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morning sickness remedies

Morning Sickness Remedies

FAM, pregnancy By July 28, 2012 Tags: , , , , , , 2 Comments

If you are not one of the lucky few who feels great during the first trimester, read on.  As hormones shift in early pregnancy, morning sickness, nausea and vomiting can wreak havoc on daily life.  For morning sickness rememedies you may have tried preggo pops, tums and dry crackers, but there are a few other options as well.  Motherisk is run through Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children and provides excellent support for pregnancy and parenting.  The phenomenal Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy (NVP) forum is great.

Here are some morning sickness remedy tips:

  1. Ice cold drinks can calm the stomach.
  2. Complex carbohydrates are best.
  3. Eat every 2 hours.
  4. Limit straight milk.
  5. Talk to a health provider about Diclectin, a drug that can help.
  6. Ginger settles the stomach.
  7. Freezing Gatorade in ice cube trays can help keep you hydrated and replace electrolytes.
  8. Grab an essential oil that calms you (grapefruit is amazing).
  9. You can try this old home remedy: 1T pure apple cider vinegar, 8oz. filtered water, and 1T pure honey
  10. Take some Vitamin B6
  11. Sea Bands can help by using acupressure on the inside of the wrist
  12. Licorice (tea or candy) has been said to help greatly

And if that doesn’t work, go buy yourself a comfy Juicy tracksuit, get a massage and get some firefighters to fan you with palm leaves.  It’s worth a try.

Motherisk Nausea Hotline:  1-800-436-8477

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What’s in my bag? Ann Gallery

beauty, GEAR, style By July 18, 2012 Tags: , , , No Comments

We spoke to PR Pro Ann Gallery and convinced her to ‘spill’ the contents of her stunning Goyard monogrammed purse.  She’s lucky my initials are different or I would have nabbed it.

1.  The cult hair care line Black 15 in 1 recently launched travel sizes of its amazing Twice a Week Shampoo and Conditioner and Miracle Hair Treatment – I keep the 3 Oz hair treatment spray in my purse so things don’t get too out of control on drizzly Vancouver days.

2.  My bag by Goyard.

3. Shortly after we met, my husband Ian gave me a lovely Shamrock Charm in honour of my Irish roots (or was it my feisty red-headed nature?!).  The charm lives on my key chain for good luck.

4.  I can’t get enough of Steaz sparkling green tea, especially the Raspberry and Lemon Lime flavours.  So refreshing!

5.  I’m addicted to CND Shellac manicures and keeping Solar Oil in my purse and using it regularly on my nails and cuticles maintains my mani for even longer than the promised 14 days!

6.  I keep in my purse a quick, fun and portable game like Spot it! to help kill time with my 10 and 11 year old sons between appointments, practices and playdates.

7.  I’m a lip gloss junkie and the sparklier the better! On a recent trip to Japan I picked up RMK’s Gloss Lips N in Holographic Orange and now it’s a staple in my purse.  I also snapped up RMK’s 15th Anniversary Cheek Palette – it makes me smile every time I open the case and it gives me a sun-kissed glow.

8.  Like most people, practically every photo we have is on an electronic device but I always keep a hard copy of this picture in my purse.  I love my boys even when they’ve been away at camp and haven’t bathed for two weeks!

9.  Between visiting family in Toronto and Montreal and a very busy travel schedule for work, it feels like I spend half my life on a plane!  I now just keep in my purse a merino wool Bliss Wrap by Icebreaker – it’s perfect for travelling as it’s chic, cozy and versatile and looks good with everything from jeans to my new favourite summer maxi dress.

 

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Things to Do with Kids in Fredericton, New Brunswick

Canada, ROAM By July 2, 2012 Tags: , , , 5 Comments

Fredericton, the capital of New Brunswick, enjoys a milder climate than many other places in Canada, and is well-known for its culture, arts, and learning. You’ll find lots of variety in terms of ethnic cuisine, and a great music and art scene, plus a variety of outdoor stuff to do with the whole family. Here are some highlights for things to do with kids in Fredericton.

