CanadianBabies Parentpreneurs!

Disneyworld: Not Just a Vacation

2010-06-16T12:40:00.000-04:00

As soon as you become a mom and start envisioning the first family vacation, most women start to envision the Magic Kingdom and their children being swept away with the fairytales and fun of Disneyworld. I was no different. Last month, we finally got the opportunity. Four days of relaxation, a commitment to leave the smart phones and laptops at home and connect to the magic of my kid’s first vacation with Mickey Mouse. Terrifying, I know.

My intention was not to work one iota, and I tried, I really did, but being the founder of a national entrepreneurial magazine and the owner of a PR firm for small businesses, I couldn’t help but notice the perfection of the Disney business model. So I decided to do a little case study on the happiest place on earth and bring it back to my network of entrepreneurial moms.

Opportunities for the Small Business:

Multiple Streams of Revenue: I know many of you are a bit jaded when discussing the amount of shopping opportunities at Disney, but from an entrepreneurial perspective, we can all learn something. Obviously Disney’s streams of revenue focus on the park tickets, the accommodations (I am still jonesin’ for the Mickey shaped ice creams), and the souvenirs, but if you look closely, there are opportunities to purchase so that you can stay longer at the park. They sell raincoats, rainboots, socks, sweaters, coats, everything so that your magical moments are not disrupted by inclement weather. A girlfriend mentioned “ I didn’t care if that stroller cost $100/day, I would have spent it to stay longer at the park”. (Actual cost is $15/day) What new products or services can be added to your business model to increase your total sale per client?

Customer Service: I don’t know of any other corporation who handles customer service better than Disney. From the moment you arrive on the grounds to the moment you leave, you and every member of your family is treated like royalty. You don’t realize how uncommon this is until you can see a contrast. I have to admit, it started to fascinate me – I began to test them. I watched every person from the housekeeping staff to their national directory of media relations with my family and with other guests at the parks - it never changed. It became obvious the focus of their training was on creating magical moments, not closing sales.

Website Marketing: Next time you are thinking of planning a vacation or just hanging out with your kids on the computer, visit www. Disney.com (Disney.ca is where you should go for Canadian travel specials) and see how you can duplicate some of their ideas to keep people on your site longer. I could spend hours on the site alone, from Mommy blogs, to vacation planners to video games for every age group, Disney’s ability to capitalize on online marketing is like no other. You cannot get better top of mind awareness then when your 4 year old asks hourly to play the new Alice in Wonderland game.

Media / Public Relations: Okay, I have to admit, it would be hard for the small business owner to be able to compete with Disney in sending a group of Canadian media families for a one week vacation at your place of business, but what we can learn from is the pieces that made me as a media member want to write about that business. Disney has been around since 1955, you have to admit, it is hard to continue to write press releases each year – the media and the public needs a new story, something we have all experienced.

This year Disney launched the “Give A Day, Get A Day, volunteEarism campaign. This was an initiative that gave one free Disney park pass in return for one day of volunteering at registered charities. It encouraged families to volunteer and give back to their community’s together and encouraged travel to the park –brilliant in terms of a campaign to drive traffic to the parks as well as the media attention it garnered. It is also something most businesses can do in their own special way, find a charity in your area that relates to your target market and find a way to partner with them so that you both benefit. The leverage this kind of campaign could potentially have makes it a marketing model we should all look at.

When looking at our business models, sometimes, we don’t need to re invent the wheel, only add our personal or, dare I say, “Magical” touch.

Hello, my name is Kathryn and I am a Serial Entrepreneur

2010-05-28T21:56:00.001-04:00

Writing an introductory blog is not easy. How do you introduce yourself? Last week I stood up to speak for a group of women who were all interested in becoming entrepreneurial moms. The person introducing me referred to me as a “Serial Entrepreneur”. Ouch – the word “serial”, brings forth internal audio files from the news ie. serial killer, serial rapist, serial robber, hell, I don’t even like to eat cereal. (ok, that joke is better said than read)

But it is true. From the time I got my first whif of being an entrepreneur, I was hooked. It has become a total addiction, something no celebrity based, high class rehab spa could even beat out of me – although I would happily test this theory.

