Buyer’s Remorse – Facing The Barbie Dilemma

Editor’s Note: Good morning! Karen Pantuso-Swanson is here with another insightful look at the trials and tribulations of parenting. Here she is:
“Math class is tough.” – Mattel’s Talking Barbie
I lost myself for about half-an-hour one Saturday afternoon. I’m not sure where I went, but another mom who buys high-heeled shoes and Barbies for her daughter inhabited [...]

Naturopathy & Autism Spectrum Disorder

Editor’s Note: Happy Friday! Dr. Amy Wells is here with a naturopathic view of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Have a great day. Here she is:
This month, I thought I’d shed some naturopathic perspectives on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a disorder affecting many families, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. ASD is defined by the Autism Society of BC [...]

Does Caring For Aging Parents Have You Caught In The Middle?

Editor’s Note: Good morning. Wendy Johnstone is on site discussing the Sandwich Generation and offers up some tips on how to manage this time in your life. Here she is:
Being a parent gives new meaning to the word exhausted. When my three-and-a-half-year-old, falls to the ground after a quick trip to the grocery store and says, [...]

Spring Break 2010 – Easy Family Activities Around the Region

Editor’s Note: If you missed out on this morning’s list of 10 must-have kitchen gadgets, you can find it HERE. Now, here’s Robin with some fun family activities to keep you busy for the rest of the week.
Okay, it’s day three of Spring Break. Breathe. There are still ways to occupy your kids that don’t require packing the car up, [...]

Spring Break 2010 – Craft Roundup

Good morning. You have to admit that the weather report is not looking up for the next couple of weeks. That could spell some serious trouble for getting the kids out of the house more than once or twice for an outdoor adventure.
But, that doesn’t mean that you are stuck with screaming, bored children.
We’ve got [...]

Watercolor Painting In the Waldorf Style

Editor’s Note: If you missed Robin’s review of Canadian author Wayson Choy’s fabulous novel All That Matters, you can read it HERE. This afternoon, we have Waldorf educator Rebecca Watkin back on site with a look at the Waldorf method of watercolor painting. Here she is:
A Painting Verse
The sunlight shines into each day
And sends the [...]

The Forever Family – Adopting Children from Near & Far

Editor’s Note: Good Morning. Many of us have thought about adopting children at some point in our lives and I have always been a huge admirer of couples who choose to go that route. Today, Robin Blackburn introduces you to her story – about two beautiful children who found their forever family with Robin and [...]

Kids Get to Jam at The School of Rock

Editor’s Note: Good morning. Bobby Herron is here with the scoop on the Comox Valley’s very own School of Rock. Here he is:
I’ve seen the movie School of Rock a few times and have to admit it was part of the inspiration behind the musical boot camp I facilitated a few years ago as part [...]

Shift News – The Right to Speak & Listen to Language

Editor’s Note: Good morning. It is with a sense of admiration and humility that we here at OBE have the opportunity to bring to you United Nations Aid Worker and Comox mom Kelly Flynn as she opens our eyes up to the importance of human rights and how they play a role in the daily [...]

Kids Crafts – Making Magic with Apothecary Boxes

Good Morning. Oh how we are having fun making cool new stuff for our magical world. After the fairy bowls, we definitely decided that the Land of Purple Unicorn Fairies (LOPUF), as it has now been deemed, definitely needs some storage with lids. This isn’t heavy-duty, big storage. But, more a need to have cool places [...]

Product Review – Strap-On Trainer Skates for Kids

Editor’s Note: If you missed Anthony Edwards this morning, you can read his post on investing in fair trade foods HERE. Now, here’s Robin with the scoop on children’s strap-on trainer skates:
Ken is Mr. Hockey. Seriously, he doesn’t even know what a sports junkie he is. On our first date he told me he was [...]

Getaways – The Pacific Rim Whale Festival

There are days, this time of year, when all I can dream about is the vacation that we aren’t taking. Leaving the house is monumental sometimes, leaving town – Ha!
I suspect we are not the only family for whom jumping on a plane and wandering the world is not an option right now. But, that [...]

Choosing Love – Making Friends From Enemies

Editor’s Note: Good afternoon. If you missed Gayle’s post on culture and waste, you can read it HERE. Now here’s Karen Pantuso-Swanson with another lovely story of motherhood:
“The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.” – Abraham Lincoln
Not everyone is a fan of Valentine’s Day. Some people detest the commercialization [...]

Is Montessori Right for Your Family?

Editor’s Note: Good afternoon. If you missed out on Wendy Johnstone this morning, you can read her post on the value of seniors in the community HERE. Now we have Pauline Rae on site with an in-depth look at whether a Montessori education is right for your child and your family. Here she is:
If you are considering [...]

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 [...]

Kids Crafts – Making Fun Fairy Bowls

As our “magical world” project continues this year, we are still super focused on the fairy forest part of that imaginary adventure. The tiny person is so excited about creating the bits and pieces that line the path to her castle and lead the way along the path into the fairy forest, that we found [...]

Deciding on Kindergarten – Options, Talk & Opinions

Editor’s Note: If you missed the Sunday Morning Walk post, you can read it HERE. The forests are alive with mushrooms and fungus and other coolness this time of year. Now, we dig into Kindergarten options here in the Comox Valley. Please jump in on the discussion.
It’s the hot buzz among preschool parents in the [...]

Nature Journal – It’s The Peak Season for Swans

Editor’s Note: Good morning. Naturalist Jocie Ingram is here with some great information on swans. Until now, I had just admired them for their beauty and grace! Here she is:
I’ve recently introduced my toddler to the story of the “Ugly Duckling” by Danish poet Hans Christian Anderson. He loves the way the ugly duckling (actually [...]

Product Review – Melissa & Doug’s Wooden Castle

Happy Monday! It was a fun and exciting weekend at OBE HQ as we were nominated for two Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce community awards and were so very honored to be a finalist for the Chamber’s Environmental Initiative. So many fantastic businesses were honored over the weekend. It’s amazing to see the drive, ingenuity [...]

Taking Care of Local Families – YANA’s Annual Dinner & Auction

It’s that time of year again when we have a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the hearts of families throughout the region through one very special Comox Valley organization that takes care of those families in their darkest times and when the need is the greatest – You Are Not Alone, better known as YANA.
If you [...]

Winter 2010 NeighbourWood Walks Registration

Editor’s note: This morning’s post on making felt fortune cookies to celebrate the combo of Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day (both Feb. 14 this year) was so much fun. You can check it out HERE. Now, it’s time to finally get back outside as we get down to the business of registering for our [...]

The Fit Family – Building In A Routine for All of Us

I have to admit that working out these days is like pulling teeth – for a couple of reasons.
Still trying to figure it all out, it looks like I have a combination of adrenal fatigue and thyroid issues wreaking havoc on both my energy and my stamina. I’ve given up on the regular doctors and have [...]

Books to Teach Kids About Chinese New Year

Editor’s Note: If you missed out on Rebecca’s morning post giving us a look inside the Waldorf classroom, you can read it HERE. Now, here’s Robin reviewing a cool collection of children’s books that help kids learn about Chinese culture and Chinese New Year. Have a great afternoon. Here’s Robin:
I get sort of droopy after [...]

Tips for Making Hearty Food Fit For Your Family

Editor’s Note: Happy middle of the week! This morning we have food lover Sarah Stromquist dishing up tips on a year of positive eating. Here she is:
I no longer make unrealistic resolutions for the New Year, only to later feel the guilt of not sticking it through. That sense of failure does nothing for me [...]

Mom-P-Inc. – Discovering Community Literacy

When you say the word “literacy” the images of libraries and academia often come to mind. It takes you down a mental path of helping kids learn to read and guiding adults through the challenges of needing to be able to interpret for themselves written words in order to manage the day-to-day tasks.
To me, it [...]

The Wisdom of Children – The Freedom of Innocence

Editor’s Note: Good morning. Karen Pantuso-Swanson is with us this morning sharing a lovely story that displays the ease and confidence that come with the innocence of childhood. Enjoy. Here she is:
“Kids: they dance before they know there is anything that isn’t music.” – William Stafford
My mom is a tap-dancer. She taught me to dance when I [...]

Kids Food Crafts – Painting with Jello

It has been so crazy dreary around the Comox Valley the last couple of weeks that we have been super dug in at the craft table and looking for ways to combine all sorts of things like food and paper into good fun.
Jello isn’t something we regularly eat around here. But, it is super cool [...]

New Kids Science Programs Make Courtenay Museum Come Alive

Editor’s Note: Happy Saturday! If you missed the morning post, you can read Robin’s review of two sweet Canadian authored books HERE. This afternoon we have the scoop on two new and very wonderful science programs offered at the Courtenay Museum. Check them out:
As self-proclaimed science nerds over here, the recent announcement from the Courtenay [...]

Ask A Midwife – Top 5 Questions From Pregnant Women

Editor’s Note: Good Morning! It is with the greatest of pleasure that we launch the new Ask A Midwife column here on OBE with the midwives of Plum Midwifery joining us monthly to answer your questions about pregnancy and childbirth.
I’m honored to introduce you to Joanne Daviau, Amy Kelly, Emma Gledhill and Jessie Shannon, as [...]

Sunday Morning Walks – Winter Museum Walking

You have to admit that, some days this time of year, heading outside for an adventure in the perpetual downpour is not on the list of things to do. But, needing to get out of the house is going to be the one thing that keeps everyone from going off of their rockers in the [...]

New Year’s Skating Traditions & Cheer

On this eve of the new decade, we here at OBE HQ are perpetually socially challenged in terms of where to get in a great party and take the kiddo. There are some cool things going on tonight around the Valley like the Family New Year’s Carnival Featuring Bobs and Lolo up at Mt. Washington.
But, [...]

Year In Review – Hottest Family Food Fun of 2009

It has been an excellent year for eating (especially eating local) here at Our Big Earth. We’ve loved learning lots of new and delicious recipes that are perfect for that family meal and really enjoyed learning how to create new and different dishes from a multitude of yummy ingredients.
Our recipe book is getting better and [...]

Year In Review – Favorite Family Nature Locales for 2009

Oh my goodness 2009 has been a fantastic year for weather, exploring and general outdoor adventures. The Comox Valley and Vancouver Island are absolute perfection when it comes to hanging in the outdoors and making family time nature time.
We’ve explored a lot of cool places, taken more than 150 kids and their parents on hikes [...]

Year In Review – The Best Children’s Books of 2009

One thing that never seems to give in our house is the love of a great story. We pound through tons of books and if anyone knows what she likes best, it’s the 4-year-old.
We’ve had such a great time discovering some seriously great new reads this year to spend afternoons curled up on the couch [...]

The Wisdom of Children – Teaching Compassion

Editor’s Note: As we enjoy our holiday week with family and friends, Karen Pantuso joins us this morning with a lovely story revealing the heart of children and their limitless capacity for compassion. Enjoy!

“We cannot do great things on this Earth, only small things with great love.”
~ Mother Teresa
When I traveled to Jejuri, India to [...]

Year In Review – Family Health in 2009

Editor’s Note: If you missed this morning’s post, check out Assistant Editor Bevin Clempson’s tips for reducing holiday waste HERE. Now, it’s time for a trip in the way back machine to check out 365 days of preventative health care with Dr. Amy Wells:
If there is one thing that has dominated family life this year [...]

Year in Review – Best Crafts of 2009

Good Morning. As I looked back through some of the creative projects we took on this year, it was great to check out how much fun we had learning about and discovering nature through creativity. There was lots of painting and gluing for sure. But, I’m wondering which project you all liked the best this [...]

Getaways – The Ultimate BC Toy Adventure

Editor’s Note: Good Morning. As we all gear up for some holiday travels this week, Comox Valley mom Alix Wilson has a great suggestion for a fun detour on the way to Grandma’s house – or anywhere on the Lower Mainland for that matter. Safe traveling. Happy Winter Solstice and enjoy this lovely week.
As a [...]

Book Review – Favorite Stories to Celebrate the Solistice

Editor’s Note: Good afternoon. If you missed out on the morning post, you can check out Rebecca’s post on Waldorf Kindergarten classrooms HERE. Now, we’ve got four of my favorite books to celebrate the solstice with your kids through stories.
Although we are just short of a week away from celebrating Christmas, one of my [...]

