It happens a million times a day, it seems: the kids say things that make you feel like cheerfully jumping off a bridge…or, even worse, pushing them off that bridge! Kids seem to innately know how to push your buttons, and they do it with great joy and exceeding frequency. No matter how satisfying it may seem in thought to retort sarcastically or to spontaneously burst into flame from annoyance in a screaming rage, there are better and more constructive ways to deal with it. Here are some tips for dealing with the nasty things kids say…without a temper tantrum on your part.
If you’re a mom and plan on having more kids eventually—but not right now then birth control for moms is an issue you need to think about.
Not every birth control method is for everyone, and even if you have a method you like best, it might not be the best thing for you at certain times! Although the ultimate decision should be made with your physician’s input and guidance, here are some helpful hints on choosing birth control that’s right for you and the stage your life is at right now.
I have a bit of a thing about castles. Princess complex? Perhaps… but there is nothing quite like skiing down Blackcomb mountain as the Fairmont Chateau Whistler comes into sight. All week before we departed for Whistler Blackcomb the kids announced to every person they saw that we were staying at a castle. And it was. And I felt like a princess in a resplendent building while the whole family – kids especially – were treated with boundless respect.
Picture it. A gentle snowfall and sparkly white lights on the trees. We pull up the majestic circular driveway and the valets are waiting. They were so friendly that we couldn’t get the kids out of the car – there were very serious discussions happening around Star Wars Lego. The kids are ecstatic. They have a thing about riding on the luggage carts and giggling as I remind them that they are not suitcases. Maybe when they grow up.
Checking in we were given reusable bags that say ‘I’m a Fairmont Kid!’ . The treats inside not only occupied the boys, but the colouring book was all about bears and provided a fabulous learning opportunity as well. (Thankfully I didn’t run into a bear as I hiked Spanky’s Ladder.)
There is something old-world and artistic about Fairmont properties. I have stayed at at least 8, and in my view, they are cutting-edge in terms of being kid-friendly. Normally the term means tacky plastic stuff and flashing lights. Looking around, there is art everywhere – stone valise sculptures, intricate and modern floral arrangements, architectural flourishes and iron crows on the banisters. The kids were chirping at them. Yes, every time we walked by.
If this were a book, I’d do a whole chapter on the concierges. If their smiles and jaunty ski sweaters weren’t enough I have decided that they are the demi-Gods of helpfulness. Ian especially. My hero. He charges my Blackberry (often) and when my colleague lost his corporate visa card (it wasn’t me honest), Ian called every place this man had been the night before. He then phoned Visa to cancel it. Demi Gods. I told you.
One of my favourite things about the rooms were the preppy cableknit blankets on the beds. The fridge in the room is kept empty – a great help to parents who bring along snacks. Kid-friendly extends to rooms as well. I had no idea that if parents want a connecting room for the kids, the second room is half price. The tiny bathrobes were certainly a highlight for the boys. They breezed through the lobby en route to the hottub and were excited to find a little warming hut to hang them in order to ensure they remain dry. Oh – and while you’re in the spa, ask for Wilma. She offers private swimming lessons for adults and little ones. So they’ll soon be able to ski AND swim circles around you. Great. (If you opt for free-floating the Fairmont supplies lifejackets too).
Whistler has cache. But there is only one bar in the entire place that exudes the alpine mystique. The Mallard Lounge. A semi-circle bar, sledding for kids on the hill in back (they provide sleds), live music, domed ceilings, classic cocktails… And kids are allowed (even at the bar) until 9pm. Bartender extraordinaire Adam loves to serve kids Egyptian Lemonade – muddled with mint and raspberries. A sparkling apple drink is served in a martini glass. See? Kids are sophisticated too. And the Chateau knows it.
They’re pretty cool with pets as well. Dogs are part of the family, after all. Jennifer Tice, the Public Relations Manager, showed me a picture of 2 puppies that she snapped with her iPhone. She explained that these ‘hotel guests’ make so many people smile as they trot throughout the lobby, and the dogs assist in bringing people together and creating a social atmosphere throughout the hotel. They have that down. Sitting areas, tables, and sofas. The lobby was always buzzing with activity and a great vibe.
