Tag: Kids
There and Back Again – Heading Back To B.C.
If you’d have asked me a few months ago if we would be packing up our lives and heading back to B.C. when Ken’s 1-year contract wrapped up I would have told you that it wasn’t even up for discussion. Nova Scotia and I had been living out a torrid love affair and I was [...]
Postcards from Nova Scotia – Slow-Poke Spring (By My Standards)
Dear Mom, It’s Spring here in Nova Scotia, so they say. I realize now that after 6+ years of cheering the first day of March – normally coinciding with the first yellow blossoms – with having survived another dark B.C. winter, the rest of the country must really lack an appreciation for West Coasters posting [...]
Ten Simple Things to do for Earth Day
It’s Earth Day and we all hear a lot about the very important details like recycling, planting trees, turning off water faucets and using less electricity. But, helping care for the Earth can extend to parts of life that are – dare we say – a bit unexpected, full of joy and changing in ways [...]
The Canadian Dinner Table – Easy Peasy Cinnamon Rolls
The crew here are bakers. That may be a mild term for how much all of us love to whip up and chow down on delicious baked goods. But, cinnamon rolls have always seemed just out of reach in the everyday foods department. Some recipes call for a double rise. Some…well…they just always looked way [...]
Easy Preschool Crafts – Stamping & Printing with Food
The sun is peeking out from behind the clouds and the air has a hint of warmth in it. All of those fun kid projects that you’ve been whipping up at the kitchen table have as much of an urge as you do to shake off a long Canadian winter and head outside to enjoy [...]
Act For The Planet – Making Green Fun With Earth Day Canada
It’s April, which means flowers blooming, rain falling and – of course – time to be a part of learning how to live lighter on the Earth as annual Earth Day celebrations begin. We here at Ourbigearth.com have long been lending a hand in that department and are super excited to Earth Day Canada’s new [...]
Inspired Action – World Autism Awareness Day
The lights in our windows are shining blue at the homes of the OBE team today. So many of us have children or family members who struggle with autism and this day of education, inspired action and celebration is especially close to our hearts. It’s World Autism Awareness Day and people across Canada are standing [...]
Food & Your Family – 6 Ways to Serve Up Hard-Boiled Eggs
Let’s face it. There’s a pile of hard-boiled eggs in our refrigerators destined for the garbage unless something really inventive comes along. Really, how many of those things can you eat before they go bad and you learn to hate them? Then divide it by nine and that’s how many the kids will eat. Unless… [...]
Easy Kids Easter Crafts – Bunny Boxes & Stained Glass Eggs
Ah, Good Friday. The kids are home from school. Hopefully, the sun is shining wherever you are and happy faces are sparkling too. If you are like us, getting around to Easter crafts with the kids has been rather, well, challenging. We’ve daydreamed about a Martha-esque scene of Spring delight. But, a quick reality check [...]
The Canadian Dinner Table – Black Bean & Artichoke Heart Chili
These early spring days make for challenging cooking in any house. Mostly, we suspect it has a lot to do with the reality that most Canadians have had their fill of root veggies and other seasonal goodies. Craving the fresh, bright flavors of the garden, we are starting to think lighter meals that have a [...]
Your Voice In The Dark – Earth Hour 2013
Sitting in the dark for an hour tonight may not seem like much. But, that action is your voice – joining together with millions of other voices across Canada and the globe – speaking up and helping live lighter on the Earth. Canadians are awesome at this. In fact, Vancouver is the Earth Hour Capital [...]
Easy Spring-time Crafts – Tissue Paper Butterflies
For much of Canada, winter gave it one last go this week and blasted us all with wind, rain and lots of snow. But, that doesn’t mean we have to stand for it. In fact, we are totally busy making sure home looks like a giant Spring garden full of butterflies and fairies, tulips and [...]
