Tag: Canada
There and Back Again – Heading Back To B.C.
If you’d have asked me a few months ago if we would be packing up our lives and heading back to B.C. when Ken’s 1-year contract wrapped up I would have told you that it wasn’t even up for discussion. Nova Scotia and I had been living out a torrid love affair and I was [...]
Tips For Protecting Your Identity When Your Family Relocates
As is very true in our house right now, this time of year heading into summer break is prime time for families planning to relocate to a new town for a new and exciting piece of the Canadian experience. Halifax has been our home for just about a year and it’s not long before we’ll [...]
Postcards from Nova Scotia – Slow-Poke Spring (By My Standards)
Dear Mom, It’s Spring here in Nova Scotia, so they say. I realize now that after 6+ years of cheering the first day of March – normally coinciding with the first yellow blossoms – with having survived another dark B.C. winter, the rest of the country must really lack an appreciation for West Coasters posting [...]
Ten Simple Things to do for Earth Day
It’s Earth Day and we all hear a lot about the very important details like recycling, planting trees, turning off water faucets and using less electricity. But, helping care for the Earth can extend to parts of life that are – dare we say – a bit unexpected, full of joy and changing in ways [...]
The Canadian Dinner Table – Easy Peasy Cinnamon Rolls
The crew here are bakers. That may be a mild term for how much all of us love to whip up and chow down on delicious baked goods. But, cinnamon rolls have always seemed just out of reach in the everyday foods department. Some recipes call for a double rise. Some…well…they just always looked way [...]
Inspired Action – World Autism Awareness Day
The lights in our windows are shining blue at the homes of the OBE team today. So many of us have children or family members who struggle with autism and this day of education, inspired action and celebration is especially close to our hearts. It’s World Autism Awareness Day and people across Canada are standing [...]
Food & Your Family – 6 Ways to Serve Up Hard-Boiled Eggs
Let’s face it. There’s a pile of hard-boiled eggs in our refrigerators destined for the garbage unless something really inventive comes along. Really, how many of those things can you eat before they go bad and you learn to hate them? Then divide it by nine and that’s how many the kids will eat. Unless… [...]
Easy Kids Easter Crafts – Bunny Boxes & Stained Glass Eggs
Ah, Good Friday. The kids are home from school. Hopefully, the sun is shining wherever you are and happy faces are sparkling too. If you are like us, getting around to Easter crafts with the kids has been rather, well, challenging. We’ve daydreamed about a Martha-esque scene of Spring delight. But, a quick reality check [...]
The Canadian Dinner Table – Black Bean & Artichoke Heart Chili
These early spring days make for challenging cooking in any house. Mostly, we suspect it has a lot to do with the reality that most Canadians have had their fill of root veggies and other seasonal goodies. Craving the fresh, bright flavors of the garden, we are starting to think lighter meals that have a [...]
Your Voice In The Dark – Earth Hour 2013
Sitting in the dark for an hour tonight may not seem like much. But, that action is your voice – joining together with millions of other voices across Canada and the globe – speaking up and helping live lighter on the Earth. Canadians are awesome at this. In fact, Vancouver is the Earth Hour Capital [...]
The Canadian Dinner Table – Down East Oatmeal Bread
No matter where you sit down to dinner North of 49, there are classic Canadian foods that make us all feel at home. That cozy, warm feeling of freshly baked bread takes all of us back to snowy days of childhood. A house full of the scent of baked goods just coming out of the [...]
Inspired Action – Cleaning Up Canada This Spring
Spring is upon us this week and while many of us daydream about sunny days in the park and weekend walks, tens of thousands of Canadians will mobilize, gather together and make a deal with each other to clean up communities from Victoria to Halifax. While picking up trash and keeping our neighborhoods clean is [...]
Quick, Healthy Eats – Cheesy Roasted Broccoli Patties
We are always on the hunt for tasty, fast, healthy recipes that result in lunches that are gobbled up by our kiddos around here. Cheese and broccoli are a super delish combination. So, when we recently whipped up this vegetarian recipe for our picky kiddos and watched them eat it up and ask for more, [...]
St. Patrick’s Day Crafts from Canadian Moms
St. Patrick’s Day and its lucky sentiment is nearly upon us and the kids are just electric about plugging into that pot of gold (actually more like the leprechauns and fairies) at the end of the rainbow. We love to celebrate the creative awesomeness of Canadian moms and one of our very favorite – Rebecca [...]
