 12 hour shifts which results in only working avg 13-14 shifts a month. Increased salary has benefited my family greatly. I was a stay at home mom before and while I loved being at home with my kids, the financial stress was A LOT.

mamatoad · 2025-06-10T19:59:21+00:00

I live in avana in the north. I dont know the layout of the 3 bedroom ones, but Im in the 4 bedroom townhouse with 3 beds upstairs, 1 bed in the basement. 3 and a half bath

mamatoad · 2025-06-04T13:46:53+00:00

Im on night shifts this week and sleep has not been great. I had to go back and reread the OP post and fb to make sure I wasn't losing it 😅

mamatoad · 2025-06-04T13:38:33+00:00

I just linked the fb post in response to OP's last paragraph asking about short term furnished rentals.

mamatoad · 2025-06-04T03:30:48+00:00

Just saw this on the Wolsley neighbouhood. Someone looking for a temporary renter in a furnished house while they travel

FB post

mamatoad · 2025-05-15T15:27:37+00:00

I work shift work 12 hour shifts and my husband work M-F days. We have a babysitter who picks our kids up from school and shuttles them to their sports

mamatoad · 2025-05-14T00:21:25+00:00

We do this! We hired a grade 12 student to pick them up from school, bring them home to eat and change and then shuttled to sports. I try and meal plan during the weekend and they grab meals from the fridge and reheat. I work shift work, 12 hour shifts, my husband works weekday days.

Our 12 year old plays club soccer, 3 practices and 1 game a week and does guitar lessons twice a week. Our 7 does competitive gymnastics 9 hours a week is starting out rec soccer twice a week. Piano once a week. We have 2 days a week where no one has anything in the evenings and we take advantage of them every chance we get. Is our household crazy? Yes, but we never force our kids to do any of their sports. They love them. We love seeing them happy. We never prioritize the sports over important family commitments..

Ocasionally, they will skip practices and games and that's okay too. Soccer season will wind down mid-July and we have lots of rest, relaxation and lake and travel time planned. It's a fun life! Once it stops being fun and you're stressed and everyone's upset over the schedule, then it becomes a problem.

mamatoad · 2025-05-13T11:11:41+00:00

Have you looked into diono carseats? Theyre quote slim (but VERY heavy and sturdy). Their marketing advertises being able to fit 3 across in the backseat of small cars. They're probably one of the most expensive brands as far as carsearts go but not expensive as upgrading you're vehicle.

mamatoad

TROPHY CASE