Postcards from Nova Scotia – Urban Wilderness
It’s March. For us, that usually means first trips of the season out to the beach to see the herring run or catch a glimpse of the sea lions down at Fanny Bay. This year, the snow on the ground still lingers with more on its way. The -19 windchill burns our faces on the [...]
Inspired Action – Cleaning Up Canada This Spring
Spring is upon us this week and while many of us daydream about sunny days in the park and weekend walks, tens of thousands of Canadians will mobilize, gather together and make a deal with each other to clean up communities from Victoria to Halifax. While picking up trash and keeping our neighborhoods clean is [...]
Quick, Healthy Eats – Cheesy Roasted Broccoli Patties
We are always on the hunt for tasty, fast, healthy recipes that result in lunches that are gobbled up by our kiddos around here. Cheese and broccoli are a super delish combination. So, when we recently whipped up this vegetarian recipe for our picky kiddos and watched them eat it up and ask for more, [...]
St. Patrick’s Day Crafts from Canadian Moms
St. Patrick’s Day and its lucky sentiment is nearly upon us and the kids are just electric about plugging into that pot of gold (actually more like the leprechauns and fairies) at the end of the rainbow. We love to celebrate the creative awesomeness of Canadian moms and one of our very favorite – Rebecca [...]
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 [...]
Celebrate Canada Outdoors | The 2013 Get To Know Contest
Calling all youth 19 and under! Get outdoors and connect with nature! Head to www.gettoknow.ca to submit art, writing, photography, video, or music inspired by your outdoor experiences and you could win some wild prizes! It may only be the beginning of March. But, you can start cracking on your outdoor awesomeness and get it ready to [...]
5 Easy Kid Lunches in 15 Minutes
In the land of the pre-schooler, lunch time can be akin to pulling teeth. Getting our kiddos to sit down at the table and chow down on healthy meals that they love and don’t take us ages to make is a modern parental priority. It’s also a monumental modern parenting accomplishment. Picky kids are par [...]
Postcards from Nova Scotia – It’s Maple Syrup Season
Note from OBE Publisher Robin Rivers: In June of 2012, we packed up our family home in Comox, B.C. on beautiful Vancouver Island and made the journey to Halifax, N.S. In that time, we have explored and adventured across The Maritimes, learning the history, charm and way of life that the people of Atlantic Canada [...]
Six Weeks of Canadian Soups – Week 5, Chinese Dumpling Soup
Taking part in Chinese New Year celebrations this past weekend, the crew here at OBE wondered how to replicate the amazing spread of traditional foods that brought people throughout Canada together. The delicate combination of ingredients that make a good Chinese soup come together are a bit of tasty magic. Dumplings are a fan favorite [...]
Valentines Day Crafts – Finger Painted Hearts
If there is one thing we have learned over the years around here, it’s that the 2-year-old crowd is seriously excited about doing just about anything that involves glue or paint or fun art – for about 15 minutes. As parents, setting up and getting everything ready to go takes just about as long. Having [...]
Six Weeks of Canadian Soups – Week 3, Braised Pork Stew with Garlic Mash
A winter in the Canadian Rockies, where temperatures cheerfully dip down past -20 and Jack Frost is a familiar site, finding the perfect meal that wraps you up in a cozy warmth, satisfies and hard-working appetite and tastes amazing is often bundled up in the art of cooking up the perfect stew. Although soup purists [...]
Kids Crafts – Easy Vintage Valentines Cutouts
The snow is softly falling (by the bucket loads) across most of Canada today. Many of us are in the midst of an unplanned day with the kids thanks to mother nature and the local school district shuttering schools for the day. I am mildly panicked as a lack of pre-planning generally results in mild [...]
Happy Parents Make Happy Kids – Play Groups Are Good For The Soul
It started off just like any other day. Woke up late. Slammed some breakfast. Launched ourselves out the door two minutes after the school bell had already rung. Average. Normal. We’re cool with that. Then, as we are speed racing to get in the car and get one to school, one to work, and two [...]