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Feeling Beauty with the Photography of Kyrani Kanavaros

FAM, self By May 24, 2012 Tags: , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

I’m a lot of things, but I’ve never considered myself a model.  It could be the height.  Or the hips.  Or just a fear of a huge camera in my face and never being able to imagine ‘making love’ to it.  Then people quietly told me about this goddess of a photographer.  I saw some of her shots, and convinced myself she must work only with models.  The women were stunning.  The lighting was breathtaking.  I decided to take the plunge and go to a ‘Glamour Session’.  Maybe one would turn out….one of my back!  (Ha Ha…. Incidentally I just got some stats from the Dove Movement for Self-Esteem:  “60% of our girls abstain from everyday activities because of self-doubt and only 4% of women all around the world consider themselves beautiful.”  I think it’s time to change that.  And if anyone can make someone feel beautiful, it’s Kyrani Kanavaros.

On the actual day of my shoot, I woke with glassy eyes.  I felt sick as a dog.  I trundled to East Vancouver, ascending the stairs of Studio B at Sugar Studios – nervous, dragging my feet with ringing ears and trepidation.  Not even one would turn out.  I could feel it.  I looked like the bottom of a shoe.  (And that was one of my more positive bit of self-talk).  I began the ‘process’ and there was complete calm.  Was it the champagne?  Croissants?  No.  I think it had to do with the sunshine, the professionals in the room who had mastered their crafts, and the pure artistic fun that was created.  Kyrani walked into the studio and I knew that I was in good hands.  We hugged and chatted about kids.  She found out my goals for the photos and learned about me.

First, to the makeup.  Wow.  Kendra Lovick from Beautymark made my skin glow!  How – I don’t quite know but intend to find out.  As we went along, she offered tips and tricks that I wish I’d made notes on.  When you do this – record it.  You’ll never need to run panicked to a department store makeup counter 5 minutes before date night again.  (Not that I’ve ever done that).  Kendra applied cutting-edge products as the other pros buzzed around, joking and taking coffee orders.  It had the warm and fuzziness of a supportive knitting bee with an edge of NYC Greenwich Village-Vogue-style session thrown on top.

Next was styling with Helen Baker of Stylefinder.  She had purchased several suits, dresses and high-fashion pieces that she mixed with shoes and funky jewellery.  I loved the Jacqueline Conoir suit and dress.  Total Mad Men.  Not once did she smirk that a piece may be too tight.  She studied me with eyes of a pro and the creativity of, well, a top stylist.  Her hands flew over the racks and I was set with outfits.  And she let me try things out of my comfort zone – see the green dress below.  First up?  A red dress with black stilettos.  I’d never used a stylist for a shoot before and would never do another without.  No shot was wasted because prior to Kyrani effortlessly clicking away, Helen was ‘on’ me fluffing, hiding straps and fixing my hair.  How could I have functioned without this woman in my life for so many years?  PS.  Can you be my date-night shadow?

Kyrani is one of those photographers with a gift.  Is it her 6th sense? Ability to make you feel beautiful?  Mastery of the camera? Energy she feeds her subject?  Effortless way of shooting in order to capture the essence of YOU?  I have absolutely no idea.  I can’t even figure out how not to keep photographing my thumb – let alone make magic out of an everyday woman.  I just know that I’m going to book another session.  And so is my husband.  And I would give anything to enable those 96% of women everywhere who do not consider themselves beautiful to be touched by the Klik Photographic team.

www.klikphotographic.com

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Test Drives: Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

auto, GEAR By May 18, 2012 Tags: , , , , , No Comments

This is not your grandfather’s sedan.  Touch screen, usb ports and detailed backup camera.  The embroidered Lincoln logo on the leather seats ensures you never forget you’re in a classy ride.  It’s hard not to feel like a rockstar while driving this car.

