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Chinese New Year Traditions for the Year of the Snake

FAM, self By Jill Amery February 7, 2013 Tags: chinese new year, dragon, dumplings, gold, Gung Ho Fat Choy, gyozas, holidays, red, reunion dinner, slider, water snake No Comments

The dazzling celebration of Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, falls this year on February 10 marking the end of the winter solstice according to the Chinese calendar and lunar New Year. Chinese New Year is the longest and most important holiday in the Chinese calendar. This year is the year of the water snake – bringing with it the possibility of luck, adventure and prosperity. As part of a multicultural society, why not take the time to learn about the unique Chinese New Year Traditions for the Year of the Snake with your friends and family:

1. The most important event of Chinese New Year is the Reunion Dinner. The reunion dinner on the eve of the Lunar New Year draws all family members back home to reaffirm love and respect that bind them together as a unit. The best food is served for this feast in abundance! We love T&T Supermarkets (the largest Asian supermarket in Canada – ps.. the items from T&T are now available at Real Canadian Superstore!!). Their Crispy Crackers can make a perfect appetizer. These crispy crackers can be topped with grilled vegetables, flavourful spreads or even marinated seafood.

2. Another custom of Chinese New Year is to reconcile with loved ones, wish others peace and happiness and to forget old grudges.

3. Dumplings are considered a lucky food during this holiday. They symbolize wealth and are believed to bring abundance and prosperity because their shape resembles a Chinese ingot. Add some luck to your dinner with T&T Cooked Dumplings. You needn’t tell the guests they are ready in just 2-3 minutes..

4. Decorate your home with lanterns and banners in traditional red and gold, colours which signify wealth, longevity and good fortune.

5. Gifts are commonly given on Chinese New Year. These can be sweets such as cakes and candy or the traditional red envelopes containing ‘lucky’ money (always in even numbers, odd numbers are considered unlucky) or sometimes chocolate coins.

6. End your feast with sweet cakes. Traditional pineapple cakes like these can be found in almost any bakery in Taiwan. The moist, crumbly, golden crust surrounds a chewy, fresh-tasting filling made with intensely sweet pineapples. Alternately, Chinese Style Pastry (also known as sachima) is a moist, chewy puffed wheat snack from Taiwan resembling puffed rice squares. These treats are irresistibly sweet, slightly sticky and perfectly golden brown. The ones from T&T have no added preservatives.)

Happy New Year – or Gung Ho Fat Choy!

10 Ways to Save Money During the Holidays

FAM, self By Jill Amery December 20, 2012 Tags: apps, budget, featured, hipmunk, iBooks, Kindle, Kobo, mobilicity, save money No Comments

January is all about new beginnings – thinning out, simplifying and looking forward to longer daylight hours. So why do we continually sabotage ourselves in December? According to new research released by Mobilicity, Canada’s smart mobile phone carrier, 58 per cent of Canadians say they spend more than they should during the holidays and a further 59 per cent find themselves making impulse purchases. This overindulgence may lead to feelings of guilt, remorse or the ‘holiday shopping hangover’.

Unfortunately, it’s often parents of young children who are at greatest risk for this holiday overspending phenomenon. We’ve put together a few tips so that you can start your new year early (and not hide under the covers when your bills come in).

1. Buy e-books as gifts on Kindle, iBooks or Kobo. They are much less expensive (and environmentally-friendly) than the paper versions.

2. Utilize the apps on your smartphone to save money. Some of our favs include: Shopcatch, Groupon, Living Social, Hotels.com, Kayak, AirBNB, and Hipmunk. In today’s economy, it is perfectly acceptable to gift a daily deal voucher provided you have put careful thought into the desires of the recipient.

3. Set limits for gifting to family. Drawing names and setting a $50 limit can be fun and won’t break the bank.

4. Dropbox is a free service that saves you printing costs and allows you to access your documents and photos from any computer or smartphone.

5. Flipboard is a fabulous alternative to buying paper magazines. Big Oven or Food Network Canada house thousands of recipes and can help save money on Hard copy recipe books.