Six Weeks of Canadian Soups – Week 2: Butternut Squash Soup
When it comes to winter soups, as Canadians we all think about a lovely Alberta beef stew or a delicious Saskatoon borscht. But, no soup finds itself on dinner tables from Quebec to Kelowna more than a tasty roasted squash soup. Wherever you are, the winter farmer’s market, the local grocer, squash is a seasonal [...]
Why Family Literacy Day Matters
It’s hard to hear the word “literacy” and not assume that you will be met with a bunch of book-loving academics who will insist that you must spend your waking hours poring through books and chasing after the written word with unending glee lest you find yourself frowned upon by them and possibly the whole [...]
Old Skool Winter Fun For The Whole Family
Ask anyone just about anywhere – Canadians are winter. Winter is Canadian. While beaches and cottage afternoons, the smell of Spring in the forest or the sight of leaves cluttering the walk at an urban public garden in fall are lovely, there is something about the frosty chill in the air, spotting kids hauling their [...]
Six Weeks of Canadian Soups – Week 1, Maritime Seafood Chowder
It’s cold. When the chill starts inching its way down your spine, ski pants are a non-optional clothing and you spot kids skating on the local pond down the road it is time to start thinking about warming, tasty, hearty dinner options. This time of year as adults we are all trying to think about [...]
Toddler Crafts – Inexpensive Magazine Collages That Get Them Learning Too
The big kids have gone back to school and there you are, at least mostly housebound in the freezing January weather with at least one wee person under 5 in tow. It’s mildly panic-inducing, especially since the winter holidays emptied the bank account and heading out to the craft store for some things to keep [...]
Inspired Actions – Letters to Mom
When I was a kid, which lately I realize was a crazy long time ago in the decade universe, my mother used to sit us down at the table at least once a month to write letters to family. I suspected she was torturing us or trying to make up for the reality that we [...]
Family Holiday Baking for The Non-Baker
We here at OBE – with Sue in her cozy home near the shores of Qualicum Beach, B.C. or Robin’s crew looking out at the Halifax skyline – love baking. Especially holiday baking. Now, that doesn’t actually mean that either of us are baking genius. We simply love, in our minds, the IDEA of baking [...]
Homemade Holidays – Loving The Making Again
It occurred to me, as we put our lives into storage this past June and headed East, that maybe somewhere around November we’d be wishing that a couple of the boxes that made the trip with us were filled with holiday goodness. I’m all about traditions. Love them with incredible heartfelt goopy sorts of emotion. [...]
The Family Hibernation Syndrome
I love mornings. They are peaceful and cozy and the time when my brain is ferociously at its finest. I get twice the amount of things done between 5 and 8 a.m. that I do the rest of the day. But, lately, something has changed. This change pretty much happens every year right after Thanksgiving. [...]
Pumpkin Pie That Isn’t Just for Thanksgiving
I whisper it very quietly because most people would wonder if I was born on another planet – I’ve never really liked pumpkin pie. (gasp) It’s not that I have a hate-on for pumpkin. In fact, I totally crave pumpkin squares, pumpkin soup, freshly roasted pumpkin seeds. But, me and pumpkin pie just don’t have [...]
Vancouver Islanders Are Swapping Costumes This Weekend
It’s the day after Thanksgiving, which means one thing to kids all across Canada – time to get cracking on the coolest Halloween costumes EVER! For mom and dad, it is bittersweet. We dig into those old boxes in the basement, hoping something from last year or an old tickle trunk goodie will be the [...]
Inspired By Gratitude – The Family Tree of Thanks
This Thanksgiving, we have so very much to be grateful for in our little family, with friends and our extended family from coast to coast. Our lives are filled with irresistible and sweet daily bits of joy mixed in with challenges brought our way to teach us how to navigate the wavy waters that are [...]
Postcards From Nova Scotia – Open Farms Day in the Annapolis Valley
I love fall. When the sticky heat of summer finally breaks and the sky turns a magically bright shade of blue against the golden fields my heart soars to a bit of a magical place. This year we have traded many of our favorite traditions like watching the salmon run along Morrison Creek near downtown [...]