A Waldorf Kindergarten

Editor’s Note: Happy Saturday! This morning we have Waldorf educator Rebecca Watkin giving us a look inside a Waldorf Kindergarten class. Here she is:
When I think of my own Kindergarten year my memory is a bit foggy. To me it is virtually the same as Grade One, but without the desks. There were stations, there were [...]

Getaways – Learning, Adventure & Airplanes Up Close at YVR

When I was a kid in the 1970s one of the things that I waited for all year was to be able to stand right at the gate, face glued to the glass, waiting for my grandparents to get off of the airplane – whether it be for Summer vacation or Christmas holiday. We would [...]

Independent Education – Beachcombers Community School

We are science geeks in our house. There’s no denying it, we dig bones and organs and bugs. If we had our way, our days would be spent exploring the tide pools any time of year.
I’ve long been concerned about what school would be like for the tiny person. We’ve been contemplating homeschooling for quite [...]

Send Your Letters to Santa via Canada Post

Editor’s Note: If you missed our morning post, check out some easy ideas for making holiday cards HERE. Now, it’s all about getting that special letter off to Santa (and getting one back from the big guy) thanks to Canada Post. HOHOHO.:)
You know Dasher and Dancer, maybe even Prancer and Vixen. But, did you know [...]

Holiday Crafts – Easy Kids Cards

One thing I promise myself that we will do every year is send out homemade cards. When Ken and I were DINKS (Dual Income No Kids) we made the craziest Christmas cards ever like us hanging lights off of the Golden Gate Bridge, us as Star Wars characters, the list goes on.
But, that would mean [...]

Register Today for the OBE Heritage Holidays at Filberg Lodge

Editor’s Note: If you missed our morning post today, check out Bobby Herron’s take on why music lessons aren’t always the right path for your budding musician HERE. Now, it’s time for some holiday cheer and a fun, old skool Comox Valley event that is all about family, stories, treats and the traditions of the [...]

Hand Sanitizer – Not Every Germ Killer is Equal

While I was in Vancouver last week, one of the pervasive concerns amongst the crew – none of whom were Canadian except for me – was not getting sick.
This was especially true for the moms in the group who, even though they were in professional mode and sans kids, found themselves seriously concerned about taking [...]

Seeking the Light and the Warmth with Advent

Editor’s Note: Happy Saturday morning! We have Rebecca Watkin on site discussing the Waldorf tradition of Advent - a time of celebrating light. Here she is:
Deep Mid-winter drawing near –
May Light arise in our Garden here.
Advent has always been my favorite celebration. As a child I didn’t know it was Advent I loved, I only knew [...]

Santa’s Workshop Needs Your Help

Editor’s Note: It is getting all holiday-ish around here the last couple of days. If you missed this morning’s craft post, check out the vintage ornaments Robin made from recycled lids and bottle caps HERE. This afternoon, it’s all about hope, community and the warmth of coming together for a fantastic cause.
The news that the [...]

Homemade Holidays – Easy Recycled Ornaments

As the holidays begin to descend upon us, the tiny person and I are very seriously focused on learning about traditions, honoring our own and creating some new ones this year.
We’re also working hard at keeping with the whole idea of creating more and consuming less. And that has lead to great projects in the last [...]

Book Review – Sometimes You’ve Gotta Go Kid

Editor’s Note: If you missed the morning post on the amazing things kids say that make us rethink our perspective from Karen Pantuso-Swanson, you can read it HERE. This afternoon we have a book review and a giveaway. Have a great afternoon.

There are some books that you and your kids are just generally going to [...]

The Wisdom of Children – Eating Our Words

Editor’s note: Happy Saturday. This morning we have local blogger and Grateful Mama author Karen Pantuso-Swanson joining us for the first of what will become a regular column on OBE. (Yay Karen). She is with us sharing some heartfelt insight from her 3-year-old daughter that makes us all chuckle a bit and understand that kids teach us [...]

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 [...]

Is It A Cold or the Flu? Symptom Checker

Editor’s Note: If you missed the morning post by Marcie Dumais on helping kiddos learn the value of generosity, you can check it out HERE. This afternoon, we have some great information on the topic of cold Vs. flu.
With the news this week that St. Joseph’s Hospital in Comox is asking people who have only [...]

Helping Children With the Loss of a Grandparent

Editor’s Note: Good morning. The loss of loved ones is such a hard thing to talk about, especially with children. This morning Wendy Johnstone is hear to help us all learn a bit more about helping our children deal with the passing of a grandparent. Here she is:
I think it’s safe to say, “Death isn’t [...]

Montessori in the Comox Valley

Editor’s Note: Today we take a peek inside the world of Montessori education in the Comox Valley with Pauline Rae and learn a bit about why this public-school program is beloved by so many parents, as well as in need of strong community support. Enjoy!
During the year before my oldest child started kindergarten, we looked [...]

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 Kidz, [...]

Planning for the Worst Makes Family Travel the Best

Editor’s Note: Happy Monday. If you missed our morning post, OBE and Bitchin’ Kitchen have hooked up for a spooktacular giveaway. Check out the details and video HERE.
As we start to plan for the holiday season, traveling with our families enters into the picture. Before you run screaming from the thought of taking a long [...]

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 pounding [...]

What Is Your Personal Parenting Style?

Editor’s Note: Good Morning, today early childhood educator Heather Magdanz is here to talk shop about parenting. She’s got some interesting insight into why we all parent the way we do… food for thought. Here she is:
Have you ever considered what kind of parent you are? Come on… who thinks about that really?
It is busy [...]

NeighbourWood Walking at the Courtenay Air Park

Happy Friday afternoon. Hopefully you all are just about done with your weeks and ready to enjoy a fun Fall weekend. We’ve got lots going on including the Cumberland Harvest Fair where we’ll be making binoculars and other coolness from 10 a.m. to Noon tomorrow.
If you missed our morning post today, Deepa took a peek [...]

Public Ed – The Scoop on Split Classrooms

Editor’s Note: Good afternoon! If you missed our morning post you can find book reviews on salmon learning books HERE. This afternoon we have three experienced teachers Marieke Holtkamp, Michelle Honeysett and Eileen David giving us the scoop on public school multi-grade classrooms. Here they are:
At the end of the summer, that buzz of back-to-school jitters becomes more and more [...]

Top 10 Immunity Boosters for Kids

Editor’s Note: Happy Friday. This morning we have Dr. Amy Wells serving up ten of her favorite immunity builders for children. With cold and flu season ready to strike, she certainly got me thinking about the state of my family’s immune system, especially the small person of the house. Here she is: 

While autumn signifies the end of summer and [...]

Product Review – Waldorf Inspired Rainbow Stackers

I love Waldorf toys. They have a simple, gorgeous - almost fairytale – feel to them that sooths and allow kids to be creative. It’s like watching your child’s mind blossom right in front of you.
High-quality wooden toys with such a mystique are seriously hard to find locally. So, when Sherry and Kristina over at Podlings [...]

Product Review – Preschool Learning Games

I often have this naïve notion that anything educational I bring home will be received with stellar enthusiasm and a rousing round of “Mommy, you are so stinking cool”.
Obviously, this notion is something I entertain in the privacy of my own mind, since 90% of the time I offer the 4-year-old – who has completely [...]

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

Every year, the ninth day of the ninth month is a time to acknowledge and educate about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This disorder is a very real and irreversible imbalance for many children and adults. Often under diagnosed and mistaken for other behavior disorders, such as Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder (ADHD/ADD), FASD has a [...]

Found-Object Food Jar Terrariums

Science in a jar is something that scores me some serious cool points in the scientist in training universe. That’s especially true when it means that we can head out for a walk around our local park – or even the backyard – with express permission to pick up, handle, pack away and take home [...]

The Green Kid Party In Action

Editor’s Note: Bevin Clempson is here today letting us take a peek into her son’s very cool green birthday bash and her adventures in planning. This whole green thing is complicated some days. Have a great Friday!
Last month my wee dude turned 3. It was the first ever kiddo-centric party I had ever thrown. The [...]

Nature Crafts – Plaster Fossils

Science girl has decided that her major professional interests are learning toward paleontology of the late – so much so that we are in full roar around here in terms of dinos, digs and – of course – fossils.
We’ve spent most of the Summer on the hunt for the coolest rocks and the collections that [...]

Accepting Change By Creating Memories

Editor’s Note: Marcie Dumais is here today to offer up a very personal perspective on coping with major changes in our lives with grace while helping our kids cope with their own change-related anxieties.
Oh, what I wouldn’t give for a sense of grace…here she is:

Let’s face it.  Having children is all about change.  I [...]

Family Eats – Summer Soups

Editor’s Note: Ah, Wednesday. Yummy day. Family chef Sarah Stromquist is here today offering up some tasty insight into Summer soups. delish.
Anytime of year soups are a wonderful way to enjoy a healthy and generally quick meal. Paired with a wrap, sandwich or some such delight they become a full meal.
But I usually think of [...]

Back to School Crafts – Clipboard Organizer

Editor’s Note: Crafting guru Vanessa Falle has come on board here at Our Big Earth to take us on a funky project-focused journey in the land of the creative. She’ll be here once a month bringing you cool ideas on how to make just about anything fabulous, and the major bonus is that she also [...]

Getaways – Victoria Family Staycations

There’s been a lot of talk from local tourism folks this year about it being the Summer of staycations. With folks out of work, scaling back and tightening their belts, the great family Summer holiday has taken a bit of a back seat. Staying close to home makes sense.
But, that doesn’t mean that we all [...]

Books for Girls Who Stand Out

Editor’s Note: Wow, what a gorgeous weekend. If you are wondering what to do with such a beautiful Saturday, come join the Our Big Earth crew out at the Filberg Lodge and Park in Comox today for Kids Day at the Park.
We’ll be there from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. helping kiddos make instruments out [...]

The Good & Bad About Fluoride

Editor’s Note: Good morning. Dr. Amy Wells is here today talking shop about teeth and the ongoing debate about the use of fluoride. As usual, I learned a ton of interesting information.
Enjoy your Friday.

The topic of teeth seems to keep popping up in our household this month.  My sister was horrified to report to me [...]

Traditions for Long-Distance Grandparents

Editor’s Note: Today we have Wendy Johnstone discussing long-distance grandparenting. Here she is:
It’s been a flurry of activity and excitement for Carly around our house for the past 3 weeks.  (Actually, if any of you know me personally, there’s never a shortage of excitement and flurry in our house).  However, the charge in our house is [...]

Natural Pod Tree Branch Blocks

Ken laughed at me. “You brought home a cut-up tree,” he quipped smuggly, looking at me like there were plenty of more useful things to have spent our money on.
Yep, I did indeed bring home a bag filled with a cut-up tree – a gorgeous, light, fun and imaginative tree.

He’d give that it was a [...]

SPROUTS – Getting The Most Out of Tomatoes

What’s growing in the garden? Some tasty treats to eat, bake, blend, and freeze!
Toe-may-toe. Toe-mah-toe. Yummy yum yum.
Now that Summer’s in full swing and my tomatoes are nearly 2 meters into the sky, each day brings me closer to harvesting these glorious red goodies! So far we have had about 15 grape tomatoes to snack [...]

Nature Journal – Captivated by Raptors

Editor’s Note: Good Morning. Today we have a special guest on site helping families learn about some of the coolest birds on the planet – raptors. Joanne Bentley runs Emrys Raptors in the Cowichan Valley, a fantastic spot for the whole family to learn and experience these majestic birds.
If you are headed south on [...]

Kid Science – All About Apples

Summer is starting to break a bit (gasp) and sooner rather than later it will be time to break out the turtlenecks and toques. The big sign for me that my favourite time of year is nearly upon us is the arrival of local apples at the market.
I am, thankfully, on the early end of [...]

Quick Kids Recipes – Zucchini Fries & Onion Rings

Good Morning. The first Wednesday of every month is usually reserved for restaurant reviews. But, we are clocking some chill time this month in preparation for proper introductions to some new foodie folks here on Our Big Earth. In the meantime family gardens around the Comox Valley are bursting with lots of onions and zucchini [...]

