Spring NeighbourWood Walks Series Delayed

Good morning. It was a troubled evening last night as I continued to read about the increasing global concern over the spread of Swine Flu – particularly in North America.
There are now at least 19 cases confirmed in Canada – including one in Victoria – and the World Health Organization has raised the alert level [...]

Register Today for Family Community Garden Plots

I have a huge confession to make. My thumb, it’s brown. I’ve perfected the art of picking and eating veggies, am a big fan of the farmer’s market and all things farm stand related. But, please, don’t give me something and ask me to make it grow. The chance of seeds actually becoming veggies is [...]

Nature Crafts – Building Bird Nests for Kids

Good Morning. I’m still basking in the glow of festival goodness from the weekend. I feel like the tiny person saw enough and made a few very important discoveries about taking care of the Earth this weekend that got her brain moving even more in conservationist mode.
Leave it to a nearly 4-year-old’s bluntly honest ways [...]

Plan Some Family Fun in May

Did I say May? This year is racing by at the speed of light for me. I can’t believe we’re already nearing the middle of 2009. But, what that does mean is that things are starting to get very, very busy again around the region and doing some family fun planning for the next month [...]

Earth Day Family Fest is All About Community

Right around Noon yesterday I looked across Simms Park from where I was guiding folks to art making, terrarium construction, binocular building and wool felting and spotted my childhood.
There stood about 15 or 20 kiddos, potato sacks pulled up to their waists, waiting, waiting, waiting – GO!
Down the field hopped smiling faces, laughing, cheering, testing [...]

Esther Kane – Mindful Eating Road Blocks (Part 1)

Editor’s Note: Good Morning! We are here today hanging out with Esther Kane.
But, if you are out and about, be sure to come on over to Simms Park and hang in the Our Big Earth Family & Kids Zone at the 2009 Earth Day Family Festival. It’ll be packed with projects like a community art [...]

Green-e-ology – Equitable Eating’s Many Forms

Genetic engineering. Antibiotics. Pesticides. Additives. Air pollution. Animal welfare. Economics. Irradiation. Hormones. rBGH. Water pollution.
Now that I’ve got your attention, do you think about any of the above before making food choices?
If so, then you’ve likely been far ahead of me for years. I’m a little slow with the food.

[give that head [...]

Kids In The Arts – Get Perspective on Competition

I had a conversation a while back with someone who asked why I did not place my students in competition.  When I conveyed my mandate of non-competition the reply was, “Oh, you mean just for fun.”

This is an interesting perspective because it is not necessarily what I have in mind when I talk [...]

Earth Day – Top 10 Reasons to Eat Local

Happy Earth Day!
It’s Food & Your Family day here at Our Big Earth. With all the talk around food sustainability and the ever-increasing prices at the grocery store these days, there are a lot of questions about why local food is such a big deal.
There are a ton of scientifically significant reasons why food that [...]

Earth Day Crafts – Binoculars & Mini Journals

Editor’s Note: This week we are plugging in to all things Earth Day and thinking green as we work our way toward Saturday when we celebrate island-style with the Earth Day Family Festival.
Our Big Earth is running the Kids and Family Zone and, whoa, there is some seriously fun, green-ness on the schedule. Check it [...]

Monday Morning Mom Poll – Green Dish Soap

Good Morning! Today’s topic – finding green dish washing soap and dishwasher detergent – is seriously hot.
When I sent out a note to the usual Mom Poll suspects last week, the general response from nearly everyone was “I can’t wait to hear what everyone else says because we haven’t gone green in the soap department [...]

Mom-P-Inc. – The Value of Success Circles

Editor’s Note: Good Morning! Today we have small business consultant Karae White, owner of Morgan Ebbett Career Services, here to talk to us about how developing a tight-knight circle of business associates can be a valuable tool that helps you resolve business issues, flesh out ideas and even stretch your marketing dollars.
But, first, a quick [...]

Book Review – Earth Day Stories

Good Morning! It’s time!
Today is HUGE in the OBE universe as we kick off a week’s worth of fantastic Earth Day good times with the opening of our new Family Community Gardens in partnership with the Comox Valley Regional District.
The ribbon cutting is the culmination of a day’s worth of family-friendly events including those fun [...]

BUMPS – It’s Spring, Time to Nest

The space I have carved out for myself in this house is the spare room.
This is where I write.
Since my daughters share a room, this one is mine…well kind of.  I guess I share the space with the ironing board, the pack-n-play (for our baby guests to snooze), broken and obsolete electronic equipment, and other [...]

Where is The Love? Finding Time for Each Other

“It feels like I’m running a daycare with someone I used to date.” I’m not sure who the frustrated husband is who made this remark about parenting, but it really struck me and made me laugh.  I think the statement was particularly meaningful because I fell in love with my husband 13 years ago… at [...]

