Jill Amery is a mom of 2 small boys and the Publisher of UrbanMommies, a stylish digital lifestyle magazine filled with fitness, style, health, recipes and savvy mom advice to help you through pregnancy, birth, and raising your kids.
We have a new love. A new way to ‘work’. Seriously. Check out our pin boards on Kids Birthday Parties, Kid’s Rooms, Featured Finds, Craft ideas for Kids, Family Recipe Ideas and Travel. We couldn’t leave that out. Enjoy! Our Pin Boards.
If you’re tired of keeping up with the Joneses, tossing all of those paper plates, and goody bags filled with sugary snacks and useless stuff, read on. We like sustainability, budget-friendliness, unique ideas, and healthy parties – for mind, body, and the environment. So we asked our community for some interesting birthday party ideas that have been a smash hit in their house. In the meantime, try these ideas on your kids and you’ll be the talk of the town…
1. The Telus World of Science offers new, exciting and unique birthday party packages for children of all ages. Pre-booked parties include a zany Science World host, exploration time in the many galleries and exhibits and a decorated private party room. Themed packages include a Preschool Package, Science Surprise Package, Insects Package and Chemistry Package. There’s limited space so be sure to book early. Visit their website for more information on the great parties Science World has to offer!
2. Green Planet Parties supplies compostable dishes (that look stylish enough for a wedding). Also check their cloth goody bags, reusable, sewn ‘Happy Birthday’ banners, and personalized endangered animal necklaces for the kids. Order online, and look like a hero – both for the cool factor, and also for saving the environment.
3. Get those kids active with a party at Jump Gymnastics. The tots leave with balloons, get a fab lesson in tumbling, and the cake can be gobbled up while sitting on colourful stools in the party room.
4. Dora bags are fun and all, but why not grab a reusable shopping bag (the Vancouver Aquarium has great ones) to stash the gifts?
5. Know any interesting university students or professors? Hire one for an hour to add spice to the party. The marine biology major could talk about crabs at your beach bash, or the bug or dinosaur guy could do their thing. (Think Ross on Friends – wouldn’t you like to have him at your party?)
6. Plant a garden with the kids from the party, give seeds as favours, and treat the parents to a talk from a landscape designer.
7. Use frames as your giveaway, and do an art party. Frame the little Picassos at the end, and other parents will be so thrilled to have a hang-able piece of art!
8. Homeworks Etc. has great hooks that are ‘in the raw’. You can paint them at the party, take them home, and voila – a great place for your bathrobe!
9. Instead of gifts, hold a Giving Party. Ask for some money and split the total between your child and a charity. This will stimulate conversation about why little Aidan doesn’t have a wrapped present, and get them discussing the tigers. Green Planet Parties has some great wording on their website with how to ask for the donations.
See also our One Year Old Birthday Party article.
There may be a bit of controversy on this one, but seriously – we think it’s a good idea. What’s your take? You can comment below. Here’s an easy way to keep track. Vaccine Tracker
The proper nutrition and the right diet are key to having a good supply of nourishing milk. Nursing is no time to diet or skimp on nutrients. Eat plenty health-promoting fats from foods like free range eggs, organic whipping cream, organic butter & avocado as breast milk is largely composed of fat. Our nursing omelet is a perfect way to tick all of the boxes.
Recipe courtesy Chef Jon-Paul Hutchins, Scottsdale Culinary Institute
Polenta:
4 cups chicken stock
4 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups polenta or cornmeal
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup finely shredded basil leaves
Softened butter for the pan
Olive oil, as needed
Marinade and Vegetables:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 red onions, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
2 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices on the diagonal
2 yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices on the diagonal
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 pound asparagus, tough ends removed
1/2 pound mushrooms
Make the Polenta:
Bring the chicken stock, butter, pepper, and salt to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pot. While whisking the hot stock in a quick circular motion, “rain” in the polenta by letting it stream through your fingers. (This will prevent lumping.)
Miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth, brain abnormalities and low IQ are some of the complications that may affect an unborn infant if the mother has untreated thyroid disorder. So, are women at particular risk of developing thyroid disease when they are pregnant?
If certain known risk factors are present, the answer is: Yes. These include a family history of thyroid disease, signs and symptoms of thyroid disease, the presence of goitre, type 1 diabetes, or other autoimmune diseases.
Yet another risk factor is that the mother’s hormone levels may fluctuate during pregnancy. Thyroid disorders include the gland being under-active (hypothyroidism) or over-active (hyperthyroidism).
For the unborn infant, it is vitally important that the mother’s thyroid hormone levels be normal, especially during the first three months of pregnancy.
Here’s why: Thyroid hormones are critically important in the development of the infant’s brain. So thyroid hormones provided by the mother during the first three months of pregnancy are especially important. The infant’s thyroid becomes functional at approximately 12 weeks.
To be sure your thyroid gland is healthy, ask your doctor for a TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) test. This simple quick blood test is the most accurate way to diagnose a thyroid disorder.
Thyroid disorders are among the most common medical conditions in Canada. It is estimated three million Canadians have a thyroid condition – and half may be unaware of it. Hypothyroidism represents the most common thyroid disorder and affects women three times more often than it does men.
For more information: www.thyroid.ca and www.whatswrongwithme.com
Reading to your babies and kids is one of those important things like brushing teeth and eating veggies that can sometimes slip by the wayside (or can give your mother-in-law fodder for more unwanted advice). UrbanMommies loves books (make sure you check our Get Reading section regularly), so we asked a child reading specialist for some helpful tips on making sure your kids are well versed (so to speak) in reading.