Homeschooling – Find the Right Curriculum

Now you’ve pulled your kids from the public schools, for reasons that vary from family to family and it’s time to decide what you are going to do with them at home.  Chances are your mother and/or mother-in-law are breathing down your neck about wrecking your kids’ future because they don’t go to school.  (Not [...]

Sunday Morning Walk – Willow Creek Conservation Area

Good Morning. I have to admit that it feels terribly strange to have no editor’s notes, calendars to keep up with or some place to be. Slow is not my normal pace. I’ll have to get used to it because Ken and I have promised that August – mostly – will be the month of [...]

Books for Hands-On Nature Learning

Our month-long adventure in local food may have come to an end. But that doesn’t mean we’ve stopped thinking local. On our adventure out to Miracle Beach Nature House the other day, I made a very lengthy pit stop at the Nature House’s book store and picked up two fantastic nature learning books for kids [...]

Intergenerational Music Programs for Toddlers

Editor’s Note: Good Morning. Wow has this last month flown by. As we head into these last two days of the Eat Real. Eat Local 30-Day Food Challenge, enjoy a couple of great Brambles demos. Today, think dairy goodness as the folks from Island Farms are on hand at 11 a.m.
Don’t forget that, in order [...]

Get Into Nature – Miracle Beach Nature House

Editor’s Note: Where could that second post from yesterday possibly have gone? The heat made my brain disintigrate into a pile of goo and my computer nearly melt down.
We’ll check out Saturday’s fun later this week.
Anyway, it’s time to chill out today with the Eat Real. Eat Local 30-Day Food Challenge and head over to [...]

Cougar and Bear Safety as a Family

Editor’s Note: Quick, rearrange your schedules, there is ALL KINDS OF CHEESE GOODNESS going on today as Natural Pastures Cheese Co. wraps up its month of cheese from around the world. Head on over to 635 McPhee Ave. in Courtenay for fantastic cooking demos at 11 a.m., Noon and 1 p.m. I know it’s killer [...]

Out and About – Does Sunscreen Equal Prevention?

Editor’s Note: Beat the heat today out at ASH Berry Farm as Don and Louisa McClellan host the final Farm Event of the Eat Real. Eat Local 30-Day Food Challenge. This fun day is all about berries, pigs (brings your veggie scraps to feed them) and farm sprinklers.
It’s all from 10 a.m. to 2 [...]

Foodie Crafts – Seashell Maracas

Editor’s Note: Good Morning. If you are looking for something fun to do in the local food universe today, be sure to head over to Brambles to meet the folks from Hazelmere Farms. Their unusual and tasty greens are a treat at any dinner table. The demo runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Meanwhile, as [...]

Store Review – Planet Kids Opens in Courtenay

Editor’s Note: Ah, cheese. GLORIOUS cheese. Natural Pastures Cheese Co. is hosting cheese making demos (and tastings) on the cheeses of Holland today at 11 a.m., Noon and 1 p.m. So, come out and discover the world of cheese, locally, at 635 McPhee in Courtenay.
Then, head right on over to Zen Zero in downtown Courtenay [...]

Family Eats – A Day of Local Food Meals

Editor’s Note: Good morning. There are some seriously exciting events going on today as a part of the Eat Real. Eat Local 30-Day Food Challenge. Join us out at Simms Park near the Kiwanis BBQ for NeighbourWood Eats where families gather for a potluck lunch and are learning how to Winter garden with the Comox [...]

Foodie Crafts – Homemade Dyes

Editor’s Note: Good Morning. It’s time for a mid-week meal as part of the 30-Day Food Challenge. I think I may try to talk the hubby into sneaking off to Bisque with me this afternoon. Locals and Anderton Bistro-Pub are open today too.
I’ve been cooking up a storm at home these last few weeks [...]

Dr. Amy Wells – Pesticides Effect on Kids

Editor’s Note: Good Morning! Today is the last day to get yourself registered for the 30-Day Challenge. Whether you make it to one or all of the events, registering means you get cool bonus material AND get a chance at all kinds of prizes. We are registering people live at Brambles from Noon to 6 [...]

Food Through the Generations

Editor’s Note: Bite-Sized Specialty Foods is going to be at Brambles from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today. There is some serious yumminess going on, so I would head in the direction of downtown Courtenay and check it out.
I would also like to encourage you to take some time out at Noon today and attend [...]

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 [...]

Eat Local, Comox Valley – The Locavores at Locals

Editor’s Note: Locals – Food from the Heart of the Island is a Featured Restaurant in the Eat Real. Eat Local 30-Day Food Challenge. You can earn a stamp and cast your vote for the 2009 Yummy Awards at Locals as well as Bisque, The Great Escape and Anderton Bistro-Pub throughout the month.
If you [...]

SPROUTS – Family Greenhouse

Editor’s Note: Good morning. Thinking local food today is all about date night. Get on the horn to grandma or the babysitter and plan for a great evening of local food at Bisque, Anderton Bistro-Pub, The Great Escape (I am so in the mood for Indian food) or Locals-Food From the Heart of the Island [...]

Summer Crafts – DIY Canada Day Magnets

Ah, Canada Day.
I love this country and give it a solid go every year when it comes to busting out the patriotic gear. But, getting the tiny person plugged in to something more than the candy from the Canada parade is, well, challenging.
She’s at the age of dis-interest – too young for a bigger history [...]

Bobs and Lolo Rock Comox

My pal Ange is ground zero for all things kids and cool. She’s proven it over and over again as I can officially say that I’ve never been steered wrong by her kid sensibility. So, it’s no surprise that – when she heard years ago that the tiny person was seriously ocean-minded, she introduced us [...]

Maddy Erickson Reviews Fern Verdant

Editor’s Note: Good morning. Summer break kicks off this week and, for lots of parents, that means finding some perfect Summer reads for their families. Now, you can get some tips on THE tween Summer book list, and not from crazy, old parents.
Today, I’m excited to introduce Maddy Erickson as the newest addition to the [...]

Kids In The Arts – Rainbow Youth Theatre

I went into theatre to be a part of a family.  Not the kind of family with the “tantruming toddler  at the dinner table”, but a group of like minded theatre folks who get together to play and tell all sorts of magical stories.
I don’t join for the limelight and I certainly don’t take accolades [...]

Family Local Food, NeighbourWood Eats

Good morning. Registration for the Eat Real. Eat Local 30-Day Food Challenge is in full swing and we are excited to see people gearing up for the next month of learning how to eat local. If you’ve picked your challenge passport up from Brambles Market, be sure to register online here at OBE in order [...]

Foodie Crafts – Macaroni Necklaces & Musical Beans

It’s no shock that I am knee deep in the foodie universe right now. Between the garden, the food challenge and the general joy of eating when all of the goodness that is Vancouver Island food is in season, I can’t help myself.
The same seems to apply in the kid-style creative universe too. Seems like [...]

Mommy Talk – On Fatherhood

I am the first to admit that I totally take my husband for granted.
It’s an embarrassing reveal. There’s a part of myself that takes a bit of pride in owning the burden of primary parenthood. If there’s laundry to do, meals to cook, noses to wipe, temper tantrums to navigate – I’m the it girl [...]

Using Anti-Depression Meds in Pregnancy

I know the last few cool days of rain in the Valley are lovely, but the continuous sunshine just seems to be infecting us all with joy.  It is the start of the season of moist plums, laughter at the water park, sandy toes, breezy fragrant endless evenings, and picking out corn kernels from your [...]

Parent Wellness – Facing Fear

I had no choice.
I had to write this article about the fears that accompany motherhood. I apologize in advance for the heaviness of the topic. I realize it is a contrast from the usual sweet spirit of most Our Big Earth posts, but like I said, I had no choice.
Let me explain.
It [...]

Backyard Craft – Butterfly Feeders

Editor’s Note: Good morning. We’ve got a fun craft for you this morning. But, it’s this afternoon that brings big news here at Our Big Earth.
It’s a deliciously detailed dish comes with a month’s worth of community goodness, family fun of the foodie kind and the chance to win nearly $3,000 in tasty treats.
So [...]

Greening the Places that Children Play

Where Do The Children Play?
O.K. I’m dating myself but I’m sure you’ve heard of the peace lovin singer/song writer Cat Stevens. And who hasn’t heard of Dr. Seuss? One of my favorites books of his is The Lorax, while published 38 years ago the environmental message still rings true today.
What do the two have in [...]

Getaways – Comox Valley Shellfish Festival

Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time in my head thinking up places and spaces where we can escape to for a couple of weeks this Summer.
We are – very seriously – in dire need of some unplugged family time of the leaving-town kind. But, while it may be a bit before we can [...]

Farm to Family – ASHBerry Farm

Don and Louisa McClellan once saw themselves as the unlikeliest of farmers.
Globe hopping with the Canadian Armed Forces, they lived in corners of the Earth most North Americans rarely see. But, it was that time away, and the start of a family, that brought a military pilot and his self-professed “B.C. hippie” bride back to [...]

Eco Crafts – Egg Carton Shadow Boxes & Rock Gardens

So, I have to say that it’s a good thing that the only people who have been subjected to the condition of our house lately are my sweet friend Kathy and her family. While she might think “Oh my God, don’t touch anything!” and her lovely little girl did actually ask if she could help [...]

Books Review – Fairy Folk & Spring Day Dreams

Long hot days this time of year make me want to find a big, giant maple tree to spread a blanket out under, unpack a lunch full of cool veggies and fruit and lay back to begin a few hours of uninterrupted day dreaming.
Since the likelihood of that happening is less than the odds of [...]

SPROUTS – Get the Low Down on Good Garden Bugs

Editor’s Note: I am loving all of this time in the garden this time of year. My mother-in-law might wonder “What time in the garden is she talking about? I never see her in the backyard.” It’s true. It seems that most of my time is spent out at the Comox Valley Regional District Compost [...]

I’m Supposed to Be Having A Baby

It’s all I have left of him – a pair of footprints locked away, never to be seen again, and a single heart filled with petals that hangs in the kitchen window.
I had convinced myself, for a long time, that this week would come, I would acknowledge it and we would continue on.
Life, it doesn’t [...]

Restaurant Review – April Point Resort

I have this general theory these days that, once a month, we need to get the heck off of the island.
With the ferry to Vancouver forcing us to take a personal loan out to go to the aquarium, we’ve decided that means island hopping of the more local kind.
The Discovery Islands are awesome, and I’m [...]

Choices & Good Books About Homeschooling

Since our daughter was about 18 months old and I started looking into the whole idea of homeschooling, I was pretty much sold on doing the learning at home thing.
We are a hands-on bunch to begin with, spending lots of our time looking for bugs in the forest, trying to figure out what bird we [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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, [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Crafty Imagination – Easter Masks

Is anybody else dealing with some seriously crazed kiddos lately? I’m hoping there’s something in the air and our tiny person hasn’t gone completely bonkers because she’s more than a wee bit wound up these days.
Normal, relatively quiet crafting that would normally take place around our house is not even an option at the moment. [...]

Family Fitness – Safety Keeps You Fit on the Trails

Editor’s Note: Good Morning. Today we’re hanging out with Equilibrium Lifestyle Management owner Sarah Seads as she gets us geared up for long Spring days out on the trails or at the beach.

After this crazy Winter, I know I’m totally excited to get back out there and spend some quality time working out and [...]

Sunday Morning Walk – Time to Tide Pool

The starfish are calling. I’m totally serious, they’re wondering where all of the humans are. They’ve finally come up for some air after a long, chilly Winter under water.
So, it must be time for us to dig out the wellies and head for the waves…or at least the low tide line.
This is the time of [...]

Green-e-ology: Hanging Laundry = Big Savings

Showing up at my house unannounced on a laundry day during Winter months has people wondering if they’ve entered some type of laundry house.
Clothes are hanging to dry ALL over.
Shirts, jeans, socks and underwear are in plain view.
[that’s right, even underwear]
I make good use of my wooden drying rack and the four dining table chairs.
When [...]