Be Inspired By Because I Am A Girl on International Women’s Day
Today is International Women’s Day. Looking for ways to support girls and women and empower them to reach their full potential, you’ll find everything from signing petitions to end sex slavery to ways to help fund the education of girls and women in developing countries. One organization that has truly inspired us to invest our [...]
Celebrate Canada Outdoors | The 2013 Get To Know Contest
Calling all youth 19 and under! Get outdoors and connect with nature! Head to www.gettoknow.ca to submit art, writing, photography, video, or music inspired by your outdoor experiences and you could win some wild prizes! It may only be the beginning of March. But, you can start cracking on your outdoor awesomeness and get it ready to [...]
Inspired Action – World Read Aloud Day 2013
Reading to my kids is one of my favorite ways to wash away all of the parenting grime that every day brings. Bed time is tough around our house. Everyone is ready for an excellent snooze. But, getting there makes us all a little crazy, until it comes time for the story. We have a [...]
Postcards from Nova Scotia – It’s Maple Syrup Season
Note from OBE Publisher Robin Rivers: In June of 2012, we packed up our family home in Comox, B.C. on beautiful Vancouver Island and made the journey to Halifax, N.S. In that time, we have explored and adventured across The Maritimes, learning the history, charm and way of life that the people of Atlantic Canada [...]
Six Weeks of Canadian Soups – Week 6, Beautiful Borscht
As we wrap up our six-week celebration of Canadian soups, it seems fitting to finish with one that – from Victoria to Halifax – can truly be considered a Canadian winter staple. The root veggies and tasty meat-based stock that are at the heart of a tasty borscht has warmed the bellies of folks on [...]
Inspired Action – The To This Day Project to Confront Bullying
“My experiences with violence in schools still echo throughout my life. But, standing to face the problem has helped me in immeasurable ways. ” – Shane Koyczan Bullying in schools across Canada is an epidemic that is costing kids their spirits, and even their lives. Canadian poet Shane Koyczan is taking inspired action to speak [...]
The Green Family – Organizing Kid Chaos
The snow and cold of a hearty Canadian winter often brings on one thing – the need to get organized at home. We don’t know if it’s that the family spends so much time around the kitchen table or packed into the living room that the chaos finally goes to the next level, or the [...]
Six Weeks of Canadian Soups – Week 5, Chinese Dumpling Soup
Taking part in Chinese New Year celebrations this past weekend, the crew here at OBE wondered how to replicate the amazing spread of traditional foods that brought people throughout Canada together. The delicate combination of ingredients that make a good Chinese soup come together are a bit of tasty magic. Dumplings are a fan favorite [...]
Let’s Talk About Mental Health
It’s a touchy topic – the health of our brains. For many of us, we spend a huge whack of time thinking about how to make our bodies stronger, healthier. It’s on the minds of just about everyone. The conversation is often electric and motivating. But, what about our heads? One in 5 Canadians live [...]
Why Family Literacy Day Matters
It’s hard to hear the word “literacy” and not assume that you will be met with a bunch of book-loving academics who will insist that you must spend your waking hours poring through books and chasing after the written word with unending glee lest you find yourself frowned upon by them and possibly the whole [...]
Inspired Actions – Letters to Mom
When I was a kid, which lately I realize was a crazy long time ago in the decade universe, my mother used to sit us down at the table at least once a month to write letters to family. I suspected she was torturing us or trying to make up for the reality that we [...]
Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas from Our Family to Yours!
May this season of love and cheer be filled with the warmth of family and the kindness of community for you and your families. We continue to be inspired by your wonderful hearts full of generosity and compassion for the places we live and the people we love. May 2012 bring you a year full [...]
Inspired Family Actions – This Holiday, Give The Gift of Water, Food and Health
Our daughter gets the mail out of our mailbox almost every day. She loves to pore through it, even the bills, to see who could be sending us something interesting and new. On a recent afternoon, it was a UNICEF pamphlet that caught her eye. She read through it, page after page, open-mouthed at what [...]
Books For Treats™ Canada – Feed Kids Imaginations This Halloween.
Find a giveaway. Host a giveaway. Learn more at www.booksfortreats.ca Books For Treats™ Canada – Beginnings: Books For Treats™ began with a simple idea from founder Rebecca Morgan – less candy, more creativity. It blossomed into an international movement to create a community of young readers through fun ways to connect to the stories of our [...]
Lonely Newcomer Syndrome
Driving along the South Shore of Nova Scotia yesterday near Lunenberg, I stared out at the cars filling the highway at rush hour and my oldest blurted out that she loved our life. “We have a great adventure every day mom. Nova Scotia is the best place ever.” It seemed like the appropriate moment for [...]