I had the honour to visit the Wildflower Restaurant on 2 occasions. Chef Vincent Stufano not only creates incredible dishes featuring locally sourced ingredients, but also features a ‘lifestyle cuisine plus’ menu with options in the following categories: heart healthy, diabetes, vegan, raw, macrobiotic, and gluten free. Double wow. The restaurant also has a ‘sea to sky menu to go’. For the road. Just don’t get pulled over like we did on the way up. (Hopefully your lox and bagel doesn’t give energy to your accelerator foot..)
Dinner was amazing. It was just adults (thank you Nannies on Call). Before we dined I ordered room service for the kids their meals come with drink and dessert. Not only is there a kids’ menu, but when I asked for milk, They questioned: “plain, chocolate or strawberry?” Seriously? Then I learned that in December Fairmont created a new healthy eating menu just for the kids!
“Fairmont Chefs ensure these pint-sized offerings reflect the same basic principals as Lifestyle Cuisine and address the nutritional guidelines established for children by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Proactive steps include swapping out refined flour for whole wheat, incorporating fruits and vegetables into recipes to help meet the recommended daily fiber allowance, and employing alternative cooking methods to help ensure healthier choices are made available to young diners. “
On our final morning I took the boys to the Wildflower for breakfast. Kids eat free. Wow. And when they entered? They were each given an etch-a-sketch. Our waiter told them it was an old-fashioned iPad. I laughed hard. (The boys looked at me with puzzlement as they touched the screen). As we left each child was given a cookie as big as my head. ‘for the road’.
In all? I have a new go-to place when I ski. After my weekend, the family is closer, the kids feel special, we made a ton of memories, and Ian the concierge is my new best friend.
Family Fun in Whistler
Disclosure: UrbanMommies was provided accomodation at the Chateau in order to write this piece, and as always all opinions are our own.
Picture this. London, 2011. A big boardroom full of Cargill Employees, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), McDonald’s employees, and 4 absolutely stiff, petrified Moms. And a baby (Mo is so devoted her 3 week-old joined us). We knew how these things worked by now and how this tour would go…. coffee, an intense 3-hour crash course about the industry and how the facility is run, with farming fodder thrown-in and tweets being answered at the same time. Then a lunch. And then. Gasp. A plant tour. (You thought the gasp was for the crazy helmets, lab coats, safety goggles and hairnets, didn’t you?) Unlike our beef and potato plant tours, however, for this tour we were slated to see the… I have trouble saying it. The point at which an alive chicken becomes a not-alive chicken. We were terrified. Why don’t I start at the beginning, though. The chicken. No. The egg. Snicker. (See – I use humour when I’m not quite comfortable).
From Egg to Chicken:
The eggs are collected daily from the farms and transported to a hatchery where they are incubated for 19 days. A ‘setter’ constantly turns the eggs to keep them warm and provides a simulation similar to a mother hen sitting on top of them. That revelation kind of validated my role as a mother. Kind of. In a George Orwell kind of way. At the 19-day mark, the eggs are vaccinated and transferred to hatch baskets where they will hatch within 2 days. Once hatched, the chicks are separated from the eggshells and transferred to chicken farms until market age (40-45 days old).
From Chicken to Egg:
I’m completely convinced after meeting the farming experts, regulators, and Cargill employees, that care for the animals really is paramount. Cargill deals with 140 chicken farms and all must meet very rigorous standards as specified by McDonald’s. In Canada, the family farm model is the norm. Having farmers own and care for their chickens until the point at which they are transported from the farm for processing helps ensure the quality and integrity of the farm.
The barns are kept at 28 – 32 degrees celsius and the chickens roam around on shavings. They always have access to feed and water and are free to roam within the barn. Federal regulations in Canada recommend that no more chickens can be in a barn than 31 kilos per meter square. Farm managers and their staff visit the barn throughout the day.
For all of you who are going to ask about ‘free range’ in the barns, the chickens in these barns are just meat birds (broiler chickens). These are very different than egg layers. The broiler chickens are kept in barns to ensure food safety. If these meat birds were outside they would be more susceptible to disease.
Advances in feed for the birds mean that currently, 2 pounds of grain fed to a chicken will produce 1 pound of chicken. The feed is 88 percent grain, 10 percent protein, and 1-2 percent vitamin supplements.