6. Amazon has a great app that allows you to scan bar codes in stores in order to compare prices to what the item sells for on Amazon.

7. Shop all year. Seriously. When you see a great sale, keep the December holidays in mind and consider buying gifts for friends and family early. Black Friday sales have also come to Canada and stores like the Bay, Future Shop and Apple are offering deep discounts.

8. Make sure you research your big purchases. Tripadvisor, Yelp and Auto Trader are great apps with which to research big ticket items.

9. We have lots of Homemade Holiday Gift ideas. Especially when received from children, they are filled with love and sentiment for special people in the kids’ lives.

10. Give experiences instead of ‘things’. Offer to babysit for close friends and supply movie tickets. Take a friend’s children to the zoo. Make coupons for the kids for extra screen time or a date with Mommy.

There is no need for guilt or remorse due to overspending if you consider the needs of others and plan ahead. (Goodness knows – parents are hard enough on themselves!) Using technology to make life easier (and cheaper) will help you to embrace your January goals and limit the January holiday shopping ‘hangover’.

Liberia – The Trip of a Lifetime

charity, FAM By Jill Amery December 18, 2012 Tags: alberta, featured, football, kaylyn kyle, Lethbridge, level the field, liberia, Lori Harasem, olympics, right to play, soccer 4 Comments

And then there was the week that I didn’t really sleep. Olympian Kaylyn Kyle and I were behind in votes. I called in a ton of favours and spread the message in creative (and largely annoying) ways. Friends knew how important Liberia was to me and would ask daily about vote count. As I had an emotional drop-off of one of my kids at school, a mom embraced me and encouraged me to share about my children and my life. During our conversation I shared about “Level The Field” and her eyes lit up. She had worked for the Swedish Olympic team for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and is very familiar with the organization and the benefit of sports for kids. Rocking her newborn in the stroller, she mentioned that she had a few friends in the sports field (that was a pun..) and would reach out to them to help our cause for Health in Liberia.

Fast forward. Several days after the contest closed I was practicing square breathing and coaxing myself to carry on with life. My friends and colleagues didn’t want to ask too much. I was clearly distracted. I got the email indicating I would go to Liberia while headed to the gym and became one of those people on her phone during an hour of cardio I hadn’t really noticed. (I joked with Kaylyn that if we were to travel together she’d put my abs to shame). Could it be true? Could Liberia have won – when George Weah, one of Liberia’s most famous humanitarian athletes was a footballer as well? Liberia needs so much support after recent years of civil war. 200,000 people have died and it ranks amongst the poorest nations on the planet. Inequality. Sexual crimes. Disease. The women, children and the handicapped youth need the teachings of inclusiveness that Right To Play can offer.

A few days later I was on a press trip to Ottawa and was about to tour the Canadian Parliament Buildings when I got another email announcing the voter who had won the chance to accompany the group on our expedition. Her name is Lori Harasem and she lives in Alberta. With three kids she finds time to work as the Recreation and Culture Development Manager for the City of Lethbridge and volunteers too.

Apparently Lori and I had a mutual friend. Could it be? I sent a covert text to my friend from my sons’ school to see if she knew Lori. Apparently they were childhood friends and Lori was described as an extremely special, caring and loyal woman with a true believe and love of sport and play. I tingled head to toe. And then I toured the crucible of Canadian law and government feeling the importance of community, integrity and outreach. The stately building made me realize even further that our position as Canadians allows us to help other nations – other children. I am so honoured to be an ambassador for Right To Play. To represent my country and to help children smile. Somehow my kids’ Christmas lists don’t seem very pressing.

As I expressed to the other parent ambassadors when we were simultaneously told the news, I have been humbled just to be chosen to participate in the Level The Field program. The prestigious group of parents who participated did a stellar job, and I still marvel at the work put in and the exposure that was given to the organization. The true winners are the kids that we will be able to support through awareness and future donations. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all 6 West African nations could have oodles of funds flowing in? I know that Right To Play is dear to all of our hearts now and hopefully in time we will all be able to help all of the 6 countries. In the Level The Field program and the 20 countries Right To Play works in across the world.