Sweet Moments of Mom – A Collage
For the last couple of weeks, life at our house has been what I deem full-on nut balls. Getting the big kid settled into her new school, the wee one at preschool and me cramming a national project launch into the time that someone else is logging with them has proven life changing. One of [...]
Host A Costume Swap for National Costume Swap Day 2012
The kids are back in school. Your schedule is almost all yours for at least a few hours every day. Coffees are sipped while still hot. Life is good. Then, you have visions of Halloween. Before you gulp hard thinking up ways to distract your 7-year-old long enough to keep her away from the Monster [...]
Books For Treats™ Canada – Feed Kids Imaginations This Halloween.
Find a giveaway. Host a giveaway. Learn more at www.booksfortreats.ca Books For Treats™ Canada – Beginnings: Books For Treats™ began with a simple idea from founder Rebecca Morgan – less candy, more creativity. It blossomed into an international movement to create a community of young readers through fun ways to connect to the stories of our [...]
Kids at School. House Is Empty. Now, It’s About Mom.
I‘m sitting here in my makeshift office, big kid shamelessly sitting on the couch watching Looney Tunes on this gorgeous late-August day in The Maritimes and we are both daydreaming a  bit about what the world is going to look like next Wednesday. It’s been an insane amount of change that she and I (and [...]
Summer Crafts – Felt Ice Cream Cones
Since our big move across the country, I have been at a loss with how to keep the kids otherwise engaged. My craft bins either got donated to the Brooklyn Elementary StrongStart or locked away in our storage unit. Either way, all of my years of thrifting and picking up bits and bobbles that made [...]
Summer Eats – Hearty Middle Eastern Supper Salad
The blazing heat of August, all we can think about when it comes to making dinner is what will be healthy and something the kids will eat that we don’t have to turn the stove on to make. While the grill is a decent option, even that seems to hot to handle when it’s 40 [...]
How To Find The Perfect Child Care (for everyone in your family)
If there is one thing that can unnerve a parent about moving to a new town or even just moving into a new stage of life with their kids, it’s figuring out who is best to care for your sweet kiddos. Those moments as mat leave ends or you simply know that your family life [...]
Getting Your Life Organized For Back To School
Editor’s Note: Whether we like it or not, school days are about three weeks away and before we can get our kid’s head wrapped around getting back into the classroom, we have to start by reconnecting ourselves with the school-days universe. Loosey goosey days of random summer goodness are morphing into the sweet organization of [...]
Kids Crafts – Eye Dropper Painting
Summer on either coast of Canada means you are guaranteed of the need to fill more than a few rain-out days. When plans for the beach or the park or the trail get nixed thanks to Mother Nature, coming up with a project that is messy enough to keep kids interested and sane enough to [...]
Ten Ways To Help Kids Feel Grounded In A New Place
As summer moves into August and all of us start thinking about how to get our kids slowly but surely moving back into a school-year pace, lots of families across Canada have also packed up their houses and moved across town, the province or even across the country. Summer is the season of relocation. With [...]
Children’s Books About The Sweetness of Farm Life
Editor’s Note: As the dog days of summer set in, it may just be time to trade an afternoon in the sun for some sweet books in the shade. Here are a few that make our OBE all-time favorite list. First reviewed in 2008, they are the perfect mix of fun, sweetness and classic goodness. [...]
Summer Treats – Coconut Carob Pops
Editor’s Note: My pal Tree Haverner has been hanging out with me on the Internets for one heck of a long time and she has also been sharing her foodie goodness for that long too. In fact, that’s how we first met – FLICKR and food that lead me to her blog,  Tiny Morsels. We first [...]
Lonely Newcomer Syndrome
Driving along the South Shore of Nova Scotia yesterday near Lunenberg, I stared out at the cars filling the highway at rush hour and my oldest blurted out that she loved our life. “We have a great adventure every day mom. Nova Scotia is the best place ever.” It seemed like the appropriate moment for [...]