Growing Children with Song

Editor’s Note: This morning, Comox Valley Children’s Choir Director Carol Anne Parkinson has stopped by to talk about the wonderful ways song can help your children grow strong.
Music was a huge part of my childhood. It gave me the space to be that could be found no place else.
Enjoy!

From my very earliest memories, I [...]

Fostering A Community Without Hunger – LUSH

Food security is a hot topic these days and one enterprising local non-profit is putting the Valley on the map when it comes to sustainable practices.
The folks at Lush Valley Food Action Society are seriously committed to the health and well-being of us Valley folk by offering a whole load of fun and encouragement when [...]

Local Youth, Helen Austin Create “Island Home”

So, a while back the Shape The Future Comox Valley folks invited me to give a quick talk to the crew at their meeting of local residents focused on developing a sustainability plan for the Valley.
While I was there to talk to the adults, I was totally wowed by a crew of Huband Park Elementary [...]

Crafty Imagination – Cardboard Cameras

If there’s one thing our daughter could spot a mile away, it would be a camera lens. For the last 3.75 years, she’s had that thing in her face nearly non-stop without much complaint at all.
In fact, for most of that time, she barely noticed the thing constantly hanging around mommy’s neck. Unlike most kids [...]

Mom-P-Inc. – Boundaries vs. Balance

Editor’s Note: Karen McKinnon is dropping by today to offer up her insight into life as a mom in business for herself.
If anyone can lend a hand in working the kinks out, it would be Karen. With her busy house, growing business and warm sensibility, she’s mastering the art of learning how to say [...]

Book Review – Art Science & Messy Math

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a kid who wanted to move her life to one centrally scientific and seriously fun location – Science World.
Somewhere between the dinosaurs and Lego land, her brain engaged the science universe (or at least the serious fun universe) and now there’s no turning [...]

All Maternity Leave Is Not Created Equal

Sometimes I think people who stay in one place for long periods of time are the smartest people I know. There is wisdom to just being happy where you are.
I have been bouncing around the world over the past decade and although we are broke and exhausted, there were some advantages. You gain some serious [...]

Family Eats – Kitchen Tools 4 Family Cooking Fun

My kiddos each have a preference for certain tasks in the kitchen. Wearing their aprons and standing on their designated stools, they have mastered many duties and discovered their kitchen karma.
My youngest, E, loves to peel, cut and stir literally everything.
My oldest, K, is a precise measurer and is the self-professed best recipe finder. She [...]

The Making of a Mom Entrepreneur – Voice

I had NO IDEA what I was doing when I first started Comox Valley Kids.
That’s not entirely true. I’d been writing professionally for about 17 years – a serious bonus. But, really, it wasn’t about the writing for me. The trick came with figuring out what “I” sounded like. It seems a little silly, since [...]

Get Away – The Brant Wildlife Festival

Good Morning! With Spring Break upon us it seems like the perfect time to scramble for something cool to take the company to or get the family together for.
Easier said than done.
I’ve said it probably way too much. But, Spring is one of the most amazing times of the year on Vancouver Island. [...]

Kids Health – The Pros of Probiotics

Nature provides us with a bundle of resources that help heal our bodies.  There are definitely a handful that I couldn’t operate my practice without, one of which is probiotics.
Probiotics, also known as good gut bacteria or acidophilus, are receiving more attention for their impact on health.  The literal translation is “for life” as it [...]

KidSports – Our Hockey Preschooler

How could I forget that day two Octobers ago when Ken and the tiny person hit the ice for the first time.
It was love at first sight – for both of them.
The trainer skates we’d picked up for our daughter seemed the perfect way to start her off easy. But, she’d have none of this [...]

Go Old Skool (and delicious) at DeeKayTee Ranch

Ah, how I live for Saturday mornings. It’s become a necessary ritual to indulge in some “me-time,” and my favorite way to cap off yet another busy week is to set out to explore what’s fun on the farm market scene in our beautiful little corner of the Earth.
My latest discovery is DeeKayTee Ranch, [...]

Home Learning – Life Cycles for Preschoolers

OK, so there are a couple realities to working on “learning” projects with a preschooler:
1. Attention span that generally amounts to nanoseconds
2. The constant reminder that 37-year-old mom obviously knows far less than 3.5-year-old child
3. Permanent mess syndrome
4. Sitting at the dining room table is the LAST thing on anyone’s mind when the sun is [...]

Mom Poll – Tips to Sneak In Food Kids Won’t Eat

It’s the ultimate parenting dilemma – how to get your kids to eat healthy foods.
There’s always the theory that if you never give things like candy and cookies, pizza and McDonalds to them that kids will never know what they are missing – until a friend of yours catches your kiddo in the corner [...]

An Interview with BC Kids Book Author Scott Higgs

Good morning. Today we’re checking out the charming tales of Haley & Bix, two best friends who are sweet, caring and totally cool.
Our daughter and I picked up the first in the series: Haley & Bix, Best Friends No Matter What, a while back and totally loved this easy reader.
So, we jumped at the chance [...]

SPROUTS – Early Spring Kid Gardening Fun

Brrr, it’s chilly.
On those afternoons when the bright sun makes it tolerable, I stroll aimlessly around my garden with hopeful ideas of planting.
My daughter and I sample a bite from a patch of oregano as it pokes its head out of one of my veggie gardens.  In the front yard we marvel over little yellow [...]

Moms in Need Seek Affordable Fitness Trainer

As parents, we will do almost anything to ensure that our children are healthy and well cared for.
We do whatever it takes to get them to eat their veggies, give them creative/ play time, and make sure they get adequate sleep and exercise each day.
Our priority is to give them the best possible start, all [...]

Restaurant Review – Cumberland Village Bakery

When we discovered, much like the rest of us around here, that our daughter is wheat intolerant, I personally mourned the loss of the bakery.
Yes, it had been at least a couple of years before that when muffins, cookies and crusty bread went the way of the Dodo for me after I discovered that wheat [...]

Preschool Craft – Marble Painting

Editor’s Note: While we usually run our homeschooling column this first Tuesday of the month, we are trading Tuesdays in order to welcome our newest OBE partner – Let ‘Em Loose Play Land.
This fun family-friendly, energy releasing indoor play land in Campbell River has re-opened to the public full time and we are excited to [...]

Monday Morning Mom Poll – Toilet Paper

Seriously, I kid you not, today we are talking TP. If there is one thing that I struggle with EVERY time I put it in the grocery cart, it’s toilet paper.
Ummmmm, not going to go without it. Can’t think of a way to make me think I’m doing something eco for the universe by using [...]

Sunday Morning Walk – Pt. Holmes Beach

Editor’s Note: Parents, one of the lasting legacies we can leave for our kids is the way our communities are allowed to develop today. Preserving parkland, ensuring smart, green development, making use of land in a way that nurtures nature as well as inspires a thoughtful business community is crucial.
We as parents now have an [...]

Digital Dating & The Single Mom

Editor’s Note: Esther Kane is back today to talk about digital dating for single moms and I have a quick digital dating success story to share – mine.
Ken and I had moved to Seattle within two weeks of each other eight years ago, and both of us for just about all the reasons Esther points [...]

Green-e-ology – Save Money, Unplugged

Not so long ago I was searching online for power saving ideas (no gigantic bill this time, just pure curiosity).
I came across information about power usage for electronic devises that are not in use and was amazed to learn that many electronic devices continue to use power when switched off, or in stand-by mode.
This continuous [...]

Kids In The Arts – Get Them Dancing

Dance in the Comox Valley is absolutely on fire.  Given a population of less than 70,000 people, you would assume one or two choices for your tyke would be the maximum a community of this size could sustain.
When I was approached to take over leadership of Pantuso Dance I looked at the fact that there [...]

Preschool Crafts – Salad Spinner Painting

Editor’s Note: It’s no news flash that we are big fans of art around our house. But, I have to admit that I’ve been finding myself in serious need of inspiration and a little artistic freedom that the dining room table just isn’t currently capable of offering.
So, our daughter and I have been hitting Becky [...]

Mom Review – Eco-Friendly Bedroom Paint

About 18 months ago, I took it upon myself to paint our daughter’s room. Yellow with red trim – bright and cheery yet not overly girlie. At 2, she could have cared less, excited only to be out of her crib and happy to have access to most of her toys long after she should [...]

Mom’s Office – Must-Have Organizational Tools!

Editor’s note: Good Morning! As part of our ongoing commitment to fostering the entrepreneurial spirit of moms everywhere, we are launching our Mom-P-Inc Small Business Consultation column on OBE this morning.
This is a space where moms with ideas brewing, new businesses on the launch, a position in a larger company or solid businesses in [...]

Stories for you Ears with Odds Bodkin

There once was a little, orange record player. You know, the kind that had it’s own case that you could close up, tucking the electric cord inside and would play LPs or 45s if you hadn’t lost the little insert that made the tiny records fit on the turn table.
It followed me everywhere – on [...]

Fit Pregnancy is Possible (and fun!)

How are your New Year’s resolutions going?  Did you manage to start eating healthy, exercise daily, be good to your family, and meditate all while living in the NOW?
We all know how hard it is to keep promises to ourselves.  It can be even more difficult to set goals and achieve them while you are [...]

Parent Wellness – Trading Tots for Time

Editor’s Note: Happy Thursday. I am so excited to introduce Comox mama of two Marcie Dumais and her wise parenting ways as she shares her take on parenting and taking care of ourselves.
I am legendary in the “can’t ask for help” universe – some weird mental health issue that I apparently need to take some [...]

Family Eats – Getting Your Kids In The Kitchen

Editor’s Note: Good Morning and welcome to our first installment of Family Eats – a journey in getting kids back into the kitchen – with lovely local mama Sarah Stromquist and her family.
Sarah lets us peek inside the food-friendly evolution of her family and the family-friendly evolution of her kitchen, offering insight, tips, recipes and [...]

Crafts for Boys – Recycled Space Robot

Need I say more? The Dad in our house is here to share. He’s all imagination, goofiness, a love of recess and the reality that Star Wars will never die.
Have fun with our first project…
…and take the Craftizmos ROBOT CHALLENGE! Make your own version of this creature from the Planet Recycle and win the Clone [...]

Monday Morning Mom Poll – Wet Gear

We are back at the kitchen table talking shop today about what outdoor kids gear has proven out as most necessary, and most fantastic, as we take this sunny, balmy February week and pretend like it will last until October.:)
Moms, take it away:

I’ll chime in first with our deep and abiding love of Kidorable rain [...]

Making of a Mom Entrepreneur – How OBE Began

NOTE: Robin will be writing about the evolution of Our Big Earth – offering insight on how everyday moms can create the life’s work they envision – every month here on OBE. Check back in for tools, tips, tricks, ideas and inspiration. Plus, take a peek inside the Our Big Earth machine and get a [...]

KidSports – Big Fun, Build Skills with New T-Ball

Editor’s Note: Good Morning! It may be still be Winter, but all signs point to sunshine and outside fun – including T-BALL REGISTRATION, which begins Monday morning (Feb. 16) at the Lewis Centre, Comox Rec and Happy ’s Source for Sports (on Sixth in Courtenay).
That also means there couldn’t be a better time to [...]

Healing Childhood Eczema Naturally

Our skin is an amazing thing. The largest detoxifying organ of our body, our skin functions as a protective barrier from the outside world while providing a route of elimination for waste products within.
As kids, our skin takes a beating.
Learning to walk results in tumbles and bruises. Bike riding spills end up with [...]

Preserving the Comox Valley, One Bite at a Time

When Karen Pattison bottles up local crops using the age-old tradition of preserving fruits and vegetables, she’s also preserving fond memories of her childhood in Willow Point near Campbell River.
Now the owner of Bite Size Specialty Foods, she grew up eating tasty veggies from her grandparents’ garden in their neighbouring property. And after a lifetime [...]

Family Craft – Keepsake Flower Petal Valentines

M and Ken wandered into the recovery room after my surgery nearly three Fridays ago with piles of flowers and a Tim Horton’s Boston cream doughnut.
The doughnut lasted about 30 seconds. The flowers, a fair bit longer.
When it came time to empty out the vases, I couldn’t bring myself to just ditch them. To me, [...]