Keep Your Home Safe This Summer – Don’t Advertise Vacation on Facebook
Editor’s Note: Today, the folks from Toronto-based Weiser Lock are here with some great reminders on how to keep your home safe while you are out and about enjoying vacation, road tripping or just a day at the beach this summer. 6 Tips for protecting your home on social media With Summer here, people are [...]
The Scoop On Sun Exposure, Sunscreens & Summer
Vancouver Island may be a bit wet and chilly right now. But, as soon as the Canada Day parade is over, you know it will be 30 and sunny in less than 10 minutes.:) On the other side of the country in Nova Scotia, the heat and sun have already got us out hitting the [...]
Ten Things I Learned on A 4,000-mile Family Road Trip
When Ken and I sat down and imagined what 4,000 miles of the majesty of Canada via the Trans Canada Highway would be like, rose-colored glasses played a significant role. We made up road songs and games in our head that kept us all laughing and bonding from sea to sea. Planned stops made for [...]
Across Canada in 10 Days, Day 10 (A Little Late) – Feels Like Home
Editor’s Note: Thanks for waiting for this one. Once we got to Halifax, we found ourselves without many services and getting this last post done took more time than I’d hoped. This trip was amazing and we loved having you along for the ride. Now, for the arrival at our new home. We knew the [...]
Across Canada in 10 Days, Day 9 – Congestion in Quebec
Exhaustion – it’s official. Quarter after 9 in New Brunswick and everyone’s eyes seem sealed shut. I ordered breakfast for 8 a.m. and the warm, understanding gal from room service scared the hell out of me when she knocked on the door to make the delivery of eggs and newly-fallen-in-love-with croissants. I figured by 8 [...]
Across Canada in 10 Days, Day 8 – Digging Deep
Someone’s alarm in the room next to us went off at 5 a.m. this morning. Either they are serious hard sleepers or the last guests in that room left the neighbors a gift. Kids have made me a princess pea sleeper. I sat straight up in bed and knew I was up for the day. [...]
Across Canada in 10 Days, Day 7 – The Tao of Pooh
Chilled to the bone, both from the air conditioning left on too long and the reality that White River, Ontario in the morning is just plain cold, we shivered our way into our jeans and sweatshirts yesterday knowing we were headed for a classic piece of the story of Canada. In this no-Tim-Horton’s town (did [...]
Across Canada in 10 Day, Day 6 – Natural Disasters
If there’s one thing that you cannot anticipate, plan ahead for or build contingencies in for, Mother Nature has cornered the market. Despite our personal rationale that June is the perfect month to travel anywhere in Canada – no snow, not too hot, rainy season drying up, on and on – the lack of control [...]
Across Canada in 10 Days, Day 5 – A Bug’s Life & Lake Country
When we finally got out to the truck after a sleep-in at the lovely Lakeview Inn and Suites in Brandon, Manitoba on Monday, the four of us spent a long while admiring the new look the Xterra earned during the night. No graffiti or break-ins (thankfully), but more of a Mother Nature moment. We had [...]
Across Canada in 10 Days, Day 4 – Saskatchewan, The Land Where No One Rests
Crossing over into Manitoba at about 11:30 p.m. last night, it was as if the heavens had opened up and delivered us to the porcelain gates. There it was, glimmering in the not-so-far off distance, bustling with life. That is where we saw, for the first time in a day where we logged more than [...]
Across Canada in 10 Days, Day 3 – Big Breakfasts, Cowgirls & Dinosaurs (Oh My)
Predestined seemed the only word hovering in the air over Eastern Alberta on Saturday. Since what Mhari would consider the beginning of time we’ve found ourselves mega fans of all thing prehistoric and talking as a family about the journey to the Land Before Time. So, on the first of our scheduled down days, it’s [...]
Across Canada in 10 Days, Day 2 – A Magic Carpet Ride in the Rocky Mountains
As I ran out to the Xterra on Friday morning to collect some clothes for the kids, the rain beating against the ground in Chilliwack matched with the smell of working farms reminded me of late Spring days in my mid-20s when I worked as a reporter in a small Illinois town. That was the [...]
20 Boxes and The Ancient UHaul – Packing The Shack
If there is one thing that everyone can agree on when it comes to moving, it’s that packing pretty much sucks. Just the mere act of having to sort through the junk drawer(s) and clear out the basement are enough to make any human wish for the moving box fairy. When two kids are making [...]