A Good Nights Rest – Bust Out The Lavender
Summertime sunshine, excitement and energy has made the regular bedtime routine at our house something right out of crazy town lately. It doesn’t seem to matter whether I start the routine at 6 or 7:55 p.m., it’s always well past 9 p.m. before sleep sets in and Ken and I can break from very long [...]
Adventures In Family Eats
When I think back to childhood summers spent almost in their entirety at my grandparents and aunt’s house in Niagara Falls, the things I remember most involve food. From the loaves of fresh Italian bread that we would sit on the kitchen floor, buttering and eating for breakfast to stealing pizza from my uncle’s bakery, [...]
Don’t Be The Grumpy Museum Lady This Summer
We here at OBE like to think of ourselves as pretty darn adventurous parents when it comes to the whole process of kids making art. Whether it be spinning paint, watercolors, sticky glue or paper mache, the fun of making anything is in getting all gooey in the process – right? Well, not so much [...]
The Lost Art of the Pen Pal
Many of us, when we were little, wrote letters. I know my mother sat me down on a regular basis and watched over my shoulder as I penned thank you notes and sentimental hellos to my grandparents, aunts and cousins. They were gently requested, but pretty much mandatory. Letters were courteous and proper. They meant [...]
The Scoop On Sun Exposure, Sunscreens & Summer
Vancouver Island may be a bit wet and chilly right now. But, as soon as the Canada Day parade is over, you know it will be 30 and sunny in less than 10 minutes.:) On the other side of the country in Nova Scotia, the heat and sun have already got us out hitting the [...]
Mud, Strawberries and How My Family Stopped Screaming At Each Other
Standing in the blazing Nova Scotia sun making our way toward a place a bit less natural and much cooler, we heard a woman’s voice from a few rows over. Holding Quinn’s hand with my right and balancing 15 pounds of strawberries we just picked with my left hand, I wasn’t sure that chatting would [...]
Family Movie Review – Disney Pixar’s Brave
When our oldest daughter first saw the trailer for Disney Pixar’s new movie Brave, she couldn’t wait to wrap her head around a movie that was all about Scotland and magic and an amazing girl for whom adventure and following her own path were second nature. So, it seemed only natural that she and I [...]
Eating Out With Kids – 5 Tips For Toddler Restaurant Dining
You know exactly what we’re talking about. It’s 5 p.m. and the kids are hungry. A home-cooked meal isn’t on the agenda and rolling through the drive-thru nixed off the list. You want a nice meal – whipped up by someone else, with actual silverware and a nice glass of wine to boot. But, the [...]
Ten Things I Learned on A 4,000-mile Family Road Trip
When Ken and I sat down and imagined what 4,000 miles of the majesty of Canada via the Trans Canada Highway would be like, rose-colored glasses played a significant role. We made up road songs and games in our head that kept us all laughing and bonding from sea to sea. Planned stops made for [...]
Digging In The Dirt: Helping Kids Grow Their Own Garden
“ Might I,” quavered Mary, “might I have a bit of earth? Fans of “The Secret Garden”  will recall orphaned Mary Lennox’s timid request of her uncle for space “to plant seeds in – to make things grow”  on his huge English estate.  What started with an ivy-covered door, revealed by a friendly robin to [...]
Across Canada in 10 Days, Day 10 (A Little Late) – Feels Like Home
Editor’s Note: Thanks for waiting for this one. Once we got to Halifax, we found ourselves without many services and getting this last post done took more time than I’d hoped. This trip was amazing and we loved having you along for the ride. Now, for the arrival at our new home. We knew the [...]
Across Canada in 10 Days, Day 9 – Congestion in Quebec
Exhaustion – it’s official. Quarter after 9 in New Brunswick and everyone’s eyes seem sealed shut. I ordered breakfast for 8 a.m. and the warm, understanding gal from room service scared the hell out of me when she knocked on the door to make the delivery of eggs and newly-fallen-in-love-with croissants. I figured by 8 [...]