Monday Morning Mom Poll – Green Laundry Soap

Welcome to Monday. If yours is anything like our house, one of the biggest challenges we have with being more eco-minded is the constant din of the washer and/or dryer. We hang clothes year-around and try like heck to keep the laundry low. But, it seems like someone is always down in the basement throwing [...]

Mom-P-Inc. – Rhonda Parker of Well-Balanced Fitness & Bodywork

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 [...]

Magic Tales of Unicorns, Dwarves & Discovery

Our house seems to draw a huge crowd of the mystical and magical lately. Every since we discovered Forest Fairies with the help of our friend Maureen (of Strong Start fame) and The Last Unicorn showed up in the DVD player, our house transformed into a fairytale land that pretty much skips the prince and [...]

SPROUTS – Plan Your Family Garden

I’m getting excited! The odd peek at sunshine and warmer afternoons means Spring is on its way!
I may have a few months to go before I can even plant outside, but I can already taste the sweet harvest… that means its time for me and the kids to start planning our family garden
After [...]

Homeschooling – Child-Guided Learning

Editor’s note: Today, homeschooling mom Susan Spyker joins us with her first homeschooling column. Susan has spent years educating her children at home – exploring a huge variety of learning paths including Waldorf, Montessori and more.
Her insight into giving children the space to discover how they learn best is a great first step for [...]

Restaurant Review – Lunch Time Crown Isle Style

When someone mentions heading to Crown Isle for the afternoon – where golf and getaways are the style – it generally doesn’t evoke that family-friendly vibe. In fact, the first time my mother-in-law suggested that she and I head up to the Silverado Steak House for lunch with the tiny person, I thought she had [...]

Family Craft – Paper Tulip Garden

One of my major small successes during the doldrums of any dark and rainy February is to brighten up the house with signs of Spring in any way humanly possible.
If I could paint sunshine and blue skies on all of the windows and not know that if I went outside the sky would be five [...]

Product Review – ELC Travel Felts

Welcome to our first official Monday Product Reviews post. Mondays, they pretty much leave us all needing a bit of therapy. So, why not the savvy retail kind? This is a place where you’ll get the chance to talk shop about all kinds of kids, household and outdoor gems that make your life healthier, greener, [...]

Our Big Earth – Now with 35% More Content

Good morning! February has started off with its usual gray and rainy patina outside. But, it kicks off with a bright, lively celebration here at Our Big Earth.
Today, we unveil a new tab structure to make it easier to find the features you are looking for as well as some fantastic new features, columnists and [...]

Win Kids Gear with the Click of the Camera

M and I just spent an hour or so watching the gorgeous sunrise this morning and, while we were busy telling stories about unicorns in the clouds and watching them change lovely, mid-Winter shades of pink and orange, she belted out “This needs a picture mommy. Go get the camera.”
While I passed, wanting more to [...]

Learning to Live With Loss – Together

 
Down a Friday post, Ken and I hashed through a whole whack of topics that seemed a perfect fit to jump into while we all piled into our bed for movie night with the kiddo yesterday.
Taking a look at your water usage and how critical it is to start reigning ourselves in terms of consumption [...]

Family Literacy – Caldecott Award-Winning Style

Good morning. For the last few days, I’ve been meaning to pull something substantial together as a part of Family Literacy Week in Canada. But, my mental idea bank wasn’t letting me withdraw much in the way of anything labeled “substantial.”
Thankfully, there are brilliant people out there who are great at lending a hand in [...]

Enjoy A Local Chinese New Year Feast

With the Lunar New Year starting Monday (January 26), what better time to gather the family and celebrate by creating a local feast to commemorate the Year of the Ox.
In Chinese culture, food prepared during this celebratory season is meant to bring luck as many dishes have symbolic meaning in relation to their appearance and [...]

Family Craft – Paper Robots

Another snowy morning in the Valley means another day at the craft table for us. The cold and our daughter have no issues. As for me, I prefer a cozy blanket and a cup of tea (actually, back to coffee) right now – and she’s currently very accommodating.
When we got back from Victoria, she immediately [...]

Deepa Guides Us Through Loss

This is for Robin and her family and all of those who are grieving a child who died inside the womb.
It was Autumn last year, although the sun warmed us like it was mid-day July. The kids were jubilant after seeing, feeling, choosing, and weighing pumpkins at the Shamrock Farm. It was another [...]

Winter NeighbourWood Walks Registration

Good Morning.
If you all are anything like us, this crazy Winter of snow, snow and more snow followed up by freezing, fog and more fog has left us a bit less active outside than usual.
I always need a bit of group motivation to get me outside when the weather looks much more suited for a [...]

Restaurant Review – Sushi Kobo, Takeout Goodness

Growing up in the Rocky Mountains, sushi wasn’t exactly on my list of favourite foods as a child. Actually, it wasn’t until I moved to the West Coast in 2001 that it even showed up on my radar.
For our tiny person, though, sushi and the yummy sides that go with it is one of those [...]

Family Craft – Your Animal Family Genealogy

As my belly gets bigger, there are TONS of questions about how families are made and our ongoing “Family Tree” project expands, I found myself a little stumped recently when working out age-appropriate ways to talk with our 3.5 year old about families and who goes where.
Traditional genealogy – packed full of research and hunts [...]

Sunday Morning Walk – Courtenay Riverway

Good Morning. Hopefully, the strange fog that’s been dominating our days is headed in a different direction as we look forwarded to a bit of sunshine. But, in the mean time, checking out the cool effects of light and clouds – all while getting a front-row seat to hang out with some of the most [...]

Winter Nutrition From The Grocery “Garden”

Another new year! But with the remnants of snow it is hardly a time to be gardening. So I thought we’d take a look at a few common foods available at the grocery “garden!”
Typically the new year ushers in new year’s resolutions, and eating healthier is a common goals after the onslaught of Christmas [...]

Kid’s Mental Health Effected By Heavy Metal Toxicity

During this time of environmental uncertainty, we’re all doing our part as parents to protect our kids against pesticides, hormones in our food, plastic by-products and heavy metals from various sources.
Because our children’s bodies are smaller and made up of fewer cells, equal amounts of pollutants and chemicals are exponentially more toxic to our little [...]

Sir Ken Robinson – Creativity, Crux of Education

A few weeks ago, as he often does, Ken slipped me a link to a www.ted.com talk on creativity in education. Ted, Ken and I have developed a long-standing mutual affection. So when I saw the link wasn’t a Saturday Night Live skit from Youtube (Ken likes to send those along too), I snuggled up [...]

Local Fresh Bread – Wheat- & Gluten-Free

Eating wheat-free or gluten-free doesn’t mean you have to give up foods you love! It seems these days.
Many families have to eliminate wheat products from the household grocery list because of intolerance or allergy. Bread lovers (myself included) find it hard enough to curb this staple from our daily diet (who can resist carbs!), and [...]

Family Craft – Glitter Mushrooms

We are having more than a wee bit of trouble getting our rears out of bed the last few days, and this morning was no exception as all of us rolled over at about 8 a.m.
But, the one thing that seems to get us over the perpetual mist and gray is our “Family Tree” project [...]

Mom-P-Inc. – Karen McKinnon of McKinnon Photography

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 [...]

Book Review – Jan Brett’s Winter Fun

There are a few truly great children’s book authors – storytellers who can take a piece of imagination and bring it alive with the touch of a pen.
They’ve got that magical touch, mesmerizing children (and parents too) for generations. Jan Brett is one of those greats.
Maureen over at Brooklyn Elementary Strong Start first introduced us [...]

Beating The Winter Blues

Editor’s Note: Registered Clinical Counselor Esther Kane is here with us again today to talk about one of the hottest Winter topics – Seasonal Affective Disorder.
For me, Winter is a real challenge – and families definitely go through it together. So if the cold and gray is getting you down, try a few of [...]

Nature Journal – Family Listening Walks

Good morning. Between sickness (mostly mine), insane amounts of snow and the general hibernation-like blah blahs this Winter, it’s been a tough sell to get us out the door every day and into the fresh air lately.
It’s not that we don’t want to (in fact, we all well know how squirrely each of us gets [...]

Product Review – Bambu Utensils for Kids

We have de-plasticed. From cups and bowls to forks and spoons, the melamine and other kiddo plastic gear that has dotted our house is gone.
There’s lots that says melamine (hard plastic) and the #5 is fine. But, I totally admit that my reading and a certain relative who shall go un-named scare the hell out [...]

Family Craft – Waldorf-inspired Winter Birds

I am a bit of a Christmas scrooge when it comes to taking down the decorations. The pile of pine needles on the floor and the clutter from the holidays send my brain into crazy mode and generally everything comes down within 24 hours of the big day.
This year was just the same, and we [...]

Homeschooling – Car School

Editor’s Note: I am sad to announce that this is Rosina’s last homeschooling column with Our Big Earth. Life is a busy, happy, complete place for her and balance is the key to anything good and true in life.
So, she is off to pursue more homeschool, family-focused goodness and we’ll all be looking forward to [...]

Top 10 Valley Nature Spots for 2008

We did a heck of a lot of discovering of new outdoor spaces last year – friends clued us in to not-so-secret spots that we’d just never gotten the scoop on before and we made our way out to some cool locales that became serious favourites.
The tiny person and I clued in to the [...]

Best Children’s Books of 2008

Being there to watch stories spark a remarkable imaginary universe for our daughter has been, by far, one of THE BEST and most amazing things that has come from the last year.
I am a story junkie, always have been, loved ‘em so much I made a career out of telling them.
So, discovering amazing books has [...]

Best Family Food of 2008

I love to eat great food. My mother, brother and father all duked it out over time in the kitchen when I was a kid. So, I enjoyed being out of the mix, eating rather than creating.
(there’s a pattern surfacing here. My parents suspected I came out of the womb a career girl)
But, as usual, [...]

The Best of A Crafty 2008

I never really thought of myself as a crafty sort of gal. Seriously, I have long lived with the crafty curse, trying many a Martha-centric project and failing in expensive, ugly sorts of ways.
I very much admit that my mom got the short end of the stick when it came to these sorts of projects [...]

Tita’s Warmth is Culinary Sunshine

As we move into the season of cold and darkness – and there may be a few extra bucks slotted for mom/dad dinners found tucked away in holiday cards recently – it’s time for the parents to find someone to watch the young people and head out for an evening on their own in pursuit [...]

Mommy Talk – Cure Post-Holiday Blues

It hit me about 9 a.m. yesterday morning – Christmas is over. All the wind up, the preparation, the crazies (which I could have totally lived without) and sugar rushes are now just a memory and, whew – I feel a little low.
While we kept it all pretty darn modest this year – no big [...]

Paper or Plastic? Cloth Bags are the Only Eco Option

Editor’s Note: 2009 in the Comox Valley is, when it comes to basic steps for greening your daily lives, poised to be the year of the reusable bag.
As the Comox Valley Chamber continues to gear up with its bag-less Comox Valley initiative (local businesses are being asked to only offer reusable bag options starting this [...]

Prontissima Pasta – A Taste of Italy in the Valley

Life is a combination of magic and pasta…
…these famous words of Italian film maker Fellini have come to life in our little slice of paradise. From their home-based commercial kitchen on Courtenay’s Fifth Street, Prontissima Pasta owners Sarah and Wally Walsh have seen their year-old business flourish so much that they’re in production four days [...]

Guest Craft Tutorial – Stamping 101

Editor’s Note: I am taking a few days off here so we’ve got a couple of guest writers this week including energetic Stampin’ Up demonstrator Susan Spyker who is here today to give us all a lesson in how to fine tune our stamping skills.
This tutorial on how to get a perfect stamp every time [...]

Mom-P-Inc. – Pam Watson of Planet Kids

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 [...]

Friendship is Key to Managing Stress in Pregnancy

Editor’s Note: I have the most wonderful friends. Seriously, I couldn’t ask for better. They have enormous hearts and are entirely some of the most generous women I have ever known.
But, when I need them the most (ah, it’s the Cancer crab in me…or some serious issues, I’m sticking with astrology) in times of [...]