Prom Night 101: Getting Mom Geared Up For Grad
At just under two months to go until my son’s high school prom I was itchin’ to get him fitted for his tuxedo. A few of my chick pals with two or three graduated kids recently had given me the go ahead to get on it. With the grad parade and prom to follow scheduled for the first [...]
Don’t Let The Bedbugs Bite
Editor’s Note: While just the mere mention of them makes just about anyone’s skin crawl, bedbugs are one of those health concerns that we as parents should be very aware of. Today, Dr. Dianne Saxe and Jackie Campbell of Canada’s Envirolaw are here to breech this touchy topic and give us all the scoop on [...]
Kids & Birthday Parties, Have They Gone Too Far?
Not so long ago in a town that you live in there was a 5-year-old dressed like a Monster High character. She picked out the dancing XBox games and the make up her friends would carry home in stylish cases that day. There was a custom cake, sit-down meal and hundreds of balloons decorating the [...]
Rediscovering Our Neighbourhoods – Natural Neighbours
Along the pathways through local neighbourhoods you can stand and watch for a moment as young kids wander by. Their eyes are fixed on things adults don’t even realize have joined them on the walk. They spot the tiniest of hops, the most faint of a buzz and a change in the direction of a [...]
Rediscovering Our Neighbourhoods – Getting To Know You
When it comes to being all about local, there’s no one better to turn to than young children. They are all about the here and now, living in the moment in ways that adults day dream about bringing back into their lives. Thankfully, we have those sweet tiny souls to show us all how to [...]
CV Literacy Week – Literacy In The Kitchen
When it comes to spending time with your family in the kitchen, reading and writing isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But, making bread and even whipping up some mac n’ cheese isn’t always as easy as it may seem. Getting kids into the kitchen with you at any age is a great [...]
Join The Wealthy School Revolution
As every parent with school-aged kids knows, we are called upon regularly to contribute and lend a hand with paying for extras as a part of our kid’s education for everything from gym equipment to sports programs. Candy bars, cookies and hot dogs are great. But, what if you could give back to your local [...]
Modern Thanksgiving – Quinoa & Winter Veggies
With that traditional Thanksgiving dinner less than a week away now, making plans for what goes on the dinner table and the inevitably long, familiar shopping list that goes with it are just about underway. For us, the holiday will be a quiet, cozy time this year filled with giving thanks for our happy, healthy [...]
Get Kids Car Seats Double Checked, You'll Be Surprised
Editor’s Note: This morning we have Comox Valley mom and car seat safety technician Jen Shapka with us to talk about how important it is to have your kids car seats installed properly – and to have them double checked. I’ve always been of the mind that our seats were in properly, until an ICBC [...]
The 2011 OBE Halloween Costume Swap
Are the dark corners of your storage room a little spookier than usual? Do they come complete with piles of too small, underused or long-forgotten costumes, bits and bobbles of Halloweens past? Do you have no desire to spend tons of time and money fighting the crowds (and your kids) to score another costume that [...]
Remember
This day, 10 years ago, our collective spirits and world shifted forever. We are changed immeasurably by the violence in New York City and across the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. It forced us down a difficult road, many more lives have been lost and the world so much more scary. While we honor [...]
Why Every Parent Needs A Will
Editor’s Note: Comox Valley family lawyer Pauline Rae of Nowicki & Rae is here today to discuss getting your affairs in order so that – in case something happens to you – your family is cared for. Writing a will is a hard thing to think about, but so very important. Pauline tells us why. [...]
Top Family Favorites to Take Camping
I‘m in serious wind-down mode. August in our house every year generally consists of turning off all electronic devices (including the phone) and checking out for the four weeks of sunshine we may or may not have. This year is particularly sweet since the grandparents are in town and we are planning a long series [...]
Get Out The Vote – Federal Election is Today
We interrupt regularly scheduled programming to remind everyone to take a moment and hit their neighbourhood polling place today to vote in the Canadian Federal Election. Polls are open until 7 p.m. in B.C. today. Take a peek at your voting card for the location of your polling place. If you’ve misplaced your voting card, [...]
Emergency! Preparing for a Natural Disaster
After the unbelievable devastation from the earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan this week, it surely has made many of us here on the West Coast of North America pause and think through our emergency preparedness in terms of our families, workplace and more. We live a very quiet life here on Vancouver Island with [...]
Relay for Life Rally In The Comox Valley
When my daughter made three wishes recently, her first was that no one would ever get cancer. That beautiful wish is one I make every day. Watching friends and family battle this heartless disease makes every step we can take to find a cure so much more powerful. This week, The Canadian Cancer Society will [...]