All catchers and drivers are trained in animal welfare practices and as of July 1, 2011, a person must be specially licensed to transport chickens. The live birds are put into crates and the birds must be able to move comfortably. They are on the trucks only 4-8 hours, as most farms are within an hour or 2 of the London Cargill plant. During the warm summer months, the birds are misted to keep them more comfortable in the heat.
From Alive Chicken to Not-Alive Chicken:
In the Cargill plant, 3,200 different food safety and quality checks occur on a daily basis. There are even 2 X-ray machines that detects residual bones or foreign material – and the chicken meat passes through 2-3 times!
I was shocked to hear that 80-90,000 chickens are processed daily. 900 people work at the plant, and only 3 per cent leave the facility each year. Cargill boasts one of the lowest turnover rates for the meat industry in the world.
The facility is separated into the raw chicken processing part and the food manufacturing part. For food safety reasons, employees wash their hands and go through a boot sanitizer and, in addition to regular cleaning, the entire plant is completely cleaned and disinfected nightly by 60 people – like the inside of a dishwasher. I wish my house had that capability.
When the live chickens come into the plant, they are removed from the truck by a human being on a scissor lift to ensure that the employee is at the same level as the crates. This is better for people, to help avoid back problems, as well as the chickens.
In the slaughter area, everyone was so calm and peaceful I didn’t know where I was until it was pointed out to me. It wasn’t what I was expecting. It was very dark, with a blue light shining. As per Temple Grandin’s recommendations on animal welfare (link to beef post), the facility has been audited and Temple Grandin has approved of the process itself. In addition, blue lights are used because birds can’t see the colour blue so it appears dark. They are hung by the ankles, a plate or bar rubs the breast of the bird and they hang touching each other, shoulder to shoulder. I witnessed first-hand how calm this makes the birds. They are not flapping or making noise. They travel on a rounded track and are dipped quickly in water where an electrical stun renders the chicken insensible to pain, which means they are unconscious and alive but do not feel any pain. Their necks are cut and the bleed-out occurs while the chicken is unconscious so they are dead before they wake.
To remove the feathers, the birds go through a hot water bath and pickers – rubber fingers – massage the bird and take out feathers. The head and feet are removed and a machine removes the organs, transferring the viscera to a separate line. The organs and bird are kept together for inspection so that if the inspector and vet condemn a bird, the whole bird will be disposed of – again for food safety. Fifteen federal inspectors, including four CFIA vets work at the London facility. Once the chicken and organs have been inspected and approved, the meat moves on to food processing. Every part of the chicken has a use. The organs are used for pet food and animal feed, while the blood, feathers and offals are sold to a rendering company that makes ingredients for animal feeds, fertilizers and markets such as cosmetics, rubber and explosives.
The bird is placed in a chilling tank for 1 hour and must cool to less than 4 degrees Celsius in order to debone, which means to remove the bones from the meat. Chlorine is present in the chiller for sanitation purposes, much like a swimming pool. Levels are monitored every hour. At this point, an antimicrobial treatment is applied. It is cetylpyridinium chloride – the same substance contained in mouthwash. This is an opportunity to reduce salmonella. The bird is then rinsed. For the record, this is when I relaxed significantly. I was now looking at chickens like I’d buy in a supermarket.
75 per cent of the original bird goes into debone process, and I was shocked at the number of people working together to debone the chickens. By hand. Seriously. Wow. There is no mechanically separated meat in McDonald’s products. The frames of the chicken that are left at the end of the process get sent to another facility for people who use mechanically separated meat for hotdogs and other products.
The Making of McNuggets:
The white breast meat, along with chicken stock and a natural proportion of skin from the breast is placed into a huge blender. I didn’t realize that there is skin in the nugget mixture but this helps to hold the shape. The meat is then mixed and chilled using CO2. McNuggets are formed, not ground. There are 4 shapes that are pressed out with a rolling cookie cutter: boot, bow-tie, ball and bell. The reason they are all standard in shape and size is to ensure consistency in all McDonald’s restaurants. This guarantees both food safety (standard cooking times in restaurants) and portion control.