I told my schoolyard mom friend the news and the next day she cornered me as we waited for the bell. Her son wants to start raising money to send soccer balls with me to Liberia. He has a plan. He’s 7. And clearly very special.

Let the journey begin!

On Tragedy, Guns and Mental Illness

FAM, health, kids By Jill Amery December 16, 2012 Tags: 26 children, connecticut, gun control, newtown, sandy hook elementary school shooting, sandyhook, shooting 3 Comments

Guns aren’t going away. But we can and should make them harder to get. And while we’re at it? We need to give parents more support. The health of our entire society is at risk. So I thought I’d comment on tragedy, guns and mental illness.

Ronald McDonald House Vancouver

charity, FAM By Jill Amery December 14, 2012 Tags: bc children's hospital, cancer, family, housing, richard pass, rmhc, ronald mcdonald house vancouver, slider, support services 2 Comments

Thank goodness I have friends with older girls. If not I wouldn’t have known about One Direction. And when I met Emma, a resident of the Ronald McDonald House Vancouver, I wouldn’t have been able to connect nearly as well. I always end up at RMH around the Christmas season. Last year the boys and I delivered new unwrapped toys and my kids refused to leave for 2 hours after having an extraordinary time playing with the other children.

This year, I was drawing on mugs to wrap for the house so that families would have something handcrafted, homey and festive for the holidays. And wow. Totally appropriate! These parents devour coffee. Of course they do. Many don’t sleep much between their childrens’ treatments, and with going to the hospital and giving attention and education to siblings also living in the house, there’s not much free time. I, too, am a coffee addict (with apparently no good excuse) and jumped at the chance to try the new McCafe take-home coffee at this event. Little did I know I’d be transformed by positive, loving children at the same time.

A new arrival from Powell River was among the most polite boys I have ever met. “Please”, “thank you”, smiles and an artistic talent that made me stare. He was wearing a Ronald McDonald House shirt and decided to draw the logo on his mug. (I drew a bunch of sunshines and happy stuff as it was the only way my heart wouldn’t break – especially when I made eye contact with the other moms there.) If I could have purchased his mug, I would have. He was so proud. With shining eyes and meticulous wrapping, he joined me by the Christmas tree for a photo. One little girl took her place snuggled under the tree. Yes – she was definitely a gift. Cute as a button I think the expression goes.

I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to teach a dance class. Cook a meal for the families. Lead the kids in a theatre sports game. The experience just solidified my affinity with the charity and I know I will be back shortly. There is so much good that we can all do and when I visited the house in London, Ontario I realized what families with severely ill children might need. You can always drop the following to your local RMH. (There are 317 houses in 31 countries throughout the world and in 2011 , there were 513 families served worldwide.).

– Tupperware to transport leftovers to the hospital so parents don’t have to leave the bedside of their children
– Toys for Christmas and the holidays – often parents cannot get away to shop – even for siblings staying at the houses.
– A hot meal for the house (you can book a date, buy groceries and cook)
– Volunteer to teach a yoga class, fitness training, do a craft or share one of your talents.
– Drop off some treats or baked goods for families to enjoy between hospital visits (label the ingredients).
– And then there’s coffee… but now that McDonald’s has launched it’s McCafe Premium Roast take home coffee, the need will be much less great.

I was so happy to learn that McDonald’s supplies so much (besides the beds and positive atmosphere for families in need) to the houses. Even suppliers and staff run frequent dinner-cooking nights. Pretty cool. And seriously? After meeting the happy kids and being with the parents? No better place on earth. Unless you’re not a visitor. As volunteers at the houses say “It’s the best place ever that you hope you never have to stay in.”

Teaching Compassion Early May Lead To An Easier Time as a Teenager

FAM, kids By Guest November 14, 2012 Tags: adolescence, characteristics, children, compassion, Education, empathy, featured, manners, parents, peers, teaching, teenager, teenagers, traits, values No Comments

What does compassion have to do with having an easier time as a teenager? What can parents do to encourage and teach to our children to be more compassionate when there are so many other distractions and role models distracting them from learning these lessons?