What we liked:

1.   It’s like a tank.  You are king of the road.
2.   It’s amazing on gas.  4.6 L/100 km in the city and 5.4 on the highway.  Estimated yearly fuel cost? $1,050.  (I think that’s what I currently pay monthly…)
3.  You feel like a techy brainiac while you drive.  You can see the fuel consumption and the gadgetry is exquisite, as are the AV capabilities.  “With nearly 10 gigabytes of hard drive storage for a music jukebox and built-in photo gallery, the system goes beyond functional to flat-out fun. You can access up to 2,400 of your favourite songs and view stored photos.”
4.  The drivers’ seat goes super-high for a short woman.  The seat has a 10-way adjustment.
5.  The trunk fits at least 20 bags of groceries.  Rock solid.
6.  Voice-activated navigation that shows up on the LCD screen and includes landmarks.

Not so much:

1.  Despite the sleek exterior and cool tech, I still felt old.  It could be because more grey hairs are sprouting though.
2.  The carseats were difficult to latch.  But I think that’s because of the cushy seats.  Still – the “Latch” system needs some work.

And would it make a good push present?

Absolutely.  Just don’t let the kiddos draw on the seats – they are covered in Bridge of Weir leather that comes from the British Isles.

www.lincolncanada.com

Disclosure: UrbanMommies Media testdrove this vehicle for a one-week period.

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Yes. I am Mom Enough, thanks Time Magazine

FAM, self By May 12, 2012 Tags: , , , , , , 4 Comments

What a year it’s been for parenting to be in the spotlight.  With What to Expect When You’re Expecting about to debut, the ‘Mommy Wars‘ surrounding Hilary Rosen’s comments about Ann Romney being a SAHM, and now Time Magazine’s provocative cover.  For me, it’s not the image but the headline.  The article inside is pretty tame – facts and ideas about attachment parenting that surfaced 20 years ago and have always caused judgement and quibbles in the nicest of mommy groups.

“Are you mom enough?”  Seriously?  Time Magazine should be ashamed.  There are gimmicks to get people in grocery store lines to snag a magazine but this headline is in seriously poor taste.  As if Moms aren’t hard enough on themselves.  The reason I run UrbanMommies and UrbanDaddies is that when I had young kids I felt isolated, judged and condescended.  I was so immersed in the ‘shoulds’ of attachment parenting that I neglected the needs of myself as a woman and human being.  I am thrilled that more parents are nursing and wearing their babies.  But mothers and fathers are also losing sight of their own needs.  Dr. Sears is a brilliant physician with great ideas, but like with all ‘religions’, if taken to the extreme or used out of context, chaos ensues.

Both of my kids had colic for 18 months.  (I’m hoping the brain-synapse theory of colic is true and it just means they are smart).  They were high needs babies.  I wore them both in a sling or carrier hours every day.  The massage bills added up.  And I didn’t shower much.  The boys wouldn’t go in a stroller without screaming so I just sacrificed my body and hoped that the skeleton would hold out.  They slept in my bed for a few weeks and they snacked on breast milk whenever they were inclined.  I was exhausted, drained, burnt out and my milk supply dwindled due to lack of self-care.

So I read all of the books about ‘gentle’ ways to train them to sleep.  (This is where you hear people start growling as we get into the Pantley vs. Ferber debate.)  In a nutshell, I tried all of the gentle stuff.  For weeks.  I was still exhausted.  They wouldn’t settle.  The guilt was overwhelming and everyone weighed in.  Nurses, paediatricians, friends, helplines, and my elders.  So now I was exhausted and demoralized, questioning my parenting and values.  As soon as I shut out the ‘advisors’, I had an epiphany.  I decided I needed to care for myself, my marriage, my health.  Follow my instincts.  I knew my baby and my family.  The others didn’t carry a kid in their belly and have a head emerge from their ‘Lady Garden’ (quoting the Bloggess on CNN – brilliant).  I was no good to my kids if I was an exhausted and irritated mess.