Lower Grocery Bills with Smart Food Planning

Editor’s Note: Sarah Stromquist is here this morning with her supermom advice (she’s amazing) on how to shop, cook and plan smart while keeping to a strict grocery budget.
That leads me to our Earth Day thought for the day.
Think local.
I know, I know. It’s all the rage. But there’s a good reason for it.
When you [...]

Earth Day Craft – Recycled Paper Bag Puppets

Editor’s Note: For the next few Tuesdays, we’ll be featuring art projects that you can come out and do with us at Earth Day events that Our Big Earth is taking part in.
Today’s project – recycled paper bag puppets – will be one of the fun projects your kids can try out when you head [...]

Spring NeighbourWood Walks Registration…x2

I am so excited to say that the Our Big Earth NeighbourWood Walks program is officially one year old. We’ve completed four seasons of walking in the woods, on the trails and at the shoreline, exploring nature kid-style. (By the way, this is double-post Tuesday. I’ll have some crafts for you this afternoon)
And, with that [...]

Mom Review – Woodland Rogue

Editor’s Note: In honor of Earth Day (April 22) and all of the exciting OBE events going on like the CVRD Earth Day celebrations and ribbon cutting on the new Family Community Gardens this Saturday, we’ll be focusing the next couple of weeks on ways that you can think green and live gently on the [...]

Mom-P-Inc. – Keli Carpenter of Warriors Realm & Raw Realm

Motherhood, it changes you.
While there’s a whole list that involves sagging and wrinkled, exhausted and emotional that can be wrapped in there, for many women becoming a Mom takes life to a whole other level.
It brings out our genuine loves, forces them into places creatively and personally that reveal talents and ingenuity unrealized until that [...]

Getaways – Family Time on Quadra Island

When I sit down to plan a bit of a family escape, my mind has always wandered toward the west side of Vancouver Island. With all of its tide pooling, surfers and sea life, the West Coast has its beauty. But, lately, I’ve been dreaming spending some serious time on another island.

The northern islands – [...]

Prevention to Keep Kids Asthma at Bay

As I chase my toddler around the backyard on these Spring afternoons, I breathe deeply the fresh newness of this season.  I watch as my little guy gets out of breath from running, takes a quick five-second rest and recovers enough to continue playtime.  I take a minute to be thankful for his gift of [...]

Easter Crafts, Easter Egg Hunts, Easter Food

Well, here we are – the Thursday before Easter – and I’ve got nothing. Seriously, it’s ungood. Thank goodness for our pals Nicola and Mike who threw a big egg bash for the kids last weekend.
I’m hoping I’m not the only momma out there who is relatively unorganized in the Easter/Passover action department. Luckily, it [...]

Family & Freshness – Seaview Game Farm

Editor’s Note: This is a bittersweet day as Robyn Butler hangs up her OBE columnist pen when she moves into her new role as our advertising and marketing associate.
I have been inspired over the last half a year to spend way more time cruising the local farm scene. Eating local is as easy as it [...]

Homeschooling – Choose The Right Books

Editor’s Note: Good Morning. Today, Royston farmer and homeschooling mom Louisa McClellan is here to talk shop on how to find the right books for your kids.
Reading is a HUGE part of our lives around here and I, seriously, pound through dozens of books a month searching for the gems out there (long live the [...]

Register – SPROUTS Children’s Gardening Series

Good morning. After such a gorgeous weekend filled with beach, trail, art, Easter events and all kinds of Spring-like fun, it seems like the perfect time this morning to open up registration for the first SPROUTS Children’s Gardening Series in partnership with the Comox Valley Regional District.
A while back, the CVRD’s  Education and Event Coordinator [...]

Books for Tom Boys & Spring

Good morning. It’s super late for me to be getting going this morning (8 a.m., yikes!). I am totally dragging my butt today in the work universe, mostly because I have plans to ditch the office long enough to spend the ENTIRE DAY outside combing beaches, roaming trails and wrapping it all up with a [...]

SPROUTS – Composting, Family-Style

Editor’s Note: Good Morning. SPROUTS gardening goddess Kendra Quince is here to kick off our Earth Month goodness with a quick lesson in composting.
While I’ve got you thinking gardening, this gives me the chance to announce some big news here at Our Big Earth.
On Monday morning (April 6), if you wake up bright and early [...]

Get Organized – Planning Out A Nursery

Editor’s Note: Today the lovely and ever-organized Arran Kerrigan drops by to give us the scoop on getting the nursery organized.
I sure could have used this advice the first time around. I’m still looking for that pair of Canucks Robeez that disappeared about six weeks after the tiny person was born.
Organization is something I could [...]

Restaurant Review – Benino Gelato

 
There we were, standing at the corner of Fourth and Cliffe a few days ago snacking down in gelato, chatting up Benino Gelato mother-daughter team Ruth and Aline about life in general when it occurred to me that I had yet to chat up our most favourite afternoon treat locale with OBE readers.
Maybe it was [...]