Free Flu Shots and Diabetes Checks

FAM, health By Jill Amery November 7, 2012 Tags: cold. featured, diabetes, flu shots, health, shoppers drug mart, sick No Comments

At this time of year we get a bit run down and our health can take a beating. Here’s a chance for you to get Free Flu Shots and Diabetes Checks. So convenient! Shoppers Drug Mart Pharmacies in certain Canadian regions are offering free flu shots that you can book online.

The Canadian Diabetes Association is collaborating once again with Loblaw Companies Limited and its grocery stores and their in-store pharmacies across Canada to recognize Diabetes Awareness Month with special events and information sessions offered throughout the month of November.

Be well!

Level The Field with Right To Play

charity, FAM By Jill Amery October 30, 2012 Tags: kaylyn kyle, level the field, liberia, right to play, slider, soccer, Sports, whitecaps 1 Comment

It’s been a rough week. My son is having a hard time with self-esteem and handling stress. He is lashing out and struggling and as his mother, I feel my heart breaking piece by piece.

But today is soccer day. He was up, dressed and ready to get inspired by his coach and teammates. He runs. He plays. He tells the kid who missed the pass that it’s ok. Living in such a privileged community does not fix the growing pains that kids go through, but having abundant resources to help makes everything easier. I have seen first-hand how sport and guidance help children thrive.

I am honoured to be part of a new program with Right To Play called Level The Field. The organization operates to create a healthier and safer world through the power of sport and play to help create a level field and equal opportunities for children everywhere. Teamwork, cooperation and respect are explored in fun ways and community leaders act as coaches to change behaviours. Right To Play’s innovative methodology is grounded in a deep understanding of social learning theory and child development needs. Through sport and activities adapted from local traditional games, mental, physical and psycho-social well-being of the children improve. (And I have a hunch that the parents feel pretty good as they watch their children play and laugh.)

Typically my writing is laced with wit and fluff. But as I write today, tears are close. I read about the children in Liberia and I think about my son’s behavior. What do mothers feel when their children get sick because they haven’t learned that washing hands can prevent disease? If my heart is breaking from watching my son suffer, what would it be like for parents living in disadvantaged areas of the world? We all grow up with our own context and it is difficult to compare hardships, but I can’t help wanting to do everything in my power to help those moms smile as they watch their children thrive and grow.
Right To Play has given me the gift and opportunity to be able to help them raise awareness about the work they do every day, all over the world.. I have been partnered with Kaylyn Kyle, Vancouver Whitecaps soccer goddess and Olympic medalist. Together, we promote how we can help level the field for children through play with a focus on how play can positively impact the health of those in Liberia.

Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world with one of the highest incidences of malnutrition, infectious disease and other global health concerns. 85% of people live below the world poverty line*. A massive civil war between 1989-2003 not only modeled violent combat for the children, but it created a lack of trust in people from other communities. After Right To Play started working with local communities in Liberia in 2008, there are more organized sports and activities and people from various communities play together. Children are less likely to reach for weapons and fists to settle conflicts. And 183 local leaders and supervisors have been trained as positive role models. People with disabilities are now included in play, and girls and boys are now playing together more often, in a country with a high incidence of sexual violence and a history of gender inequality.

Level The Field video

I’m embarrassed. Not only did I not know about the work done by Right To Play, but I didn’t have a handle on how bad things are in disadvantaged countries around the world. Did you know that 26,000 children under the age of 5 die every day? Infectious diseases such as HIV, measles and diarrheal disease are largely preventable. I can’t stop shaking at the thought of the mothers watching their toddlers die. We need to help. By voting for our program, or the program you feel most passionately about on Facebook, you can help us raise awareness about Right To Play’s work and also enter for a chance to accompany the team with the most votes on a visit to see a Right To Play program in-action. We need to lessen the number of broken hearts in this world.