So I’m approaching a – scary – birthday. Between that and having two kids under 5, I am feeling old. Haggard. Wizened. Possibly starting to look it but if you repeat that to my face I’ll drop-kick you. Deep breaths. Just kidding.. (grin). Having used a few products by Philosophy, I’ve never been disappointed, so I asked to try something ‘miraculous’ that would combat age. (Insert Angels singing here). I was sent ‘Miracle Worker’ Anti-Aging Concentrate, which you follow up with ‘When Hope is not Enough’ firming and lifting serum. Gotta love the names. After using it for a month (you only need a bit and it is lasting forever), I am feeling much fresher – glowing almost. And that’s after a season of hard-core holiday parties. My sun-spots are fading, I’m smoother, and I smile every time I read the inspiring sayings on the jars. This one’s a keeper.
I went to a swanky Gastown dinner sponsored by Invisalign Teen. Having never had braces and with toddlers, I had no idea what advances there have been in dentistry. Wow. Headgear? No. Ugly metal train-track things that get bits of food stuck and leave a teenager date-less? Nope. Invisalign are hard see-through cases – trays that you can pop in and out of your mouth that gently maneuver the teeth info proper formation. The biggest benefit in my view relates to self-esteem for teens and adults requiring braces. (Not to mention few diet or sports restrictions.) I won’t go into the amount of therapy I needed after having acne as a teenager, but I was certainly affected by not feeling attractive. Ridiculous but true – especially during the teenage years. Anything that can help teens through this stage of life is such a blessing. A tad more expensive than traditional braces, but they certainly get our vote. Oh – and Moms can certainly benefit too.
As many of our readers know, our publisher was chosen as a McDonald’s All-Access Mom, to see behind the scenes at McDonald’s Canada. Yes, the experience included meeting and moo-ing at a bunch of cows, as well as a potato farm, chicken plant, restaurant visit, Hamburger University and head office. As part of a promise to answer all of our readers’ questions, we’re publishing a Q and A for each trip. Here’s the beef. (More beef jokes in the main article on the trip).
Q. Do they use hormones in what the cattle are fed?
A. Some farmers decide to use hormonal growth proponents and this is a business decision. For the farmers, there are costs associated with the hormones, and they must weigh the cost/benefit for their business.
Q. What are hormonal growth promotants?
A. Hormonal growth promotants are in the form of naturally occurring sex hormones which are administered to animals in order to improve an animal’s ability to use nutrients efficiently. Health Canada has approved three natural hormones and three synthetically produced hormones for use in cattle in Canada.
Q. What benefit is there to using hormones?
A. When these are used, the animal uses its feed much more efficiently. This means that the meat will contain more lean meat and less fat in the end. There can be more growth using less feed, resulting in less expensive beef for the consumer.
Q. How does the Canadian Government monitor the use of growth hormones?
A. In addition to the strict requirements which must be met in order to obtain approval to sell, and to use, growth promoting hormones in Canada, Canada’s national food safety agency, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), conducts regular monitoring programs in which thousands of samples of all meat products are analyzed to ensure that any drug residues which remain in meat are well within lawful, and safe, limits. Results of these monitoring programs are published regularly by the CFIA. Since residue levels of the natural hormones in beef are in the same range in both treated and untreated animals, Canadian regulatory authorities have concluded that it is not necessary to establish so-called safe limits of the natural hormones. CFIA monitors for residues of the synthetic hormones and Canadian regulations do not permit residues of any of the synthetic hormones to be present in meat. And year after year, Canadian beef has been in virtually 100 per cent compliance, that is, there are no residues in the beef.
Q. What about bacteria, Mad Cow Disease (BSE) and E. coli?
A. BSE control and testing happens both on the farm (sick-looking animals are isolated and tested) as well as at McDonald’s-approved primary meat processing (ie. slaughterhouse) suppliers. Canada does 40 times more than the global standard in terms of BSE prevention. Now, feed bans exist where the food chain is even more protected from contamination. Recent cases of BSE existed in older animals that were alive prior to the feed ban. In the last 3 years, there have been more than 100,000 animals tested with only 3 positives.
Beef is tested for E. coli 0157:H7 before it arrives at the facility. Any beef that tests positive for E. coli 0157:H7 never goes back into the McDonald’s food chain. In addition, the Cargill facility tests the incoming beef again for 0157:H7 as well as other types of bacteria according to the McDonald’s food safety standards. Quality checks and tests are also done on the finished patties. Test results on every batch of patties are seen prior to any box being released via the distribution networks.
Q. How do you make sure employees don’t lose their temper with animals at all stages of the process?
A. The CFIA has a Code of Practice related to animal welfare. In addition, there is a certified livestock transport program created by the Alberta Farm association to ensure humane treatment of animals. At the primary processing facilities, everyone who works there all go through animal welfare training. There is 3rd party video monitoring at all primary processing facilities. This technology can detect sharp movements and employees are always held accountable. If any facility ever fails an audit, McDonald’s may disapprove them as a supplier of beef.
Q. Is meat washed with ammonia?
A. No. Ammonia is only present within the refrigeration system to cool down the meat and never comes into contact with the meat itself. The refrigeration system used to run on Freon and it is now run on ammonia.
For our publisher’s full article on McDonald’s beef, please see the All-Access Microsite.