Once the fun shapes pop out, they are coated in batter, dusted with flour and then given a final coat of tempura batter. Who knew? From here they are par-fried and placed directly into the freezer. A thin mist of water is sprayed onto them, as tempura is susceptible to dehydration. They are then inspected and packaged to be sent off to the restaurants.
Grilled Chicken:
We also witnessed the grilled chicken being made. It’s pretty simple – it’s just one huge hunk of breast meat but a laser-guided water jet cutter trims it to an exact size. Very James Bond.
In all, I will still eat chicken. I will still eat McNuggets. I’m satisfied with the animal treatment and food safety. I think I’ll stick with the grilled chicken in snack wraps and sandwiches, as there are fewer ingredients, but the nuggets sure are yummy! For the other All-Access blogs please click here, or to see the UrbanMommies Q and A, click here.
As with every All-Access trip, our published polls readers for questions and has promised to find the answers. Here they are!
Q: What about vaccines, antibiotics and hormones used in chicken products?
A: Vaccines are administered once throughout the chickens’ life to prevent the birds from dying of diseases and improve the health of the whole flock. In order to feed millions of people and remove undue suffering of the animals, McDonald’s and Cargill’s policy is to vaccinate. Antibiotics are only given if a bird tests positive for illness, which would put the entire flock at risk. Antibiotics require a vet prescription and a strict withdrawal period is adhered to before the chicken is turned into food to ensure that no residual medications are present in the product.
McDonald’s has a global antibiotic policy. It is a policy that has been developed with the assistance of scientists and industry experts. Given that McDonald’s is required to process 90,000 birds per day in Canada alone to feed its customers, the company has a keen interest in making sure the industry is sustainable. The pre-emptive use of antibiotics is not allowed, nor does it allow sub-therapeutic use. Even the feedmills that produce the grains fed to chickens have to be accredited and constantly audited.
Hormones are illegal in Canada for use in chicken and in dairy. This is due to the withdrawal period that is required. There is not enough time for hormone elimination in milk and chickens. That’s why there are no hormones allowed. Beef has more time in withdrawal period and is therefore acceptable to use hormones before it is processed for meat production.
Q: People have asked me why there are so many ingredients in McNuggets and why the ingredients are so chemical-sounding?
A: McDonald’s is very careful about listing ingredients for allergy reasons and ingredients that could be bundled together are separated out to help people who may have an allergy. Chemical names are used which might sound more complicated than they are (they say sodium bicarbonate instead baking soda, for instance).
For the full post on chicken please chick here.
We asked Moms on our Facebook Fan page and Twitter about the cutest mispronunciations their children have uttered. And we had to share the results. It should brighten your day.
1. ‘gra-noculars’ instead of ‘binoculars’.
2. yew nork!
3. pah-sketti!
4. “Oak” meal. (Oatmeal)
5. Cheh-pet (instead of ketchup).
6. kershamol (commercial)
7. Mr ghetti (spaghetti)
8. minished! instead of finished. i still say it even though he’s outgrown it.
9. i used to say “missmiss” [for christmas] – 35 years later + my dad still teases me about it 😛
10. Guacamonkey!
11. ”Can we go to Ole McDonald’s?”
12. Wook (look)
13. Tim Horton hears a who!
14. Poorhead (instead of forehead)
15. Flus-sh*#. She meant flush it.
16. There are so many funny ones I just can’t remember them all… hambulance = ambulance. My favourite is listening to the wrong/mixed up lyrics in the car. It kills me everytime!
17. Furnace…..actually means Thermos. Mummy can I have soup in my furnace tomorrow?
18. The funniest I’ve heard was from a little one I used to babysit, he used to say he liked to eat crap, instead of crab. Lol.
19. dumb shit = drumstick….we even have it recorded
20. Beegurt (yogurt) I want some beeegurt!
21. Exact-a-dentally for accidentally. He’s 6 and still says it. I know I’ll miss it when it’s gone.
22. I’m not hungry, just drinky!
23. hunormous
24. ‘bafuter’ for computer
25. My son used to call pit bulls “pimples” as in “Look Mommy, there’s a pimple dog!”
Feel free to add your own in the comments section. See? Parenting is SO worth it!!!
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…
Interesting Birthday Party Ideas on a Budget
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