Across Canada in 10 Days, Day 8 – Digging Deep
Someone’s alarm in the room next to us went off at 5 a.m. this morning. Either they are serious hard sleepers or the last guests in that room left the neighbors a gift. Kids have made me a princess pea sleeper. I sat straight up in bed and knew I was up for the day. [...]
Across Canada in 10 Days, Day 7 – The Tao of Pooh
Chilled to the bone, both from the air conditioning left on too long and the reality that White River, Ontario in the morning is just plain cold, we shivered our way into our jeans and sweatshirts yesterday knowing we were headed for a classic piece of the story of Canada. In this no-Tim-Horton’s town (did [...]
Across Canada in 10 Day, Day 6 – Natural Disasters
If there’s one thing that you cannot anticipate, plan ahead for or build contingencies in for, Mother Nature has cornered the market. Despite our personal rationale that June is the perfect month to travel anywhere in Canada – no snow, not too hot, rainy season drying up, on and on – the lack of control [...]
Across Canada in 10 Days, Day 5 – A Bug’s Life & Lake Country
When we finally got out to the truck after a sleep-in at the lovely Lakeview Inn and Suites in Brandon, Manitoba on Monday, the four of us spent a long while admiring the new look the Xterra earned during the night. No graffiti or break-ins (thankfully), but more of a Mother Nature moment. We had [...]
Across Canada in 10 Days, Day 4 – Saskatchewan, The Land Where No One Rests
Crossing over into Manitoba at about 11:30 p.m. last night, it was as if the heavens had opened up and delivered us to the porcelain gates. There it was, glimmering in the not-so-far off distance, bustling with life. That is where we saw, for the first time in a day where we logged more than [...]
Across Canada in 10 Days, Day 3 – Big Breakfasts, Cowgirls & Dinosaurs (Oh My)
Predestined seemed the only word hovering in the air over Eastern Alberta on Saturday. Since what Mhari would consider the beginning of time we’ve found ourselves mega fans of all thing prehistoric and talking as a family about the journey to the Land Before Time. So, on the first of our scheduled down days, it’s [...]
Across Canada in 10 Days, Day 2 – A Magic Carpet Ride in the Rocky Mountains
As I ran out to the Xterra on Friday morning to collect some clothes for the kids, the rain beating against the ground in Chilliwack matched with the smell of working farms reminded me of late Spring days in my mid-20s when I worked as a reporter in a small Illinois town. That was the [...]
Across Canada in 10 Days, Day 1 – Getting Off The Rock
When we finally rolled in to the Chilliwack Travelodge at about 1:15 a.m. this morning, we knew we had done the right thing. A stopover so close to Vancouver definitely hadn’t made it into the planning book. But, then, neither did leaving Comox at 7 p.m. yesterday either. I tend to think of myself as [...]
20 Boxes and The Ancient UHaul – Packing The Shack
If there is one thing that everyone can agree on when it comes to moving, it’s that packing pretty much sucks. Just the mere act of having to sort through the junk drawer(s) and clear out the basement are enough to make any human wish for the moving box fairy. When two kids are making [...]
No Crying Allowed, Not Even Over Spilled Milk
It is not unusual for me to cry. In fact, it may be one of those things that people always mention about me. “Yep, she’s a crier.” There was water pouring from my eyes from the second my dad started walking me down the aisle, I sobbed uncontrollably the first time I saw both of [...]
May Long Weekend Adventures – Family Gardening
Editor’s Note: While going through old posts this morning, I found this sweet gem about gardening with kids. What better time to get out into the back yard and get digging with the tiny people in tow? This was originally posted on Comox Valley Kids in May, 2007. Enjoy. While I watched the tiny person [...]
The Summer To-Dos – What’s On Your Bucket List?