Growing up, I watched my father work for 24.5 years as a senior level human resources manager for a big oil company, only to be laid off a few months before his 25 year pension bous came through. After 25 years, they said they no longer needed him and could they throw him a party on the way out the door?

That was a pretty influential experience for me. Do I give my blood, sweat and tears to some guy in the corner office and worry about my job security? Do I work long hours and compete with my colleagues for our jobs when times get tough? Do I worry about taking time off for my kids when they are sick or when I need to take a parent to the doctor for her monthly check in? It became a pretty easy choice for me to go out on my own – and I have never looked back.

That being said, I have had some really great successes – I started the first Canada wide magazine for women in business, I have met some great people, eaten some fabulous dinners and am happy to be able to look at a couple of really fancy shoes in my closet. I have also felt the taste of loss, my first real business with over a million dollars in revenue a year, ended with a huge, esteem demolishing, and confidence crushing failure that to this day leaves a rancid, vomit like taste in my mouth. Does this still trump working for someone else – absolutely.

So, I hope what I can offer you from this weekly blog is a little taste of the reality of being an entrepreneurial mom. I will be interviewing women starting businesses, losing businesses, surviving in business and best of all, those who are thriving. I will be writing about my experiences in sales, in managing people (still can’t find that perfect assistant), getting outside investment, surviving cashflow crises and working with partners. I will even tread into the shark infested waters of dealing with the begrudged husband who just wants you to get a “real job”.

So, let’s talk – if you are an entrepreneurial mom out there looking to get involved, email me at kathryn@alchemycommunications.ca.

Be part of the Edmonton Mom, Pop & Tots Fair!

2010-02-08T12:29:00.000-05:00

The Edmonton Mom, Pop & Tots Fair is a fun two-day family event loaded with entertainment, education, and excitement! Be part of the excitement March 12th and 13th, 2010!

Does your company’s target market fall into the following categories?

• Young Families
• Expectant Parents
• Caregivers
• Children

Are you looking for a marketing strategy to stretch your dollars and make the most of your budget? For more information call (780) 490-0215 or email info@edmontonshows.com

Twitter Tip

2010-01-11T10:31:00.001-05:00

If you are a member of our Parent Entrepreneur Program (we like to call it PEP!), we tweet about your business twice a month and post your business information on the CanadianBabies Facebook fan page once a month.

You can see the CanadianBabies twitter page here:

http://twitter.com/canadianbabies

and the CanadianBabies Facebook Fan page here:

http://www.facebook.com/CanadianBabies

To make our twitter posts better regarding your company please ensure that your webpage has a title and description in your metatags that are no longer than 140 characters combined. If you need any help with this please contact Jamie at: http://jvgraphic.com/. You'll also find the following video helpful:

Mompreneur First Year Tips Part 2 of 3

2009-12-21T09:58:00.002-05:00

Idea of the Week: Send Them Your Website

2009-12-14T11:22:00.002-05:00

Postcards are a great, inexpensive way to boost sales. Ask the ideas company how they can help you develop a postcard campaign that will get attention.

Mompreneur First Year Tips Part 1 of 3

2009-12-14T11:19:00.003-05:00

Idea of the Week: Your Logo All Wrapped Up

2009-12-07T13:36:00.001-05:00

Before and after photos are a great way to demonstrate the value of your work. Showcase your work on your website with a photo gallery. For more information give us a call at 416-686-6747 or email sherri@ideascompany.ca.

Idea of the Week: Tips for Holiday Greeting Cards

2009-11-23T11:27:00.001-05:00

It's not too late to get your custom designed Holiday Cards with ideas company. Call today 416-686-6747 or email the ideas company at sherri@ideascompany.ca.

Search Engine Marketing

2009-11-18T11:43:00.007-05:00

Join The Mompreneur, today, on Wednesday, November 18th for an informative Webinar entitled: Search Engine Marketing: Increasing Exposure and Traffic on Your Website and Understanding a Google Analytics Report.

