Sunday Morning Walks – Quinsam River

Good morning. It’s another gorgeous island Sunday, which seems like the perfect time to recommend a walk in the woods.
Beachy sunshine is so fantastic. But, when the temps start pushing the high 20s, I start thinking about heading toward the cool shade of the forest.
That’s exactly what we did yesterday, checking out the Quinsam River [...]

Retro Saturday – Natural Nature Journals

OK, I concede. I’m EX-HAUSTED. There’s this great delusion in my head that if I just keep going my energy won’t realize that it has been non-existant since July of 2005:)
Anyway, I logged 13 hours of sleep last night (about 3 times my normal) and the price was no e-mails answered, no posts written, no [...]

Can’t-Miss Canadian Food Bloggers (giveaway)

I swear I’ll wrap my foodie thing up this week. Well, maybe not. I mean, check out this steak:

I’m still day dreaming about the bacon doughnut I ate last weekend.
Anyway, to wrap up the Toronto adventure, I wanted to plug you guys in today to some of the coolest Canadian food bloggers out there.
You’ve already [...]

Kids In The Arts – Exploration Art Camp

Today I had a chat with my friend Heili Garcia. She’s got this fun, fantastic Summer art adventure going again this year and can’t wait to share her stories about art boot camp.
Exploration Art Camp began up on Mt. Washington in 1990 and the original facilitators were Heili, Lea Mann and Penny MacCullough (all of [...]

Farm to Family – Island View Lavender

Editor’s Note: Good morning. As we dig into our regular Farm to Family column this morning, I’ve got to say that my eyes were opened last week as to how truly special the food system in the Comox Valley is.
I went to Toronto with an open mind, and came out surprised for the better having [...]

Getaways – Plan for June: Family Farms, Food & Wine

Welcome to my 30-day reminder that another month has escaped us (gasp!). Nearly HALF of 2009 is over and I still think it’s January.
While I realize this could be construed as a personal issue, I seriously suspect that time is simply speeding up and laughing at me as it whizzes by.
In an effort to [...]

Get Bitchin’ in Your Kitchen (giveaway)

Good Morning!
So, Toronto was INSANE (in the best of ways). We ate until the cows refused to come home for fear that they would be course #6 at dinner, talked shop about food. But, best of all, I met some of the coolest Canadian food bloggers out there.
Everyone was amazing (seriously), and I’m hoping to [...]

Making of A Mom Entrepreneur – Life’s Work

Karen and I have had a running joke for the last couple of weeks that – when I didn’t show up at the Today Party yesterday (hope you all had the best time ever!) – that we’d tell everyone that I’d opted for a nap. But, we figured no one would believe us.:)

I am, actually, [...]

Esther Kane – Mindful Eating Roadblocks (Part 2)

Editor’s Note: Speaking of mindful eating, get yourselves on over to the Today Party from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at Karen McKinnon’s studio, 4th Street and Cliffe Avenue (enter in the parking lot behind Brambles).
There will be cupcakes to decorate and take to someone special, not to mention a few to nosh on [...]

Green-e-ology – Green Your Kid’s Birthday Party

Editor’s Note: Today Suzanne Corrin, owner of Green Planet Parties in Port Moody has dropped by to give us some seriously great tips on how to green our kids birthday parties.
I have to say that I personally love the Suzanne’s (both owners are named Suzanne) and their products. After searching high and low for [...]

Parent Appreciation from the “Middle Place”

A few months back, a friend sent me a YouTube internet link that led me on a journey. The link was to Kelly Corrigan reading words about women and strength in a speech she calls “Transcending.”
A full Kleenex box later, I was ordering her book The Middle Place and within days of receiving the [...]

What to Do When Kids Cook – Chill Out

At the end of a rather exhausting day, my oldest asked “what’s for dinner?”
Feeling a little cheeky I retorted with “I don’t know. What are you making?”
It’s a little game my husband and I play when we should cook but want to eat out. K didn’t catch on.
An unmistakable glint of excitement and a flare [...]

Nature Craft – Flower Chains

Good morning! It’s that time of year where the big debate in our house over what flowers can and cannot be picked rages wild.
Pretty much, our kiddo would prefer to pick every flower in sight.
Wild, someone else’s, grandma’s favourite in the garden – it doesn’t matter. Flowers should be for picking, she believes.
Since not everyone [...]

Product Review – Old Maid, B.C. Bird-Style

Good Morning and happy Victoria Day!
In celebration of a lazy day off that is hopefully filled with parades, barbecue and sunshine, we vote for a game of cards.
Back in the day, cards were just about the only thing other than Lawrence Welk on the tube that made me feel right at home on Summer vacation [...]

Come and Celebrate Community with Cupcakes

I have to start this one out with a big, gushy moment. I love you guys. Seriously, you are inspiring.
There is a purposefulness about all of you that I want to forever linger in – that warmth, sense of place, community and love for others is unmatched and I am so very grateful to connect [...]

Guides for Tiny Explorers

Good Morning. With the sun making a regular appearance these days and our NeighbourWood Walks finally started back up, we are spending a whole lot more time outside right now.
My scientist kid told me the other day that she wants to be a paleontologist (actual use of the word, which makes my jaw drop) when [...]