*Source: Charitywater.org

Pregnancy Style Advice for Fall and Winter

FAM, GEAR, pregnancy, style By Guest October 17, 2012 5 Comments

It goes without saying that being pregnant places demands on your wardrobe that your existing clothes likely can’t meet. Dressing your pregnant belly shouldn’t be dreaded or seen as something that’s difficult but should be embraced as an opportunity to rise to the challenge of dressing your new shape. Pregnancy in the summer may be seen as easier to dress with maxi dresses and loose t-shirts but believe it or not, there are some easy tricks and trends to implement for fall pregnancy wear. This fall, there are some key maternity trends and modified runway trends to keep you and your belly always looking stylish. Here are the UrbanMommies pregnancy fall winter fashion trends.

Tailored pieces. Though it may seem easier to hide your belly under loose sweaters and baggy pants, that can actually make you look bulkier. It definitely doesn’t make you feel as pretty as a nicely tailored pair of jeans or jacket will either. If staying fashionable is super important to you, you could go for a pair of maternity jeans that hits below your belly, though these will be a little more uncomfortable. If you’re OK with wearing real maternity jeans, find a pair that fit you perfectly and have a nice tailored look. If you can’t find a pair that fit you exactly right, get the pair that fits your belly best and then get the pants tailored at a seamstress. Jackets for maternity wear this fall should also have a structured look to them. Jackets are often the item that gets overlooked during a fall pregnancy but with the tailored trend this fall, the maternity jackets look great on everyone. The jacket trend for this fall in maternity wear combines timeless and classic cuts to create a tailored jacket that will keep you warm and flatter your growing belly. Just remember—get one size bigger than you need if you’re buying before the third trimester!

Colored Condiments. If you’re a fan of colors but like to stay in earth toned hues, then you will love the color trend for maternity wear this fall. Olive greens, mustard yellows and brick red (like ketchup!). These colors really match the fall colors that surround you and generally look good when mixed together and with most skin tones.

Leather pieces. This is one fall runway trend that can be taken into maternity wear! Even though pregnancy might not allow you to wear leather pants or a skirt, you can wear tops with leather pieces. Leggings now come in stretch leather which would look great with a structured jacket or mustard sweater. Keep in mind whenever you’re buying something with leather, to try it on, make sure it’s comfortable and that it will expand with your belly.

Prints and Details. Another trend that was translated from the runway to maternity trends for this fall is prints and details on different pieces. Matching prints is the thing right now but if you feel that draws too much attention to your bump, then add just a splash of print to an outfit for some interest. Details added to clothing such as appliques, zippers or beaded detail adds great emphasis to an empire waist.

Use these fall maternity trends as inspiration to spice up your maternity wardrobe this fall but always remember to invest in pieces that are stylish and comfortable!

Allie Samborn is a freelance writer based in Vancouver, BC. She has covered a wide range of topics from fly fishing destinations to annual makeup trends. She has her BA in English Literature and a diploma in Fashion Merchandising.

13 Year Old Activist Jonny Gray is the Anantara Roving Elephant Reporter

charity, FAM, International, ROAM By Jill Amery October 16, 2012 Tags: activist, anantara, animal, elephant, hua hin, jonny gray, kings cup, polo, reporter, resort, roving, slider, thai, thailand No Comments

What do you think it would be like to have your passions and activism rewarded by being flown across the globe, given VIP access and hosted (along with your Mom) at stunning Thai resorts while you met elephants and reported on polo matches? Cinderella meets Madagascar kind of movie, right? Nope. For 13-year-old elephant lover and polo enthusiast Jonny Gray of London, Ontario, the dream became a reality. Named this year’s Roving Elephant Reporter for the 11th Annual King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament in Hua Hin, Thailand Sept. 12-16, 2012, he was given the experience of a lifetime.