This information packed Webinar will teach you tips and techniques for increasing exposure and traffic to your website through search engine marketing tactics.

Before joining us, you should already have a website and have Google analytics installed.

We will be reviewing two analytics reports in detail during the session. The goal is to help you understand and interpret all of the information that Google analytics is giving you and learn how to use that to increase website traffic.

During this presentation, you will:

Learn how to set up your dashboard with the important information and have it sent to you and any other stakeholders automatically.
Learn how to interpret the reports on your dashboard, and make sense of the data.
Learn goals, what they are, how to set them up and what the value is for your site.
Learn how analytics can help you bring more customers to your site and convert those visitors into leads or customers.
Learn about segmentation and profiles and how to find out where geographically your traffic is coming from.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 18th

TIME: 1:00pm - 2:30pm EST

>COST: $25

REGISTER: CLICK HERE...>

CanadianBabies Fan Page on Facebook

2009-11-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Be sure to become a fan of CanadianBabies on Facebook as well (and tell use about your fan page, so we can become a fan of yours!). The CanadianBabies fan page is here:

http://www.facebook.com/canadianbabies

Our tweets are copied to our Fan page so that our PEP sponsors get more exposure. Be sure to have a nice gif or jpg image of your logo or product on your homepage so that Facebook will pick it up. This and a link to your website will be shared with all the CanadianBabies fans on Facebook.

Idea of the Week: Thinking Of You

2009-11-16T11:41:00.004-05:00

From the ideas company. Ask the ideas company for a few samples of Holidays Cards that feature your business and company logo. Call today 416-686-6747 or email them at sherri@ideascompany.ca.

Promote your Business with a Half-Tile ad

2009-11-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Have you forwarded your half-tile ad? Each week, we send out the CanadianBabies Babble to over 12,000 of our e-subscribers across Canada. In this national e-newsletter we include 4 half-tile ads linking to our PEP sponsors' websites. These ads appear in rotation based on the half-tile ads that we've received.

If you haven't forwarded your 300 by 125 pixel half-tile ad, please forward it asap to: info@canadianbabies.ca and we'll put it in rotation asap. If you need a half-tile graphic for your business Jamie can make a great one for you at an incredibly low price. Her website is here:

http://www.jvgraphic.com/

Our Parentpreneur LinkedIn Group

2009-11-08T10:06:00.000-05:00

Apparently relationships matter :) so we've invited you to join CanadianBabies Parentpreneurs on LinkedIn. You can find the CanadianBabies Parentpreneur group here:

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2052553

This is a group for our PEP sponsors and is a great way to connect, share information and news. LinkedIn strengthens and extends your existing network of trusted contacts.

From Wikipedia, "LinkedIn (pronounced /ˈlɪŋkt.ˈɪn/) is a business-oriented social networking site founded in December 2002 and launched in May 2003^[1] mainly used for professional networking. As of October 2009, it had more than 50 million registered users,^[2] spanning more than 200 countries and territories worldwide".

Let's us Tweet about you!

2009-11-08T09:48:00.001-05:00

Is your business on Twitter? It's a great way to connect with your target consumers and other businesses. Be sure to have your business name and tag line in the meta-tags on your homepage and make them less than 120 characters. This will help you since when folks, including CanadianBabies, tweet about your business the information that you want shared is shared.

Daily CanadianBabies tweets about Canadian baby and parenting news and about our sponsors. You can see our Twitter account here:

http://twitter.com/canadianbabies

Each month as we get information about your PEP subscription from PayPal we tweet about your business with a connection to your webpage. This tweet is set to automatically go out two weeks later as well so we're now tweeting about your business twice monthly! Many of our tweets about your businesses are re-tweeting by our followers!

Name Your Tune

2009-10-20T13:42:00.001-04:00

One of our fantastic sponsors! We love this CD!

Vancouver Island Baby Fair featured on 'A' News

2009-10-03T14:43:00.001-04:00

Hello! We Aren't Here To Take Your Call...