Stop Bullying Now – Pink Shirt Day 2011
There are very few things in life as sad for a child than to be picked on. It’s the worst to hear the kids around you making fun of you or calling you names – and it can scar forever. Kids should never be subjected to the cruelty of bullying – whether it be the [...]
Join The 2011 Great Backyard Bird Count
Take a peek out your back window. This time of year, what you will more than likely spot in the maple trees or the cedar hedge is a fantastic collection of birds from Chickadees to Northern Flicker that spend their winters snacking their way through the Comox Valley. Our mild climate that sees little in [...]
Top 10 Tips for Boxing Day
It’s Boxing Day around these parts and that means one thing – SALES! I had big plans to be out the door by 7 a.m. this morning in search of the deals of the century. But, a pierogi hangover (those things are brutal in the food coma department) left me less than energetic and I [...]
Shift News – Food Security, Our Seed to Survival
Editor’s Note: The Watershed Sentinel’s Susan MacVittie is here this morning to share a provocative article on making sure that our food sources are safe and healthy. This piece was originally published in the Sept./Oct. edition of the Watershed Sentinel With supermarket aisles filled with a colourful array of foods and accessibility to farmers’ markets [...]
Halloween Safety Tips from Street Smart Kidz
Editor’s Note: Good Morning. As Halloween is nearly upon us, Steven Baird from StreetSmart Kidz Canada has dropped by this morning to remind us of all of those important holiday safety tips for keeping everyone healthy on fright night. Here he is: The excitement of Halloween is already upon us. The stores are full of [...]
Safety First – First Aid for Wasp and Bee Stings
Like just about any other parent, I totally freaked when our daughter was stung on her arm and back by a wasp at a backyard gathering a few weeks ago. A large swath of dark, red rash took over her lower arm, scaring me so badly that we went directly to the walk-in clinic where [...]
Healthy Summer – Tips to Keep Kids Safe In The Water
I admit it, I’m going through a phase. You know, the one where everything that used to be fun and carefree now completely terrifies me when it comes to participating in it with a kiddo in tow. …and I only have one. Yikes! One of the biggest concerns now that the sun has returned from [...]
Canadian Nature Books for Kids – Vanishing Habitats
I think we all remember those places that we used to escape to as kids – whether it be a field behind the school, a stand of trees we climbed at the local park or a long stretch of beach that marked summer fun every year. It’s hard to deny that – for most of [...]
Shift News – Uranium Mining in Canada (Part 2)
Editor’s Note: This series of articles, “The Yellowcake Trail,” tracks all aspects of uranium in Canada from the mining and milling, to processing and use, throughout its eighty-year history. The series begins with the history of uranium in Canada, from its initial discovery to the rapid development of mines that placed Canada as the prominent [...]
SHIFT News – Make BC Pesticide-Free
Editor’s Note: Good Morning. As Spring slowly creeps up on us, it means we’ll be heading out into the garden, preening the lawn and looking for greener days. It also means it’s time to think about what we’re putting on out plants and take a stand. Susan MacVittie from the Comox Valley’s own Watershed Sentinel [...]
SHIFT News – Celebrate Great Canadian Women
Editor’s Note: If you missed Robin’s morning post on pregnancy advent calendars, you can read it HERE. They are simply lovely. Now, let’s take a look at five exceptional Canadian women as we celebrate International Women’s Day. Here they are: When legendary Canadian speed skater Clara Hughes declared Canada one of the greatest countries in the world [...]
Getting Kids Into The Olympic Spirit at Home
Editor’s Note: Good afternoon. If you missed this morning’s interview with Canadian cookbook Wise Women Shannon Loeber and Mary Edwards talking about their sexy take on food, folklore and sparking that magic (we’re giving away copies), check it out HERE. Now, it’s time to get our families into the spirit of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic [...]
Roll with Local Veg and Cabbage Rolls this January
Good morning. While I was wandering the aisles at the grocery store the other day I had a very uncomfortable moment of consciousness when I looked down into my grocery basket and saw very little fresh food. It’s that time of year – the dead of Winter – when it seems like the possibilities for [...]
SHIFT News – The Yellowcake Trail, Uranium Mining In Canada
Editor’s Note: This series of articles, “The Yellowcake Trail,” tracks all aspects of uranium in Canada from the mining and milling, to processing and use, throughout its eighty-year history. The series begins with the history of uranium in Canada, from its initial discovery to the rapid development of mines that placed Canada as the prominent [...]