Nature Journal – Winter Tracks

Up earlier than anyone in the house this morning, the tiny person sprinted to the window, wrenched on the blinds and gasped that stunning “Oh my goodness” moment when she realized that yesterday’s snow hadn’t washed away.
Nearly impossible since we got nearly a foot – with a bit more on the way I’m told – [...]

Movie Adventures & Family Flick Favourites

I am more than a bit under the weather today, reluctantly submitting to at least a few days of bed rest as while the tiny person in my belly seems to be A-OK, my body is struggling a bit through this part of pregnancy.
Being mostly couch bound is not really my speed. But, when the [...]

Holiday Craft Tutorial – Homemade Wrapping Paper

It wasn’t an uncommon site – back in the day – for the moms in our lives to lock themselves in a back bedroom one December afternoon. I thought it was some sort of magic, how they went in and came out a few hours later rather refreshed (6 hours of peace and quiet will [...]

Snow Sled Walks in the Comox Valley

Every day, it’s the same question: “Mommy, when is it going to snow? Santa won’t come if it never snows.”
While I’m sure kids in warmer climates would definitely debate the merits of her theory, our daughter could not help but find herself bundled up and ready to hit the hills the last couple of days [...]

Holiday Traditions – Handmade Christmas Crackers

Since I was a little girl, I’ve had this picture in my head of the perfect way to make everyone in the family – wherever they are – smile at the same time and think of each other.
Maybe I did myself in early with grand visions of a Norman Rockwell holiday where everyone – for [...]

Milk…Does It Really Do A Child’s Body Good?

As an adult, I have fond childhood memories of evening dinners with my family that included good conversation, a home cooked meal and a tall glass of ice cold milk to wash it all down. Milk was a staple in our house, as it was in many others. I remember a neighbor telling [...]

Nature Journal – Winter Bird Feeding Walks

I saw the light in her face the first time our daughter and a chickadee made eye contact – and it was pure magic.
We’d walked the Lazo Marsh loop what seemed like a thousand times before then – through a Summer of sunshine and a mild Fall. But, the birds hadn’t made their debut until [...]

A Holiday Feast Filled with Local Food

It seems that each year the pre-holiday craziness sets in earlier, our wish-lists get longer and our expectations get higher. Add the task of preparing a tasty designer dinner and it’s downright daunting.
We’re so incredibly lucky to be living in the Comox Valley as it allows us access to fresh, local produce and specialty foods [...]

Holiday Craft Tutorial – Cookie Cutter Gift Tags

The last couple of years, as I spend more time with folks like the David Suzuki Foundation and learn from folks like the Comox Valley Regional District, I find myself a wee bit overwhelmed at the things that AREN’T recyclable during the holidays.
One thing that I never even thought about was gift tags. In fact, [...]

Establishing A Homeschool Co-Op

Homeschooling parents are the primary educators of their children and with this comes the responsibility and challenge of making learning fun while covering all academic subjects.
It can be overwhelming at times to say the least! That’s where co-ops come in.
They are groups of like-minded moms coming together with one common goal of creating great learning [...]

A Garden Full of Family Holiday Creations

With Christmas just around the corner I am starting to scramble…
WHAT am I going to get everyone this year? Ideally, each year my children and I will create a beautiful, crafty tree ornament. Two years ago we made playdoh angels. Last year is a bit of a blur.
Now it is that time again… But coming [...]

Buy British Columbia at Courtenay’s Newest Grocer

We interrupt regularly scheduled programming today for a couple of reasons. This week, when I took a look at what was on deck for our Nature Journal, the calendar read something that we have yet to witness this year – ice.
You will not get even an ounce of whining from this direction about one of [...]

Homemade Holiday Treats – Baklava

It was my childhood Winter wonderland – this magical place where all things flour and powdered sugar, pecan tart and almond brittle converged and I knew I had caught a glimpse of perfection.
To the average person, that place looked like my grandmother’s basement. But, to me, with it packed – literally – from floor to [...]

Holiday Tutorial – Card Making with Kids

There once was a little girl who so wanted to make her own holiday cards. Her mom, relatively junior in the crafty universe, yet fussy nonetheless, had personal issues about it all.
Preschool cards are messy and generally not so pretty in a traditional, big person sort of designer style way. They require a fair bit [...]

Farewell Disposable Drink Containers

This girl’s hooked on coffee. My love-affair with the drink started back in high school with study sessions at the local Husky, stretching into the early morning hours and during last minute essay writing, pushing the limits to mere hours before submission.
Slinging lattes and mochas as a barista further strengthened my bond with the bean. [...]

Presenting Our 2008 Holiday Green Guide

Good morning. As we are just about to head off to a very soggy Santa Claus Parade today I am getting more and more into the holiday spirit.
There’s lots of creating going on around our house – our first batch of almond toffee appeared a few days ago, sparkling walnut ornaments, homemade pompom bows made [...]

Make Your Own (reusable) Advent Calendar

Editor’s Note: Usually the last Friday of the month is reserved for Bevin Clempson’s witty Green-e-ology column. Not to worry, she’ll be here on Sunday talking about her conversion to reusable water bottles and coffee mugs. But, today we have a bit of a special feature that couldn’t wait.
Vanessa Falle of Lotus Paperie – a [...]

Dump Night Time Disposie Diapers with DryBees

I have not always been a lover of cloth diapers.
Once, I dreamed of being eco mama, planned it, set out to be as environmentally savvy as possible. Then, a very traumatic first month with our daughter left me utterly unwilling to continue on and out came the disposies.
OK, so I never gave cloth diapers much [...]

Holiday Crafts – Old Skool Snow Flakes

When I was a kid, scissors were the coolest thing ever. I would, literally, spend hours during the holidays cutting out snowflake after snowflake in an effort to coat every inch of window space in our house with the white stuff.
Growing up in the Rocky Mountains, snow for the holidays was never an issue. But, [...]

A Sustainable Partnership

Last Wednesday, as our daughter and I were headed off to the NeighbourWood Walk out at Lazo Marsh, we drove along the dyke road in the gleaming sunshine and she made an announcement.
“Look at the magic, mommy?”
I had no idea what she was talking about.
“Look, out on the ocean, it’s like magic sunshine out [...]

Wholesome Goodness In A Nutshell

Editor’s Note: A trip to just about any local farm – or as a rainy-season alternative, your local Farmers Market – is a great way to connect kids to food. Putting that together with family reading of a book like This Is The Feast by Diane Z. Shore, illustrated by Megan Lloyd, which we [...]

Stained Glass Twinkle Lights

Has pregnancy ever sent you into the cave of solitary confinement? It’s like I know I won’t be capable of making it through more than two or three hours in any given day without some narcoleptic moment so I don’t even try to plan to do anything more than the basics any more.
The tiny person [...]

Blog Book Tour – This Is The Feast

When I first got the invitation to join in the blog book tour for This Is The Feast by Diane Z. Shore, illustrated by Megan Lloyd, I wasn’t entirely confident as we here in Canada have long passed our Thanksgiving holiday.
But, all it took was opening the package, personally sent from Shore, with a handwritten [...]

Mom-P-Inc. – Paola Lewis of The Rusty Rooster

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 [...]

Usborne Learning Books Bring Reality to Life

Editor’s Note: I totally forgot to post this earlier. I’ve got free Usborne toddler books That’s Not My Truck and That’s Not My Train for random commenters today. So, jump in!
There we were in the bathroom at the Courtenay library, camped out in the last stall trying to take care of business before story time [...]

Diet Is Key to Keep Children’s Ear Infections Away

Editor’s Note: With the Comox Valley nearly on the eve of the municipal election, we received a timely letter (now posted in our Letters section) about school trustee races from Valley parent and educator Brent Reid offering his perspective on critical races that are in voters hands.
Brent’s is one opinion on a very heated [...]

Nature Journal – Nutty Buddies

So, I’m crashed out in bed here after a huge day of walking (Mother Nature loves the NeighbourWoodies, holding back on the rain until we were on our way home) totally chilling out to the Ray LaMontagne CD my lovely pal Karen McKinnon gifted me with recently (oh how I love the Ray, Karen).
I’m totally [...]

Go Eco-Baby with Sage Creek Organics

This holiday season, I’ve had a huge whack of requests from friends and family about some special deliveries for our new arrival.
He/she won’t be greeting us formally until June. But, one of the most fun parts of pregnancy (besides back pain and nausea, of course) is getting all of those special little pieces of clothing, [...]

Create A Winter Wonderland In The Garden

It’s true – Winter is on its way. These warmer days and sunny mornings aren’t fooling me. When I open the door my breath fogs out in a misty veil around me and the grass actually crunches underneath my feet.
It’s getting colder and it’s about time I get outside to tend to my garden. If [...]

Love Stories of Fall

Fall is magic. Even when the blustery wind and endless rain sets in, the contrast of perpetual gray against the brilliance of the golden hills and mountainsides makes us all want to stand there a bit in awe.
OK, not too much, as days like the last few remind me that we are headed into a [...]

Time-Honoured Motherhood – The Blessing Way

Editor’s Note: It is with a serious dose of excitement that I introduce Deepa Upadhyaya as she debuts her monthly column BUMPS – Birth, Unity, Motherhood, Pregnancy, Stories.
When talking pregnancy, there’s so much more than the process. As women it binds us, resonates to our very core, back countless generations and forward so many more. [...]

Spooky Stories of Bones and Bunnies

In a little, tiny house on an everyday sort of street lived a little girl who loved monsters.
It seemed her destiny to dig those spooky ghouls, as her dad had adored them even longer than her, creating more than a few in his time, and they lived everywhere in that house – framed, in notebooks, [...]

Thanksgiving Family Walks in the Comox Valley

We realized yesterday, at the point when we were still debating what will be on the table at Thanksgiving dinner – including a yet-to-be-purchased(oops) main dish – that we are a bit overworked right now.
We’ve debated the merits of breaking for a few minutes to go remember what the beach looks like or stretch our [...]

Little Green Books

Hi. My name is Robin…and I’m a book-a-holic.
It doesn’t matter, really, what kind of book it is. I more than likely get an e-mail newsletter about it. I love to look through lists, check out what’s new – and I love kids books most of all at my current place in life.
The only problem is [...]

Mom-P-Inc. – Teneille Higgins & Chelsea Kennedy of Firefly: New Beginnings

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 [...]

Mommy Talk – Behavioural Modification

Editor’s Note: Good Morning! If you are looking for some fun social time today where you can check out some new businesses in the Valley, make sure to hit the grand opening parties over at Firefly: New Beginnings on Fifth Street in Courtenay and Dark Side Chocolates on Dunsmuir in Cumberland.
These mom-owned businesses are AWESOME…and [...]

Potty Humor Reads & Funny Phobias

I’ve been going over and over in my head how to start this book review. There’s no really delicate way to admit to it. I’ve always been the kind of kid – mostly because anything to do with the topic was absolutely banned in my house as a child – who believes in the value [...]

6 Reads to Make the First Day of School Easier

I’m so sorry for the late post this morning. Sort of.
As many of you know, CVK is in the midst of a major redesign, which is code for “Wipe sleep off of the to-do list for at least 6 months.”
I broke the code last night after two weeks of major sleeplessness and, about 7:30 a.m. [...]

What’s Gonna Work? Team Work…

Where oh where has my Summertime gone?
Seriously, I am ill prepared for the onset of soggy wetness of Fall on the island – still totally imagining that I had at least another month of chances for beach runs and leisurely hikes without having to consider unholy amounts of rain gear and busting out the turtlenecks.
And, [...]

Mom-P-Inc. – Tina Willard-Stepan of Seeds Natural Market

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 [...]

Book Review – Reverse Psychology to Eat & Sleep

Ken and I, we were quite skeptical at first.
These books, they seemed too easy to actually work.
Could it be possible that all we had to do was read an engaging story, with adorable, lovable characters who didn’t want to eat or sleep to make our grumpy 3-year-old think that eating and sleeping was cool?
No…way, we [...]