2009-09-14T12:25:00.002-04:00

Stay connected and continue to build your bond with your customers with email.

With our email marketing solution you can save money and stay in contact with your customers for as little as $30/month. No special programming knowledge or software needed. Format your email online anytime, anywhere in the world. The ideas company can even help you with your campaign if you want!

Contact Sherri Appleby of the ideas company to arrange your no-hassle FREE demonstration.

Go Baby Expo in Fraser Valley, BC

2009-08-15T12:24:00.002-04:00

This is a tradeshow for moms, dads, grandparents, babies, tots and kids. We have expanded this year to include kids of all ages. There is a high demand for a tradeshow in the Fraser Valley that has a little something for EVERYONE in the family. We have constructed this event for families with kids of all ages. We have bouncy castles, face painting, balloon making, lots of samples, hourly prizes.......and much more for everyone! "Moms to be" can watch a wonderful fashion show with a great maternity line. Concession stand for the family, seating to rest and room to move; this is what you will find at OUR show.

Tips for Social Media Promotion!

2009-08-15T10:57:00.003-04:00

I was thinking about titling this post, "What drives me crazy about business websites that I want to promote!", but I thought maybe that wasn't the most positive way to start a conversation. Hmmm, I seemed to have done that anyway :)

Please, please make sure the home page of your website has a clear image of your logo or product that is sized 130px × 106px or 101px × 130px or something close to this size. I've share a sample of an image that Finest Expressions has on their website that is a great example of this.

Why is it so important to have such an image on your homepage? This is the size that Facebook uses when someone posts or shares your website on Facebook for all their friends and more to see. Each month we post links on the CanadianBabies Fan page on Facebook these images, your images, are seen by our Fans and Friends. This helps us and our friends share your information and a great clear image will draw more people, potential customers to your site!

Keep in mind that if you do have a large image on your homepage that Facebook will resize it to this smaller size. When your image is resized it may loose some of the details that you were hoping to share. If you want to have a large image on your site, also post smaller ones or ones that can be resized nicely. The more images that we have to choose from the better!

Please share your thoughts and comments! ...and tell all your friends about the CanadianBabies Parentpreneur blog!

Great tips for Parentpreneurs!

2009-07-23T11:20:00.003-04:00

Thank you for Ellen McCaleb for sharing this blog post "32 Tips/Ways to use Facebook for your Business". Facebook is a great way to build both your personal and business network. Just remember to follow their rules! This post is a great step by step guide to promote and build your business using Facebook. There are a lot of simple tools gathered together in this one article. Work through them step by step and it will be worth it!

Mike Michalowicz for gathering and posting these 100+ Mom Entrepreneur Success Strategies. These posts are from some wise women. Creating, building, promoting and running a business is hard...and it's definitely harder while balancing this parenting thing (whether you are a mom or a dad!).

Please share your comments and tips here as well!

Ottawa Baby Boom Show

2009-07-22T14:51:00.004-04:00

Mom Entrepreneur Support Group

2009-07-15T14:05:00.002-04:00

The Mom Entrepreneur Support Group is an interactive group that allows mom entrepreneur members to network with one another and share their stories and advice for balancing motherhood and running a company. Membership is free.

In addition, the group is strictly moderated. A list of guidelines has been established in order to keep members on track with the mission of the group. I hope you will consider joining us and contributing your experience.

We have over 650 members and 2,800 discussions. We also have a resource file for members that includes a cash flow analysis template, a list of mom entrepreneur grants and contests, a list of members who offer exposure on their sites, buy in rights to our Co-op Shop and much more.

If interested, I invite you to click the following link for more information: http://tinyurl.com/MomEntSG.

Halftile Ads for the CanadianBabies Babble

2009-07-14T10:52:00.002-04:00

We're still accepting haltfile ads from members of our Parentpreneur Program (PEP) we will use in rotation in our weekly national e-newsletter, the CanadianBabies Babble. This e-newsletter goes out to over 11,000 e-subscribers and features many of our contests, product reviews and parentpreneur articles.