As the Roving Elephant Reporter, Jonny became a star of the elephant polo circuit, delivering a television report and enjoying VIP access to all areas of the four-day event, including exclusive interviews with participating players, elephant experts, and celebrities. Jonny and his mother, Jacquelyn Doucette, spent seven-nights stay at Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas Riverside Resort & Spa in Bangkok and Anantara Hua Hin Resort & Spa in Thailand. UrbanMommies was granted an exclusive interview with Jonny and he shares about his love of animals, activism and his travels.

UM: What first made you like elephants?

JG: My first exposure to elephants was through the African Lion Safari near Cambridge, Ontario where we loved to watch the elephants have a bath. I fell in love with how they interacted with each other like a family and how they seemed so bonded with their trainers. I dreamed about seeing them one day in the wild on a safari but never thought it would be so soon!

UM: When you were selected to become the Roving Elephant Reporter how did you feel? Had to traveled overseas before?

JG: When I first got the news I won I was speechless and then I became scared because I was worried about the responsibility of being a reporter on this charity event. I didn’t know what to expect! Eventually I became excited about traveling to a new part if the world and experiencing all it had to offer. I had traveled to Europe but never to Asia.

UM: What are 5 things you packed for the airplane?

JG: The flight to Thailand was very long. It took us over a day to get there and we stopped in Belgium and India on the way. To keep me busy I packed my iPod for music, a good book, lots of snacks (gummy worms!!) and a travel pillow so that I could sleep.

UM: What would you tell other kids about rescued elephants in Thailand?

JG: There are over 1500 elephants that live in captivity working on the streets in Thailand. Although most are treated as well as possible by their owners they still live a life of poverty without much to eat and poor living circumstances. Many people recognize that this is a big problem in Thailand and are making efforts to help them. My experience is with the elephants which have been rescued by Anantara Resorts. They provide a wonderful life for thirty rescued elephants where they spoiled and doted on. You can visit these elephants and learn to take care of them if oh ever get a chance to visit Thailand!!

The charity polo tournament that I was reporting on helps to support these elephants as well as providing funding for an elephant hospital and ambulance, and even research with elephants.

UM: How would you advise other kids to become animal activists?

JG: I believe that animal activism starts at home. My parents have taught me that animals need our respect and protection. We have always taken care of baby or injured birds, rabbits, chipmunks and mice that we have found on our property. We learned what they needed to eat and how to take care of them from the internet. We have also adopted dogs which needed homes and because we are on a farm we did the same with horses. Awareness that animals need our help, and learning about endangered species, is an important step towards being an animal activist. You can learn about the animal rescues in your community and see if they need volunteers, but even just spreading the word about these foundations helps to raise awareness about the needs of the animals in our communities. I think a great idea is to have a birthday party which ask for donations of pet food or toys instead of gifts to be given to your local animal rescue is a great way for kids to help!!

UM: You stayed at the Anantara Riverside Resort & Spas. What were your favourite things about the hotels?

JG: I had the privilege to stay at Two resorts in Thailand. The first one was the Anantara riverside resort and spa in Bangkok and the second one was their resort in Hua Hin. One thing I loved about the resorts was all the tropical plants that we don’t see in Canada. I felt like I was staying in the rain forest! The food was amazing too! However, by far the best thing about the Anantara chain of resorts was the people. They were so friendly and helpful they made me feel at home eventhough I was half a world away.

UM: Finally – tell me about the other activities you did while you weren’t busy reporting!

JG: I was so busy in Thailand reporting on the tournament that I had to decide between two activities – a Thai cooking class and a trip to Monkey Mountain. Well, I chose Monkey Mountain because I heard it was an incredible experience and I was right! As we drove up the mountain we started to see monkeys occasionally and we were pretty excited because we had never seen monkeys in the wild before. At the top of the mountain, we met a lady who sold peanuts to feed to the monkeys. When we bought a bucket full from her, monkeys started coming from everywhere and suddenly there were hundreds of monkeys surrounding me wanting a peanut. It was crazy! The monkeys were so fast and they climbed everywhere to get a peanut, even on my head. I was really scared at first but after the peanuts were all gone, I got three more buckets just so I could experience it again!!

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