Time to Cool Off with Peppermint Tea

Editor’s Note:
I know, I know. Wednesday is food day.
But, in honour of the birth of Sprouts writer Kendra Quince’s baby boy, and the fact that some cool minty tea sounds perfect during this very steamy week, we bring you Sprouts, the foodie version.
Congratulations Kendra and family.
Time for some leisurely back porch sitting with a glass [...]

Oyster River Nature Park

Editor’s Note: I admit it, I’ve been holding out on you a bit.
U-Pick Blueberry season is ON. Blue Haven Farm at Anderton and Idiens Way in Comox is open daily now and McClintock’s on Dove Creek Road expects to be ready for blueberry picking this week.
Raspberries are already being picked out at McClintock’s and ASHberry [...]

Book Review – Running Through The Meadow

Since I finished reading Food Not Lawns by H.C. Flores I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the changing face of yards.
When I was a kid, a big yard, perfectly mowed and glistening green was the envy of every parent in the neighbourhood. But, it wasn’t the manicured lawn I loved.
I spent most of [...]

Mom-P-Inc. – Sarah Stromquist of Kasa Bags

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 [...]

George Sawchuk’s Enchanted Forest

The forests of Fanny Bay are enchanted.
A walk along the trails near Ships Point reveal dichotomy, controversy, community and absolute beauty.
Tucked away, just past trail heads hidden by a bit of overgrowth, is at least a Sunday morning’s worth of exploring art and nature – separately or together depending on what suits you.
CVK mom Melanie [...]

Book Review – Life on The Farm and Ferdinand

When I was a kid, I loved the loners.
The ones who stood out and moved away from the crowd always won my heart – especially if they found themselves stepping back in the name of a big, gentle heart.
Characters like Thumbelina, Aslan and Pippi Longstocking took their rightful places as staples in the imaginary world [...]

Valley Insight – The Lazo Marsh

Editor’s Note: If there is one trail in the Valley that we L-O-V-E, it’s the Lazo Marsh loop. Short and sweet, this flat walk is just over 2K, but full of some of the coolest sights any kiddo can imagine.
We discovered this trail thanks to the Comox Valley Naturalists Society, and the first time we [...]

The Farm – Meet Our Farm Friend Popsicle

We’ve been waiting for this all year.
Spring gave us a taste of Summery good times. But, now it’s official.
Today is opening day at The Hands-On Farm over at The Filberg.
It’s something our daughter looks forward to every year – weeks on end of getting to know our farm friends and trying to talk me into [...]

Mom-P-Inc. – Sherry Turnbull & Kristina Jespersen of Podlings (formerly Little Me)

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 [...]

Books that Make Home Life Inspirational

I have a crush.
Not really on a person, but a lifestyle – a way of being that is both simple and magical. It pulls together all of the homemade goodness of our childhoods with the purposeful parenting partnerships of today’s generation of moms and dads.
It’s one of those things that I’ve been in denial about [...]

Valley In Sight – Williams Beach & Seaview Game Farm

Editor’s Note:
As part of our Valley In Sight series we take a look today at the first Valley beach our daughter and I ever truly loved and its neighbouring farm that has become a mainstay in our Summertime and eating universe.
If there’s one thing the Valley has plenty of, it’s beautiful beaches.
I still find it [...]

Valley In Sight – Courtenay Air Park

The Summer is such a huge time for people who drop in on the Valley to soak up the gorgeous beaches, hang out with family and even be tempted to relocate if given enough reasons on the plus side.
The messages pouring into my Inbox lately from folks who want the skinny on Valley life as [...]

Activity Books that Connect Hands and Heads

I know you’ll all be really shocked to learn this:). But, I love activity books.
In fact, it is one of my major missions in the parenting universe to try out every activity book I can get my hands on. If there is a childhood project to be test-driven, I’d like to at least know about [...]

Union Bay’s Coal Hills & Flower Chains

There are some places that need to be seen in the name of historical reference.
You may not be catching said locale in its heyday. But, the remnants of a past long gone are amazing clues to recreating the scene for yourself.
The Coal Hills in Union Bay is one of those places.
Ken is my reference, as [...]

Book Review – Learning to Lend A Hand

For late-night or early-morning readers, I apologize for our technological glitch with the Rainy-Day Book Club this morning. Apparently, I shouldn’t start working when half asleep. The results are, as you saw, half:)
Back to the business of great books.
In the middle of the first of what surely will be many rounds of defiant testing of [...]

Mom-P-Inc. – Carol Anne Parkinson of Kindermusik

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 [...]

Discovering Living Books

When we first started talking about homeschooling our daughter, I started to read.
I researched nearly every homeschooling philosophy out there, scanned blogs, subscribed to newsletters, checked out and pored through a huge pile of books from the library and realized pretty darn quickly that we are an eclectic secular homeschooling family.
There are bits and pieces [...]

Kin Beach & Bird Badges

On those sunny days when the wind is warm and a day digging in the sand is in order, starting your morning out at Kin Beach Provincial Park is the way to go.
This tucked away spot, just down the hill off of Kilmarnack Road in Comox, is the perfect combination of quaint picnic/cookout locale, beach [...]

Digging Disc Golf

The birds are singing.
The sun is out.
Approaching the start of the first tee, you feel the wind blowing gently on your face. It’s a beautiful day.
As you prepare for your tee shot, you shift your target and aim a little bit more to the left, hoping to get around that tree in a tricky spot [...]

Seal Bay Swamp Loop & Boot Plants

When you wake up early, the kiddos are going stir crazy and you just need to get out of the house on a Sunday morning, there are walks that make all of that chaos fade away.
Taking the winding drive out to Seal Bay Nature Park is relaxing all on its own – with its fields [...]

Stories with a Sleep Charm

We have a new bedtime routine.
Books and stories have always been a part of our evening ritual. But, it wasn’t until the tiny person graduated from board books and we started discovering the world of classic storytelling that the warm, quiet and connective time spent reading her to sleep entered into our lives.
Of course, it [...]

Kitty Coleman Woodland Gardens & Pressed Flowers

Let me just start by sending out a big, warm hug to all of the wonderful folks who braved the cold to hit the Today Party yesterday! More than 200 kiddos dropped by to decorate cupcakes, colour like crazy and meet some friends over at Karen’s studio.
I loved it – getting to meet so many [...]

Women of Heart

When I was a tiny person, I dreamed of life as a great explorer.
I lived in my imagination, with an entire universe of imaginary friends who roamed the sidewalks and pounded the pavement of the city with me, in search of magic.
As many are, mine was a complicated childhood. Disappearing into a world where I [...]

Product Review – Kumon Preschool Skill Builders

Our daughter couldn’t be bothered.
Crayons were so not in her repertoire. Colouring – no thank you!
As you know, she would paint until the cows come home. But, crayons, pens, anything that involved lines – not so much.
The omnipotent “they” tell us that our kiddo should be thinking hard about the whole line-making thing. I get [...]

Family Craft – Waldorf 3-D Butterflies

Our kiddo has never been into doing the girlie girl thing.
We instituted the no-pink, no-ruffles rule (applied loosely).
She loves bugs and snakes, Roberto Luongo and digging in the tide pools for creatures of all kinds.
But, lately, our house has gotten very fairy tale, very pastel, very soft and pretty thanks to the tiny person’s newfound [...]

Surf & Turf, Comox Valley Style

Of course right about the time I am back to full steam after a super busy weekend what happens? The rain kicks in. I could complain, but am entirely grateful that – for the most part – the rain skipped all of the fun events over the last few days.

We haven’t done a comment challenge [...]

Spring Break Reading Adventures

After a long Winter of snowy tales, the tiny person and I hauled out the books about blooming flowers, baby animals and sunshine a few weeks ago to get ourselves geared up for the activity of Spring.
I’ve definitely had a tough time charging myself up lately…whether it’s the chill factor in the mornings or feeling [...]

The Paper-Bag Easter Basket & Easter Bunny

The other day I found myself cruising the aisles at an unnamed big-box store in complete awe of the piles of gear available for Easter festivities of the kid-related kind.
Unbelievable…really.
..and then I left, entirely empty-handed.
I was shocked at my lack of a purchase. My childhood Easters were filled with plastic eggs cracked open to discover [...]

Spring Migration

The swans are disappearing.
The thousands of lovely, white, long-necked beauties are vanishing by the day after packing local farm fields snacking down all Winter.
Thankfully, they aren’t being destroyed. It’s just time for them to head back to Alaska because a cozy rainy season on the island means they’ve got some baby making to attend to [...]

Easter Tic-Tac-Toe Craft

How about that sunshine? The gray is back. But, we’ve had a great couple of days hitting the beach, wandering the trails and lounging in the backyard playing dominoes. I even hung a load or two of wash on the line.
I am so ready for a return to full-time sun.
That’s pretty darn evident in the [...]

Nature’s Tasty Treats

When I was coming up with the excellent reads for this installment of The Rainy-Day Book Club, it seemed most fun and appropriate to honour the debut of our gardening journal Sprouts and the incredible yummy goodness that February brings us from Eastern Canada in the form of maple syrup.
While many parts of North America [...]

On The Rocks climbing gym

Derek Kwan is here today with the scoop on a cool, relatively new climbing gym in Campbell River.
I very much appreciate Derek’s contributions to the site, not only for his plainly Dad perspective, but also for offering up some great scores in the fun locales department.
Without further delay, here’s Derek:

A friend of mine has proclaimed [...]

Homemade Valentines for Kids

Valentines Day is such a sweet treat to burst through the lingering gray of February.
These days of intermittent rain and chill make us wonder if it’s truly time to start spending most of our days outside again – or plan another big whack of indoor fun.
I’m halfway there, plugging away at getting the back porch [...]

Comox Parks

Anyway, as promised, we continue our quest to provide you all with a comprehensive list of parks in the region. Last week, we offered up the ins and outs of Courtenay parks. Today, we’re all about Comox.
As with last week, there are several city-maintained nature parks including MacDonald Wood, Condor, Pioneer, Foxxwood, Highwood and Mac [...]

Sandwick Park

CVK dad Derek Kwan has dropped by today to give us the skinny on a cool, lesser-known park in the Valley and I just have to say how excited I am to have a dad’s perspective in the mix here.
I’m not going to blab on too much today.

I needed a plane to help me [...]

Chinese Lanterns & Other Traditions

All he did was turn his lantern on.
I had no idea why it could possibly be so cool, but the Chinese lettering and lovely art that glowed red through the paper hanging from the ceiling sucked me in and my pal Cliff, with his parents smiling modestly in the background, began to tell us all [...]

Helpful Hints for Art at Home

Creativity takes courage. – Matisse

Matisse couldn’t have been more dead-on.
The ways people get their creative groove on define them in huge ways.
They give people courage…
…a place to let all of their emotions spill out…
…and a voice to speak out, admire, honour or just simply reveal those things that mean the most.
Giving kiddos [...]

Courtenay Parks

Lots of parents have been asking me lately for comprehensive lists of local parks with equipment.
Today, I’ll start with the Courtenay City-owned parks. There are several city-maintained nature parks including Lerwick, Millard, Dogwood, Bear James and Huford Hill that are not included here because they offer no park amenities.

* Bill Moore Park: Kilpatrick Avenue and [...]

Book Review – Global Movement

As our daughter gets older, she’s all about telling stories – not only with her words, but with every part of her being. She loves to sing stories, dance stories and make up stories about creatures that can only be described by jumping around in the craziest of ways.
Books are always a great way to [...]

Family Crafts – Making Spring Scenes

I am of the mind that it is time to will the cold away.
While at least mildly unrealistic as February dawns on us, I’m all too willing to perpetuate my delusions of warm sunshine, crocus and tulips pushing their heads up through the still-frozen front garden – in the form of construction paper and cut [...]

Family Crafts – Spring Paper Flowers

If your house is anything like mine in January, we all are in serious need of a Spring-like pick-me-up.
Since it’s not quite time to bust out the garden hoe, your best bet for injecting some Spring spirit into your lives is to get crafting.
We found a fun Spring flower craft in, of all places, National [...]

Book Review – Kids Food & Youth Culture

Eating and art are two things that kiddos of any age cannot escape in today’s culture. Discovering the wonders of exotic foods and the beauty of art in all forms is such a great way to open families up to new ideas, cultures and adventures.
The good news is that there are plenty of ways – [...]

