The Makings Of A Confident Mom

Editor’s Note: Good morning. Marcie Dumais is on site with a look at the top traits that make for a confident mom. Here she is:
Over Spring Break, my kiddos and I flew to Penticton to spend time with my parents. This meant a quick flight to Vancouver, followed by a few hours in the Vancouver [...]

Working Motherhood Is Insane… Or Is It?

Editor’s Note: If you missed out on this morning’s review of the luxurious Tigh-Na-Mara Spa & Resort, you can read all about it HERE. Now, here’s Robin with a look at working motherhood.
It’s hard to hear, that sweet voice sitting next to me coloring at the kitchen table that pipes up when my computer mysteriously [...]

10 Kitchen Gadgets Moms Can’t Live Without

I am a self-proclaimed kitchen avoider. While I’m pretty confident in my cooking skills, I’m no lover of ending my day by cooking a big meal for the family. By the time dinner rolls around, I’m lucky if I actually have something defrosted enough to cook and I’m much more likely to pawn the job [...]

Mom’s Book Shelf – Emily Schultz’s Heaven Is Small

Editor’s Note: If you missed Gayle Bates this morning, you can read her post on proactive consumption HERE. Now, here’s Robin with the book of the month for March. Here she is:
Iam mildly dark. Ken would tend to disagree, and go with a much darker assessment. My favorite authors are Rosario Castellanos, Keri Hulme and Joan Didion. I [...]

Mom-P-Inc. – Blog Love for The Organized Business Mom

Good morning. It’s Sunday and that usually means we kick into Mom Entrepreneur mode around here with guest columnists like Emma Payton of Payton Hughes Consulting.
Emma has offered up some fantastic business advice to OBE readers and now it’s time to return the love as she’s kicked off her own blogging project that is sure [...]

Mom’s Book Shelf – A Discussion on All That Matters

I have to say that I now have a whole new appreciation for Vancouver and its evolution as a city, as well as the unbelievable conditions under which people come to this country and endure with the hopes of a better life thanks to Wayson Choy.
His novel, All That Matters, was February’s book of the [...]

Mom’s Book Shelf – Wayson Choy’s All That Matters

I am so excited to announce February’s featured author and book of the month – mostly because I can’t wait to get started on a new novel and sink my teeth into a book that’s been on my shelf for ages.
As Chinese New Year nears, I wanted to take the time to examine Chinese-Canadian culture. [...]

Mom’s Book Shelf – A Discussion on January’s Featured Novel

Good morning. It’s been a month since we introduced our first Mom’s Book Shelf novel of the year – Zoe Whittall’s Holding Still for As Long As Possible.
Today’s space is all about getting in your thoughts and opinions about the book – if you had the chance to read it – or the issues that [...]

Mom’s Book Shelf – Zoe Whittall’s Holding Still for As Long As Possible

One of my major resolutions for the new year is to spend more time reading for myself, something that went by the wayside far too long ago. I tried very hard to get back into it last year, was even blessed enough to be invited to be part of an incredible book group filled with [...]

Helping Your Daughter Feel Good About Her Body

Editor’s Note: Good afternoon. If you missed it this morning, we had local small business consultant Emma Payton exploring attributes of successful entrepreneurs. You can check it out HERE.
This afternoon we have Esther Kane on the topic of body image and helping girls be comfortable with their bodies. Here she is:

Thanks to Twitter, I’ve been able to [...]

Mom-P-Inc. – The Attributes of an Entrepreneur

Editor’s Note: Good morning. Today we have local small business consultant Emma Payton back with us and taking a look at some of the characteristics that make successful entrepreneurs. You can find her first article on the myths and realities of self-employment HERE. Here’s Emma:

In the previous article in this series we explored some of [...]

Product Review – Hot Winter Lip Protection

Good morning. Blustery weather is as hard on the face as it is on the head, and as soon as the weather goes from sunshine to big rainy whine, I am always happy that my trusty lip gloss saves the family’s collection of dry lips from inevitable degeneration.
We always find that Winter weather seems to [...]

Mom-P-Inc. – Kristi Walker of Eco-Centric

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 [...]

Green-e-ology – Mis-Adventures In Canning

Editor’s Note: Good Morning! Thinking local grains today? Check out the Brambles Demo with True Grains Bakery at 11 a.m.
But, really, the big event of the week is tomorrow when Royston’s ASH Berry Farm hosts the final Farm Event of the 30-Day Challenge. It’s going to be hot. So, what better way to cool down [...]

Esther Kane – Mindful Eating Roadblocks (Part 2)

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

Monday Mom’s Poll – The Perfect Jeans

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

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 [...]

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 [...]

BUMPS – It’s Spring, Time to Nest

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

Where is The Love? Finding Time for Each Other

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

Lower Grocery Bills with Smart Food Planning

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

Parent Wellness: Rejuventating Power – Girls Night

As a little girl, I can remember the delight of falling asleep to the chitter-chatter of four women, my mom among them, who met weekly under the guise of playing bridge.
Don’t get me wrong, these four women, known endearingly as the “Bridge Ladies,” do gather to play cards.
They even have an annual trophy ritual – [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Stress-free Holidays – Tips for Getting Organized

Editor’s Note:
If you are anything like me, it generally dawns on me somewhere around Dec. 10 that Christmas is two weeks away. In the mommy universe, that very late recollection of time and, well, time, is a not-so-happy moment.
Now that we have a baby on the way (holy cow, yes, it’s true, we are pregnant [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Fight Fatigue Naturally

When deciding on this month’s topic, I was noticing the amazing contributions of many of our valley’s Momprenuers (including you, Robin!!) and wondering if they have a secret reservoir of energy hidden in their basement, and how do I get my hands on it!
In my practice, about 75% of the moms I see will include [...]

Mommy Talk – Thrifty Mommy

I’m not cheap.
I’m joyously frugal.
There are plenty of things that I’m happy to pay full-price for. We shop local, try to steer clear of Wal-Mart and are happy to pay for high-quality.
But, there’s nothing I love more than a very serious bargain.
If you are looking for me on the rare afternoon that the tiny person [...]