So I let them cry a bit.  Yes, a ‘modified’ Ferber approach.  I put them in a crib.  I took off whatever stinky t-shirt I was wearing and tucked it into their hands, hoping my smell would calm them and vindicate me.  I went back often, leaving them a bit longer each time.  They were stubborn but after a time, they both learned to sleep.  Some mom friends stopped talking to me.  I was the devil.  But my milk supply returned.  The colour came back to my cheeks.  I still carried them in a sling all the time.  I nursed until they were 18 months (and I was at my thinnest – why the hell did I stop?!) and I still carry and cuddle them.  They are very attached and loving.

So I used my instincts as a parent to do what was best for my family and kids.  I stopped listening to the know-it-all Moms who were trying to justify their own decisions by criticizing mine.  And I developed enough confidence and belief in my intuition to pour my heart and soul into a company that would hopefully help other moms to trust their own decisions and take time to care for themselves.  So yes, Time Magazine.  I am Mom enough, and I would argue that all Moms, whatever their decisions on breast/bottle, sleep training, baby wearing or whether they stay at home or work outside are all Mom enough.  We are all doing the best we can.  As we shared yesterday through Facebook, “There is no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one”.

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Ski Northstar at Lake Tahoe

ROAM, USA By May 9, 2012 Tags: , , , , , , , 2 Comments

I’m waiting for my plane in Reno.  It’s late.  At the bar, a jovial guy introduces himself and acknowledges that he knows Randy Bell, my Ski Northstar Resort instructor.  Cool.  But then the guy went on about how Randy runs cattle farms, how enmeshed in the community he has become, the history of Tahoe, the forest preserve that is so carefully maintained by the resort… The man has been away from Tahoe for a few years and is dying to be back. I completely understand why.

This place is truly magical.

For Families, Northstar, located 45 minutes from Reno, Nevada, boasts an award-winning learn-to-ski program. But more than that. Epic Mix (it’s totally gnarly. You don’t even have to take your pass out of your pocket for the spy-sensors to pick up the radio frequency) allows your teens and tots to track their vertical and ski runs via computer at the end of the day. Epic Mix is available via your computer AND there’s a free phone app for iPhone and Droid, where you can view your photos, trail maps, vertical feet, days skied, digital pins earned….  The passes actually work at all 7 of Vail Resorts’ Mountains. And there are no paper tickets to lose. Not only that – but there are ‘Epic Photo’ photographers with professional cameras waiting in the most beautiful spots all over the hill who will scan your pass and snap a pic. When you log onto the Epic system to celebrate the accomplishments of your day, the photos are miraculously in your photo section. And they are free for you to share via your social networks. (Here’s a resort that not only gets technology, but puts the customer’s experience at the forefront). I loved the live shots, which showed my (bad) skiing at the end of the day and then my (improved after being instructed) skiing at the end.

The terrain is family-friendly, but with glades and black runs to die for. (Beginner – 13% Intermediate – 60% Advanced – 27%) The best? Many more challenging glade runs are adjacent to easier slopes, so everyone can meet (happy) at the lift. I am not usually a glade skiier but you couldn’t get me out of the trees here. Diligent and loving volunteer residents, along with resort employees have trimmed the underbrush and small limbs at the bases of most trees, vastly improving the skiier’s experience and the safety of the glades.

The snow? You know when you pick up a handful of snow and determine what you will use it for? This is not for snowballs. This stuff is like Chanel loose face powder that my Great Aunt wore in the 60’s. Gorgeous. I kept picking it up and blowing it off my mitt, giggling. And if you were in the area at the time – those hollers and whoops were probably me.

What struck me as the gondola attendants carried my skis and the Ritz Carlton valets helped the kids put on their boots, was that Vail Resorts is trying to make skiing/snowboarding a fully enjoyable family activity. I recently visited Disney and the parallels were clear. The customer prevails. Service is key. The business model values the individual and embraces challenges born into every life. And really? If you have a great experience, you’ll return. Skiing is one of those activities you can do for decades, and can help the fabric of a family no matter what the age of the kids – if the resort looks at the needs of everyone from infants to tweens, teenagers and non-skiiers. This place looks at every angle.