It’s the first Beach Days of the season with my wee kids and the effects on me and mine were wonderful. With all three of us at the tail end of a sniffly/sneezy bug, the salt air and sea breeze were just what we needed. My 5 year old is pumped following his morning soccer game and although my [...]
Say What? Be Brite!
Mhari Rhiverson is back today with her latest kid-spiration, just in time for the sunshine and the warm weather. Be Brite – M Rhiverson Mhari’s creations are so popular she now even has her own store with t-shirts, buttons, mugs and other goodies with any of her inspirational illustrations. You can score Be Brite gear [...]
Happy Mother’s Day!
From all of us here at OBE to all of you amazing mommas out there. Happy Mother’s Day! Lots of love, Robin, Sue and the OBE Crew
Best Mother’s Day Gifts List – Sleep, Food, Quiet
Over one hundred years have passed since Anna Jarvis decided to host a private gathering in West Virginia in memory of her dear departed mama. A year later,  in 1908, she took it one step further by organizing a church service that saw over four hundred mothers and their children in attendance. By 1912 the Mother’s Day International Association was up and [...]
Say What? Be Yourself
Editor’s Note: If there’s one thing we love around here, it’s creative kids. That’s why it makes us way more than a little giddy to introduce to you budding writer and illustrator Mhari Rhiverson. At nearly 7 years old, she spends a whole lot of her time crafting other worlds and a little kid-created fun. [...]
Take An Early Bird Peek at Books For Treats™ Canada
While making the leap all the way to Halloween may not seem quite possible in the middle of May for most folks, the crew here at Our Big Earth has made 2012 the year of goblins and ghouls (and Alphie The Bat, see our new pal below). In fact you can pretty well bet that [...]
Prom Night 101: Getting Mom Geared Up For Grad
At just under two months to go until my son’s high school prom I was itchin’ to get him fitted for his tuxedo. A few of my chick pals with two or three graduated kids recently had given me the go ahead to get on it. With the grad parade and prom to follow scheduled for the first [...]
Toddler-Friendly Crafts – TP Roll Painting
Crafts and the toddler crowd aren’t always a very positive combination. Add in an older sibling and the thought of putting them in the same room with things that don’t come out of the carpet is – well – daunting. Thankfully, the Comox Valley has folks like Maureen Wagner – who runs the Brooklyn Elementary [...]
Family Recipes to LOVE – Cheddar Zucchini Bread
We keep meaning to post this delicious recipe for pretty much the best zucchini bread EVER. But, about the time one of us has made a batch, it has disappeared before being properly photographed. This weekend, a tiny slab made it to the 24-hour mark. So, we are able to share how pretty it looks [...]
Earth Day – Top 10 Reasons to Eat Local
Editor’s Note: As we celebrate the Earth today, I have to admit that I am ALWAYS thinking about food. With 7 billion people on the planet, keeping everyone fed and healthy is a big issue that I often find myself trying to wrap my head around. That’s a lot to take in. But, what goes [...]
5 Earth Day Crafts That Show Mother Nature Some Love
This Earth Day getting creative is more than finding another use for that empty egg carton. There are so many ways to make some serious art goodness in honor of Mother Nature. Let’s honor some of those goodies: We totally love this globe made out of a tuna can and glitter glue from Planetpals.com These [...]
Earth Day Books – Picture A Tree by Barbara Reid
This time of year is one of our favorites around OBE HQ for so many reasons. The flowers are blooming, buds everywhere and the smells of Spring make us want to run around in shorts and flipflops 24-7. It’s also the time when we get to give it up for Mother Nature as Earth Day [...]
Confessions of a Not-So-Crafty Mom
It was that last frantic week of school before Christmas break and I was running late to drop my son at Kindergarten for the day. Rushing through the door to his classroom my 2 year old daughter was the first to spot them. “Ooooooohhhhh…..Mamaaa….” she said, her tiny finger pointing to the ceiling. “Pritty..” Hanging [...]