Marine Habitats: A Natural Classroom

While I know that a January beach run may not be way up on your list when the skies are gray the temps are hovering around 0, this is the time of year (low tides) when a spectacular, mild, sunny day is the perfect time for exploring local shorelines. Getting out onto the beach with [...]

Resources for Special Needs Children in the Comox Valley

Resources for children with special needs are often tricky to find.
Here is a compilation of support groups, organizations and other resources for families:
Valley Resident Susan Millette runs an activity-based social communication program for children with special needs. Her program is designed to promote social communication,
self-esteem and empathy through various motivating activities and techniques
in a fun [...]

Resources for British Columbia Families & Children

The Comox Valley Child Development Association
The BC Coalition of Women’s Centres
BC Coalition of Specialized Victim Assistance and Counseling Programs
North Island Women’s Services Society
BC Housing Rental Assistance Program
Campbell River Family Services
BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation Child Passenger Safety Program
PacificCare Childcare Resource & Referral Program
www.islandfamilyinfo.ca – a site funded by the Ministry of [...]

Family Craft – Pop-Up Thank You Cards

Before the husband and I took off for some time on our own this week I knew there was one thing the tiny person and I had to finish – the thank you cards from all of the great holiday gifts that showed up at our door this year.
If there’s one thing I am religious [...]

Book Review – The Magic Forest

I am in love with the forest.
Growing up in – and living most of my life surrounded by mountains and wilderness – something deep inside always resonated profoundly with me.
Strangely I didn’t really begin to understand why until I started plugging into nature from a kiddo’s perspective.
Getting on your hands and knees to look up [...]

Making New Year’s Resolutions as a Family

I have one resolution this year, to make 2008 the year of the strong, healthy family.
For us, that means physically, emotionally, financially and socially. One very serious tall order that appears at least mildly overwhelming.
But, as an overall goal, I’m thinking it’s right on target. So, that’s what we’re going to focus on here [...]

New Year’s Eve Crowns

New Year’s Eve is one tricky holiday to get the family involved with.
Most of the long-standing traditions of the event portion of it revolve around activities not meant for kiddos, and generally the big project for this day is finding a baby sitter that doesn’t mind an extra late night.
But, around our house, the festivities [...]

Arctic Tales

I don’t want to be a part of the generation who has to some day explain why Canada’s amazing north vanished in our lifetime. How the mighty creatures of the Arctic and the intensely rugged Inuit culture literally melted away.
Never in our history have we as a society been more aware of our direct impact [...]

Homemade Wrapping Paper

I am not going to try today, in any way, to lead us all down the path of making our own paper in a by-hand, from-scratch sort of way. If I had infinite hours in the day and unholy amounts of patience, I might personally go that route of fiber, water and binding agents. But, [...]

Book Review – Classics for Any Bookshelf

I had entirely different plans for today’s Rainy-Day Book Club.
I wanted to plug you in to some gems this holiday season that are about celebrations from around the world like Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, St. Lucia Day and Kwanzaa. Unfortunately, I searched high and low locally and found, well, not much that I would consider really [...]

Kids Books with Holiday Charm

Finding sweet, sentimental holiday stories for tiny people with a nod to tradition and a modern flair is no easy task. In the last couple of weeks I have pored through my fair share of seasonal tales.
I was completely impressed with the library’s wide range of stories of celebration from around the globe. But, while [...]

Reading Local in British Columbia

I am a big fan of all things local. Not that I’m averse to exploring the world – it just seems to me that connecting deeply to your everyday means a personal investment in the well-being of everything around you. That’s where we can begin to truly make a difference.
Living on the West Coast is [...]

Family Fitness – The No-Excuse Excuse

It seems so very appropriate that, on a day when the weather man reveals that we are supposed to get 50mm of rain and that crazy wind action that is a solid island Winter storm, Comox Valley Kids debuts its new Family Fitness column.
Once a month, local fitness expert, Vanier track coach and nationally-lauded running [...]

Book Review – Monstrology 101

Welcome to the first edition of the CVK Rainy-Day Book Club.
A while back, in the midst of pulling together portions of our Rainy-Day Survival Guide, I was out cruising local book stores and ran into a pal who said that she’d stopped reading with her young kiddos because she had no idea how to find [...]

Family-Friendly Trails in the Comox Valley

Finding the safe, accessible and fun family trails on the North Island is no small task.
With plenty of trails to choose from, it’s the details on what works and what doesn’t that are often missing. Check here for a list of family-friendly trails around the Comox Valley and Campbell River regions.
SAFETY NOTE: Bears, cougars [...]

Holiday Stress Busters

My parents are in town.
It’s all good, as they seldom make the 3,000-mile journey around the holidays. So, it’s a fantastic chance to hang out, tour the island and have one of those classic family moments that is the idyllic notion of Thanksgiving.
Oh, the expectations.
I don’t think I’m the only one around who busts out [...]

Rainy Day Survival Guide – Hit The Pool

I used to dream of pools.
Big ones, that would take me what seemed like hours to swim the length of.
Diving for pennies.
Bobbing like a buoy.
Sneaking a trip to the snack bar to eat Tangy Taffy until my teeth fell out.
Except for the Tangy Taffy, pretty much nothing has changed.
So, when we jumped in and got [...]

Kye Bay Beach

It’s rainy.
It’s cold.
So, I thought I’d round out CVK’s Summer beach reviews with one last great beach to spot creatures, wander in the sand and hang out – even when the weather is ho-hum.
Kye Bay Beach is one of those spots that is well off the main drag, but definitely not off the radar for [...]

Mack Laing Nature Park

I‘d heard a whole lot of people talk about how lovely and relaxing a stroll through Mack Laing Nature Park is on a lovely day. But, wow was it ever tough to find something that actually showed me how to get there. Like many of the wonderful slices of nature around these parts, Mack Laing [...]

Product Review – Wrap-N-Mat

I hate plastic bags.
Hate can be a strong word. But, seriously, I hate them.
It may be the personal fact that the tiny person terrifies me with her fascination with putting them over her head or the environmental reality that millions of gallons of oil are consumed every year to produce the more than 500 billion [...]

Ashprington Farm

With berry season in full swing, I have been running around like crazy trying to find a u-pick raspberry spot in the Valley. They are, in the end, not very easy to find.
On our way to and from the beach, other farms and adventures along the Old Island Highway I’d seen a sign for u-pick [...]

Safety First – Wasp and Bee Stings

Like just about any other parent of a 2-year-old, I totally freaked when our daughter was stung on her arm and back by a “buzzy” (as she calls them) 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 [...]

Lake Helen McKenzie Loop

My husband and I have declared Saturdays around our house the official day of the hiking boots.
Once a week we break from all of our regular around-town and beach action, fill up the backpacks and hit the trails up in Strathcona Provincial Park to suck up the mountain air, enjoy the quiet and take in [...]

Miracle Beach Provincial Park

There’s a reason this beach got its name.
If you drive up and down the east coast of Vancouver Island, a beach of this ilk is hard to find.
From the facilities right down to the seemingly endless stretch of barefoot-loving sand, Miracle Beach Provincial Park lives up to its moniker.
Right off the Old Island Highway, in [...]

Pt. Holmes Beach

On a long day, when nerves are frayed and adventures have gone less than well, a long drive along Lazo Road has saved us all from a severe case of the grumpies.
Right at the tip where it and Knight Road meet up, we pull along side the road, roll down the windows and let the [...]

Get Away – Butterfly World

Butterflies hold an honoured place in our house.
As the story goes, my grandfather who passed away more than 20 years ago, returns to everyone in the family from time to time in the form of a beautiful butterfly.
I’m a firm believer in his visitation policy as on my wedding day, just moments before my dad [...]

The Goose Spit

I haven’t done a beach review in ages, which seems just plain silly since it’s summer and we do indeed live on an island full of places to hang out on the water.
So, I figured I’d get started with the most obvious of candidates: The Goose Spit.

Anyone looking for a beach that is close to [...]

Kitty Coleman Woodland Gardens

After a very long, busy and people-filled week, quiet had the most appeal today.
We were in serious need of something that involved mom, daughter and nature – and we found it most definitely this afternoon out at Kitty Coleman Woodland Gardens.
I had long thought about turning off the Old Island Highway onto Coleman Road [...]

One-Spot Trail

To know the history of the Comox Valley you must know the life of a logger.
No other industry has had such a dynamic impact on the growth and prosperity of this region (mining and fishing aside) than the lumber industry.
Now families can fill up the backpack, bust out the hiking boots and hit the trail [...]

It’s All About Dad – Learn to Fish

You don’t need to be a sportsman to love what a fishing pole does for a family.
As a kid, some of the daddy-daughter moments I remember best are the fishing trips, sitting along mountain rivers, simply not worried at all about whether or not we got a single bite. Every time my pop dug out [...]

Find Family-Friendly Comox Valley Beaches

If North Vancouver Island has one thing, it’s great beaches.
But, with the grandeur of the Pacific come some unique challenges in terms of finding family-friendly spots to spend the day beach combing, sand surfing and sunning your shoulders.
Start here with Great tide pooling locations.
Miracle Beach Provincial Park, Black Creek.
Saratoga Beach, Black Creek
The Goose Spit, Comox
Seal [...]

Beaver Lodge Forest Lands

Well, the constant rain sure doesn’t inspire one to trade the family car for public transportation as a part of Commuter Challenge Day today. But, don’t let the weather put the Comox Valley off the map in the nation-wide challenge in which communities see who can get the most people onto public transportation for the [...]

Safety First – Cougar and Bear Safety

Well, it took me a bit longer than expected, but today we’re finally getting to the good stuff in terms of keeping your family safe while you are out enjoying the incredible wild of Vancouver Island.
Senior Conservation Officer Dan Dwyer gave us a call over here at CVK yesterday to talk shop about cougar and [...]

Safety First – Water fun for Everyone

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 toddler in tow.
…and I only have one. Yikes!
One of the biggest concerns now that the sun has returned from Florida for the [...]

Find it! – Ice Cream in the Comox Valley

So, even in the land of dairy intolerance over here at our house, an occasional ice cream is a complete must.
Yeah, you can go buy a tin at the grocery store. But, the treat of frozen goodness on a cone is the best kind of treat when you can watch the smiling face behind the [...]

Tide Pooling on Comox Valley Beaches

With crystal clear skies, temps pushing 20 and the whole family itching for a serious weekend of surf and sun, one of the most relaxing, educational and absolutely fascinating family adventures around these parts has got to be hitting our rocky beaches as the tide heads out to sea.

The receding waters along our coastline are [...]

Bill Moore Park

On Mom:
I love the Hindu saying: Ishwar sarvavyapi ho, isliye ishwar ne har parivar mein ek Maa di hai.
…which translates to: God couldn’t be everywhere, so he gave each family a mother.
Now, back to business:
Not every park has a trail running through it. But, here in the Comox Valley, that’s the exception not the rule.
Even [...]

Food & Your Family – Make it Fresh

I heard the groans from the gallery as soon as you busy parents out there read the words “Make It Fresh” in the headline. Fresh definitely doesn’t give off the aura of fast and easy, which for working parents with a house full of kiddos can be almost untenable.
I think a lot of parents, including [...]

Saratoga Beach

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On our hunt for family-friendly beach spots on the North Island, I was simply astounded it took us more than a year to make it out to Saratoga Beach in Black Creek.
Maybe it was all of the signs pointing the way to beach resorts (I’m a big fan of quiet) or a mommy [...]

Williams Beach

If your idea of a family day on the beach involves a quiet, out-of-the-way beach front with a quirky game farm/ice cream stand within a short walk of the shore, Williams Beach near Merville is an unusual, easily accessed spot.

At the end of Williams Beach Road, you can either head toward the beach (which butts [...]

Air Force Beach

If there is a kids beach in the Comox Valley, it has GOT to be Air Force Beach. Just one look at the sweeping sand (even at high tide) is enough to make every parent jump for joy next to children who are doing the all-sand-all-the-time dance.

A hidden treasure, this beach is virtually unknown to [...]