The Zephyr Lodge is new last year. Vail Resorts, which owns 6 other properties as well as Northstar, got a leg up on the economic downturn by investing in their properties. When other resorts stopped cutting runs or upgrading lifts, Vail had the forsight to invest 30 MM at Northstar alone into the improvement of the resort experience. The Zephyr, made of reclaimed wood from Montana, offers ‘Rockstar Food’. Why Rockstar? Healthy, incredibly prepared and cutting edge. My choice? The rice and noodle bar. I chose brown rice, lots of veggies, tofu and chicken. There were a selection of sauces – teryaki, curry or X, and a Vietnamese spring roll to top it off. Learn to ski if only for this meal. (Oh, and they doubled the number of womens’ washrooms too!)

For kids the ski school (link to Randy’s video) is incredible and Northstar allows kids to feel ‘big’ even if they are beginners. The learning area starts 6,800 feet above sea level, so after a gondola ride, they walk out to a crisp white wonderland and are shuttled to their own lodge via snowmobile-sleigh. The ‘Bear Hut’ is so named because one summer a bear raided the hot chocolate machine and settled down to hibernate. The next year, he returned and tried to dig his way in. Northstar decided to build a more secure structure in order to ward off future intruders!  The ‘Jib’ parks throughout the mountain offer challenges and fun for kids – there is even one where you can ski over the roof of a house.

I will never forget family apres ski when I was a child. After a full day of challenge and new experiences, you shared a secret almost, with your family. They knew I’d gone down the black diamond on my bum and I saw when my Dad had a yard sale. Apres is about reminiscing, bonding and relaxing. You’d accomplished lots. Northstar is king of apres (and they supply wagons to make schlepping the equipment easier). Adirondak chairs. Sun, happy hour – seriously – coming from Canada you don’t get that often! – and serious tunes. Playing on the loudspeakers of The Lodge at Big Springs were ‘Boogie Fever’, ‘Basket Case’, and ‘Wonderwall’. Thank goodness for Shazam. Stay tuned for the UrbanMommies Apres Ski playlist. People were flopped all over the area, sunning in big glasses and toques, boots undone and refreshment in hand. The apres ‘party’ at the lodge happens daily from 2pm to 4pm, and the brilliant part is that the lodge is at the top of the gondola, so skiing out when you are tired is unnecessary.

Because we were on a guided tour, we got the scoop. For the die-hards? There are Northstar’s guided sidecountry tours and snow cat tours. These will be offered for the first time next season to advanced skiers and riders who want to explore the resort’s new terrain, conditions permitting.  Ask about it. It is supposed to rival heli-skiing. Shh. And don’t you dare take my fresh tracks.

And then there’s the village. Like chocolate? Yeah. This is your place. The Chocolate Bar is all about the specialty. The village is full of amazing activities and shopping. Directly after skiing you must try the dirty snowman (Absolut Vanilla vodka, Baileys, Hazelnut liqueur + hot chocolate). With an ice-skating rink in the middle and devine sofas all around, the town is bustling. And you can shop. Not that any of us need to do more of that. Cute little wagons carry skis and poles so you or the tiny ones don’t have to schlep them and accommodations are plentiful and in my view, quite inexpensive compared with similar resorts in North America.  March happens to have some of the best rates as well as the best snow.  Go figure.

We boarded the gondola (awesome) to zip back to the Ritz Carlton Lake Tahoe. After a hottub, we ran to our rooms to grab the ‘s’mores in a bag’. Quite possibly the best invention ever, you can purchase s’more kits that include sticks, graham wafers, blocks of chocolate and large marshmallows. The Ritz has scattered firepits throughout the premises. You know what comes next. Relaxing by the fire, tired and toasty, I would have slept all the next day. Had it not been for the terrain. And the snow. And the technology. And the instruction. Just go.