Earth Hour 2012 – It’s More Than 60 Minutes In The Dark
When I ask friends if they will be participating in Earth Hour this years, the response is often a mix of “maybe” and “my kids would hate me for that.” Turning the power off at home from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. tomorrow night may seem, in the scheme of everyday life, to be a shallow [...]
Easter Crafts – Simple No-Sew Felt Finger Puppet Bunnies
We here at OBE HQ have been in a bit of a crafty slump. As parents, we all go through those super uninspired stages where a coloring book and crayons is looking as Monet as it’s going to get. The slump here, other than being attached to a life in which time not currently a [...]
The Aliens Have Invaded & Stolen My Willpower
On any given day if you launched into a random conversation with me about video games I would be unusually smug. Not a fan of hours lost in the land of light saber duels, evil sorcerers and mindless killing, video games are as far down on my to-do list as cleaning other people’s toilets. Yes, [...]
Kids & Birthday Parties, Have They Gone Too Far?
Not so long ago in a town that you live in there was a 5-year-old dressed like a Monster High character. She picked out the dancing XBox games and the make up her friends would carry home in stylish cases that day. There was a custom cake, sit-down meal and hundreds of balloons decorating the [...]
Family Breakfasts – Cranberry & Coconut Scones
Breakfast is one of those meals that, during the week, pretty much gets forgotten about. In between lunches and getting dressed, last-minute homework and the inevitable butt-dragging that constitutes the life of any school-aged kid, the prospect of spending the time to whip up a hot breakfast comes in dead last. But, the morning meal [...]
Spring Break Plans – Get Out and Go Geocaching
Editor’s Note: Today, Martin and Lisa Pedersen from familynavigation.com are here to inspire us all to get outside and spend some time on a treasure hunting adventure. Geocaching is one seriously popular pastime and there are tons of geocaches all over Vancouver Island. I’ll let them share their adventures and get you excited about this [...]
Why BC Teachers Will Walk Off The Job on Monday
B.C.’s 41,000 teachers announced Thursday that they will exercise their right to strike and walk off the job for three days starting Monday, March 5 as contract negotiations with the province remain at a stalemate. While many parents may be waving their fists at the prospect of having to scramble to find three days of [...]
Encouraging Toddlers To Get Artistic
When it comes to kids, making art is often left to the school-aged crowd. But, it’s actually toddlers who are masters of visual arts. They love to create and their imaginations are wide open. Give a tiny person a crayon and watch the world blossom. Toddler art definitely has its own unique patina and style. [...]
Healthy Bites – Caprese Salad Sandwiches
If there’s one food that most families can agree on, it’s sandwiches. There’s nothing like those two slabs of fresh bread, bagels or even a tortilla filled with deliciousness to win the heart of even the pickiest of eaters. Now salad, that’s a different story. Kids are legendarily tough sells in the veggie department. But, [...]
Have A Safe Flight – Tips for Flying While Pregnant
Editor’s Note: Spring Break planning is in full swing and logging some travel time is on every family’s mind. But, when you are pregnant there are a few extra considerations if a flight to a fun destination is planned. I was chatting with the team at Cheapflights.ca about that very thing. They wrote a great [...]
Valentines Crafts – Printable Valentines for Kids
Walk into any grade school classroom right now and the patina is rather striking in the pink and red department. There are little heart-shaped folders taped to desks just waiting to be filled with the anticipated cache of love notes that will come tomorrow. Most parents can see it now, four Disney princess valentines, three [...]
Rediscovering Our Neighbourhoods – Natural Neighbours
Along the pathways through local neighbourhoods you can stand and watch for a moment as young kids wander by. Their eyes are fixed on things adults don’t even realize have joined them on the walk. They spot the tiniest of hops, the most faint of a buzz and a change in the direction of a [...]
Rediscovering Our Neighbourhoods – Safety In Knowing
Albert Einstein once said that “The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” Turning a blind eye is the pandemic of a disconnected society. It is so easy to move from the safety of our house to the safety of [...]