Overcome Infertility with Chinese Medicine

Infertility rates have increased dramatically in the last decade with one in six North American couples experiencing difficulties conceiving. This is an extremely difficult time for most couples, a roller coaster of emotions, frustration, anger, sadness and regret. Traditional Chinese medicine has been treating infertility for over two thousand years and has recently been gaining [...]

Grand Parents – A Love That Defines Generations

Editor’s Note: Good Morning. I am over the moon to have Solutions for Seniors Eldercare Planning’s Wendy Johnstone here this morning to kick off our new Grant Parents column.
Wendy brings with her a lovely, warm, soulful perspective on learning, love and compassion through the generations and I am truly honoured that she has agreed to [...]

For the Love of it – Good Earth Farms

One day, not so long ago, there was a couple who would soon know that a life in the garden would be something they made together.
On that first date, the guy – Simon Toole – brought with him some home grown gems and seeds he’d saved and offered them to a gal named Heather.
That day, [...]

Crafts for Boys – Adventure Belt

It seems like FORVER since Ken jumped in here with another one of his boy-focused Craftizmos. April was one big adventure in exhaustion and good times with Earth Day events. So, busting out the duct tape and whipping up a very cool outdoor adventure pack (which could double as an awesome tool belt), got the [...]

Blog Book Tour – Crocodaddy

Once in a while we jump in on the KidBookBuzz.com Blog Book Tour and today we are checking out the very sweet, dad-focused tale of fun Summer imagination Crocodaddy by Kim Norman, illustrated by David Walker.
Early readers and picture books are the hot thing at our house right now – right next to crazy creatures [...]

Monday Mom’s Poll – The Perfect Jeans

 
So, ummm, well, anyone who knows me knows for sure that the above photo is not representative of my current physique.
Marshall’s Clothing Company isn’t exactly selling these jeans to the average 38-year-old. I don’t suspect that my butt ever looked that hot in pair of anything.
There was a time when I felt great about my [...]

Mom-P-Inc. – Aline Wittwer of Benino Gelato

Editor’s Note: Happy Mother’s Day!!!
I could wax on for days about motherhood. But, this year – I have to say – is the year of inspired motherhood for me. The women in my life – so many of them mothers even if they do not have their own children – are remarkable.
They have guided [...]

Bike to Work Week Goes Bike to the Playground

When we first heard about Bike to Work Week, Ken and I chuckled a bit talking about pulling the tiny person’s tricycle in from the back porch and riding it from the bedroom to the office – which involves a short, straight hallway and just enough time to pick up speed for an awkward crash.

Just [...]

Dr. Amy Wells – Taking Charge of Our Fertility

Editor’s Note: Good Morning. Dr. Amy Wells is here this morning talking about a hot topic in our house right now – fertility. Plugging in to your body cues is an amazing way to feel empowered when working on getting pregnant.
On a couple of other notes, I posed the question over on our Facebook page [...]

Reclaiming Our Childhood Connection to Nature

Editor’s Note: Good morning. Today, local mom and outdoor education advocate Barb Haffner is her to kick off her regular Nature Journals column on OBE.
In my own experience, getting kids outside and letting them discover the natural world for themselves is a remarkably eye-opening experience. From the relationships that they develop with other children to [...]

Using Internet Explorer 6? Time to Switch

I’m jumping in with a double post today because lately I’ve been getting e-mails from a few clients and e-mail subscribers who said that, when they went to the website, it was a mess and didn’t load properly.
I was super concerned and went on a little fact-finding mission.
It ends up that the load problems were [...]

Restaurant Review – Maple Noodle House

I need some help. Seriously, my poor family is suffering from “Mommy hates to cook” syndrome.
By the time I get to 4:30 p.m. every day my enthusiasm for the kitchen is sooooooo not happening. I would rather eat nothing than spend an hour cooking a meal. It has become my drudgery – the one thing [...]

Mom-Rated Family Learning Websites

The kiddo totally decides what is cool in our house.
Yeah, I lead her in directions I would like to see her pursue. But, cripes if she thinks my coffee filter butterflies are lame and I am a dork for any number of not-so-veiled attempts and exercising my parental will in the educational universe lately.
She likes [...]

Mom Poll – B.C. Coffees, Who’s Got The Best?

Good Morning. If there is ever a day of the week to talk shop about coffee, it’s Monday morning. I am a non-functioning blob of glue without my morning jolt of java and in the years since university where we’d drink anything remotely full of caffeine, I’ve become a little bit more fussy about my [...]

Summer Planning – Tips for Traveling with Kids

Editor’s Note: So, I woke up this morning, doing my normal morning thing, and hit 9:50 a.m., was in the middle of answering about 1.2 million e-mails, and realized I hadn’t posted yet today.
Some days…I feel like I need a brain transplant.

The good news is you don’t have me writing something unintelligible here today [...]

Great Canadian Kids Nature Books

Spring brings out the scientist in me (ha, you all laugh. When am I not in science girl mode?)
I am a botanist/ecologist/microbiologist/nature loving curious type from the word go. But, this time of year I get serious about our nature learning and head out into the deep forest of the local bookstore for some non-library [...]

SPROUTS – Creating a Kids Garden

Another sunny day. Everyone loves it when warm days blow in. With all this good weather I can finally tackle the weeds that have been meandering in my garden beds and deadhead a few of the plants that escaped me in the Fall.

It is so refreshing to be outside for hours these days – with [...]