Stay: The Ritz Carlton Lake Tahoe
Eat: Baxter’s Bistro
Drink: A Dirty Snowman or a BNB (That would be Bacon and Bourbon at the Ritz Carlton)
Spot: Shaun White if you’re lucky

Disclosure: UrbanMommies Media was provided with travel, accommodation, lift pass and a stipend for meals while investigating Vail’s Resorts in Lake Tahoe.

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Disney Fantasy - a Perfect Family Cruise

Disney Fantasy – The Perfect Family Cruise

cruises, Disney, ROAM By May 8, 2012 Tags: , , , , , 6 Comments

To see your children happy. Isn’t that every Mother’s goal? I can’t get the vision of the ‘Mickey Pool’ out of my head. We had the great fortune to cruise on the inaugural voyage of the new Disney Fantasy. Modeled after the Disney Dream (the Fantasy is the sister ship to the Dream, and both are about 40% bigger than the Wonder and the Magic) the Fantasy has added a few extra pleasures including the Aquaduck – a see-through pipe waterslide that whisks you around the top of the ship in a raft. I’d be with the little son as the older one and his daddy waved hysterically through the slide’s clear glass. I don’t think I actually stopped giggling during the whole voyage.

As mothers, we feel it is our duty (and sometimes extra-special talent) to create happiness. We can take our children places, but it is ultimately our parenting that allows the kids to thrive in a new environment. The kids clubs on the ship, like the Oceaneer’s Lab and the Oceaneer’s Club, made this very apparent. These two rooms – one with life-sized toys replicating Andy’s Room in Toy Story – featured computer terminals, volcano-making, Tinkerbell leading activities and Disney films. How can a mother possibly compete? I must admit that I was a tad offended when I went to pick up the boys for dinner and they declined to join us. Oh. You’re having too much fun and I am not helping to create it. (And the ample staff taught them both how to use a computer mouse…If you think that’s amazing – my friend’s toddler came off the ship potty-trained!). Hmm. So I guess it’s a date night with my husband, then, without having to hire a babysitter. Right. Where to start?

Not only is there a toddler and child area though – but there are segregated sections for tweens (Edge), infants (It’s a Small World Nursery) and teenagers. The teen space is Vibe. The 14-17 year-olds need a special key card to enter and the chaperones are cool and educated. Teens can insert themselves into zombie movies, crash on the floor pillows or search for ghosts. Many parents I spoke with were confronted with the same shocking realization – Disney was doing a much better job of creating fun than we were.

So my kids are happy. My husband is thrilled. The food is spectacular. The kids are wired with GPS and I have been given a ‘wave phone’ which rings even if they just want to hear my voice (it never rang). So what is left to worry about? Hygene? No. The staff of the Fantasy wiped our hands every time we entered any dining area. The rooms are meticulous. The quality of the surroundings? Nope. Frette has made the linens exclusively for Disney and people are washing down every area all the time. The infant water area – Nemo’s Garden – has fresh water pumped in continuously so that tots in diapers have no chance of imbibing contaminants. So where was I? Safety! Yes. Not only do they have that down, but the actors from the spectacular shows run the drills so they are the most entertaining musters I’ve ever attended. (Actually better than most of the theatre I’ve seen lately). But I can apply the suntan lotion. And I can cut up the food for the kids. Oh wait. No – the waiters in the dining room do that. After they squeeze the ketchup into a Mickey Mouse shape. Oh – and when we arrived to dinner each night (you try each dining room and the staff actually rotates with your family) the kids’ names were clearly present on their cups.

So what struck me the most was my role as a mother, as part of a family. It became more and more clear that I wasn’t responsible to be everything to the kids. My job should include having fun too. And creating memories with my spouse and family. We had lots of time and made a thousand memories as a unit of 4, but I also relaxed as an adult – as a woman. And my husband and I bonded and reconnected. There were so many adult-only areas on the ship, and it was so over-the-top classy that I would return to any Disney cruise even without my kids in tow.