Our Sustainable Future Is In Your Fridge
Editor’s Note: If you missed this morning’s post, check out our list of great, local fresh fruit and vegetables you can find during the Winter HERE. Now, we join Colleen Dane as she gets us to take a look into the Comox Valley Regional Sustainability Strategy and what it means to things like our refrigerator. [...]
How to Create Emergency Kits & Plan for Natural Disasters
So, yeah, Mother Nature has been having some very serious personal issues with us folks on Vancouver Island for the last week or so. It’s nerve wracking at these sort of times when you look around your house and realize that you’ve got one match, a tiny tea light, no stored water and the pantry [...]
A Time To Remember
Good Morning. May we all take a moment today and remember those who have gone before us and lost their lives in service to Canada. May this solemn day remind us all to cherish our lives and honor them. We remember. In Flanders Fields By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army In Flanders [...]
Halloween Safety Tips for Families
The trick-or-treat festivities are just about upon us… and so is the weekend. Fright night or a Monday or a Wednesday, well, pretty chill. Saturday’s frightful activities might be a bit less tame than usual. So, in the name of good, clean, spooky fun, here are some hot tips from the Comox Valley’s own Street Smart [...]
What to Do About The Flu
Editor’s Note: Happy Friday! There is some serious goo going around town right now. So, we thought we’d pass along some resources and info this afternoon. If you missed this morning’s story, Bevin gave us some great advice on some DIY ways to conserve heat this season. Check it out HERE. There’s a wild wave [...]
Canadiana In Books – Six String Nation
A nation that defines itself through music is one that can connect on so many levels. It can honor and sound off clearly about the tragedies, admire the drive and determination of individuals and communities and tell the stories of each of its citizens. That is what Jowi Taylor set out to do when he envisioned [...]
Twitter About #Realfood to Help Evergreen
Editor’s Note: First, the bad news. As Environment Canada is predicting a temp of 35 degrees today, we have decided to CANCEL our NeighbourWood Eats program. I can’t imagine learning how to can in this weather and we really don’t want to have kiddos getting sick out in the blistering sun. So, we’ll get something [...]
5 Chefs, A Week of Local Family Fun & Food
Editor’s Note: Good Morning. It’s an amazing weekend to mix food and funk as you get your local eating groove on at MusicFest. While you are down at the Exhibition Grounds, make sure to hit the Comox Valley Farmers Market today as the 30-Day Food Challenge will be out there – aprons on and recipes [...]
Six Local Food Gems to Check Out
Editors Note: Today we are headed out to the Wednesday Farmers Market at Simms Park in Courtenay for the first of four NeighbourWood Eats events as part of the Eat Real. Eat Local 30-Day Food Challenge. Bring a picnic (including a dish to share) and join in near the band stand as kids get to [...]
Cookbooks That Teach Traditional Food Preservation
I should have paid even the slightest bit of attention when I was a kid. Seriously, if I’d taken one ounce of interest in all of the canning, sewing and other domesticity that my mom dug, I might not be here today wondering how the heck we are going to stick with our Locavore ways [...]
Canada = Community = Family-Friendly Local Food Guide
Editor’s Note: The Eat Real. Eat Local 30-Day Food Challenge officially kicks off tomorrow morning! If you have your passport and haven’t registered, get on it! You have to be registered to be eligible for prizes and you get access to lots of local eating info when you do so. Click HERE for the registration [...]
Challenge Yourself – Get Your Yummy On
Happy Sunday! While you are all out enjoying this gorgeous Sunday on a sort of-kind of holiday weekend, I wanted to tempt you inside a bit (starting this Thursday) with some details on the Eat Real. Eat Local 30-Day Food Challenge Featured Restaurants. Taking a weekend away is nearly impossible for Ken and me. But, [...]
Register – Eat Real. Eat Local 30-Day Food Challenge
Good morning and welcome to everyone who is joining us here on Our Big Earth for the Eat Real. Eat Local 30-Day Food Challenge. We’re getting right to the point today: Need the scoop on the challenge? Go HERE Want to check out the calendar of events? Click HERE Having trouble finding the registration form? [...]
Dr. Amy Wells – Overcoming Male Infertility
Good morning, OBE readers. I thought I’d begin my column today by addressing some of the comments regarding my last article on female fertility. I must admit I’m (pleasantly) surprised with all the attention Natural Fertility Management received. I agree – it is a shame that we aren’t taught more about this in school, as [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Get Bitchin' in Your Kitchen
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Field 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) [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
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 – [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