The decor was timeless. Like grand ships of the ’40s, the profile of the Dream and the detailing of the mill work throughout was incredible. Our stateroom had a bathtub – great for infants (and me) and the theatres were opulent. It was kind of like ‘choose your own adventure’. You could catch a film in the movie theatre as a family, take in the fireworks on deck, hit the arcade, chill in the family ‘D Lounge’, or eat (some more). A new addition from the sister ships is also the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. I sent my husband out to purchase suntan lotion and he found himself at the Boutique. He returned ashen-faced and empty-handed. The boutique transforms little girls into Disney Divas or Fairy Tale Princesses. A full-on salon environment, the boutique allows little princesses to choose from packages with hair, nails, makeup and exclusive outfits and crowns. For the tiny princes, as well as girls and grownups (SCORE), there are pirate nights. “Applications of beards and bandanas, swords and scars, earrings and eye patches are all done with the savvy skill of a veteran pirate who shares his own tales of sea-sailing adventures.”

If you prefer an adult escape, you could ditch the kids and go to any of the bars and lounges in Europa, the adult area, like The Tube (a la London), Ohh La La (Paris boudoir), O’Gill’s Pub (Ireland), La Piazza (Italy), or the Skyline. It features full visual skylines of world-famous cities behind the bar and they change over the course of the evening. The Skyline single-handedly convinced my other half that St. Petersburg needs to be our next big trip. Thank you Disney Fantasy. I’ve been working on that jaunt for years.. There are also fun bars on deck, and of course the shows. But you wouldn’t really want the kids to miss those. And in the big scheme of finances – once they’ve seen a live musical on a Disney cruise, you don’t have to break the bank taking them to Broadway, because the performers are THAT good. (I used to do musical theatre). Save the cash for the St. Petersburg trip.

Castaway Cay is Disney’s private Island in the Bahamas. I could yammer on and on about the white sand and the snorkeling, the water sports, the teen beach or the adult-only areas, but I took one huge thing away with me and can’t get it out of my head. Mahi Mahi and fruit. When we arrived, there was a table covered in ready-to-eat fruit. For lunch, amidst burgers, chicken and ribs, was the most perfect Mahi Mahi I have ever experienced. Ditto for the kids. And that’s the thing – my kids ate better during this cruise than they have ever eaten (yeah – my Mom self-esteem is plummeting). I discovered that they LOVE white fish. Papaya. Scalloped potatoes. We tried to make a point of pushing them out of their comfort zones – they were so happy all the time they hardly noticed. (One restaurant – Animator’s Palace – actually encouraged you to draw a figure and then you could see it come to life on screens around the room as you ate!!) So many childrens’ menus do a disservice to our parenting and our children. And the colouring is always interspersed with the offerings of mac and cheese, hotdogs and garbage. At Disney I would have ordered off the kids’ menu. But could someone please cut up my food?

So when you’re not getting photographed with the princesses (there are tons of opportunities), getting the kids styled at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, you can head to the Shipboard Detective Agency on Deck 4. Many parents I knew on the cruise couldn’t get their kids to stop this activity. So you become a detective. You find clues within the art on the ship, and you solve a mystery. There’s even one involving the Muppets. (My kids love the Muppets because we saw a 4-D show in the Magic Kingdom which took me back to childhood. They could see my delight and now every time they see a Muppet commercial on tv the scream their heads off in joy to show me. And I think they are dying. But I digress.)

I’ve taken a few lessons home from Disney. Fun and relaxation instill progress and learning. Adult time is important. Try new things with your kids when you have the opportunity. Focus on your family and it’s unique qualities in determining your activities. Remember that no one person should pressure themselves to teach, entertain and care for the kids all the time. Share the responsibility. And if you still feel like a really crappy mother, hop on a Disney Cruise, dress like a pirate, watch fireworks and focus on the joy in your childrens’ faces. Your parenting has enabled them to feel this true joy, and Disney does a magnificent job in helping them bring it to the surface.

Disney Cruise Lines

Disclosure: Disney Resorts provided accommodation, cruise fare, 1 airline fare for the family to travel to Florida in order to witness the ship and the inaugural sailing of the Fantasy.

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