If you haven't yet please forward your halftile ad sized 300 pixels by 125 pixels. You can see our ad specifications, click here. And you can see halftile ad samples here:

http://www.canadianbabies.ca/images/halftiles/bugalug_halftile.jpg

http://www.canadianbabies.ca/images/halftiles/littletraveler_halftile.jpg

If you need any help creating your own halftile ad, please visit this page:

http://www.jvgraphic.com

Please let us know if you would like to join our Parentpreneur Program (PEP).

Join us on LinkedIn

2009-07-14T10:31:00.001-04:00

We've also created a group for our parentpreneurs on LinkedIn. You can join it by visiting this page:

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=2052553&trk=anet_ug_grppro

You'll be able to interact here and you may find some great connections!

CanadianBabies Fan Page

2009-07-14T09:20:00.000-04:00

We've created a CanadianBabies Fan Page that you can access here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/CanadianBabies/220198635314?ref=s

When we have more than 100 Fans we get to customize the above URL so please become a fan! As well, as tweeted about your business each month, as your Parentpreneur Program (PEP) subscription is automatically renewed, we'll also copy this tweet onto our CanadianBabies Fan Page.

To help promote your business, we recommend that you have a clear image of your logo on your site's homepage as well as your BUSINESS NAME and your BUSINESS tag line in your website's title metatags. Facebook can use this image to highlight our posts about your business.

Optimize Your Title Tag for Twitter

2009-07-14T08:44:00.003-04:00

The CanadianBabies twitter profile (with 2,999 followers) is here:

http://twitter.com/canadianbabies

Each month as your subscription to our Parentpreneur Program (PEP) is automatically renewed, we'll tweet about your business. This tweet will appear on our site's homepage.

I highly recommend having your BUSINESS NAME and your BUSINESS tag line in your website's title metatags. Here are some examples of past tweets:

Finest Expressions - Special Gifts for Special Occasions http://ow.ly/h5A9

Baby Kneez - Childrens Kneepads In 8 Great Colours http://ow.ly/h5y3

We'll also be tweeted about new parentpreneur and product review articles and contests that appear on our site to promote your involvement even more!

You can find out more about optimizing your title tag here:

http://websearch.about.com/od/quicktipsandtricks/ht/meta_tags_title.htm

To Tweet or not to tweet!

2009-07-05T12:50:00.002-04:00

First there was Facebook and now there's Twitter.

"Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?"

If you are a small parent run company, I suggest you twitter. Don't get obsessive about it but do tweet when you can.

"Why? Because even basic updates are meaningful to family members, friends, or colleagues—especially when they’re timely."

You can join Twitter here and create an account named after your business. Here are more Twitter basics for small business that you'll find helpful:

High cost of child care

2007-01-06T15:34:00.000-05:00

Something is seriously wrong with childcare in Canada. I've seen articles regarding some Chinese immigrants send thier children (babies) back to China to be raise by relatives.

Earlier this year, I was speaking to an advocate from Ottawa who was concern about our new childcare benefits. Naming the $100 a month that families are getting childcare benefits doesn't really cut it. I know when my kids were in part-time care with a wonderful woman down the street we were charged a reasonable $180 per week. $100 would have only made a small dent in the $720+ we paid per month.

Just reading this article made me think of all the conversations I've had over the past 12 months on the topic of childcare in Canada...and it's just wrong. Parents and are children need more help and support.

Boot Scootin' Baby...where are you!

2006-12-11T17:41:00.000-05:00

As usual, I spent much of my time today at the computer getting sidetracked on the internet. Unbelievable if you know me, right? :) I found two ADORABLE products/services this time though....

The first is the cutest mom/baby exercise imaginable, besides Salsa Babies!), but it's along the same lines. It's born in Toronto, created this year by Jackie Davidson, and is called "Boot Scootin' Baby"! How cute is that! Check out the photo of a class with cowboy hats on on this page.

The other product I found through Halifax's Next Inline's newsletter and it's the Giggle Bug Toddler Tracker. My mom would have SOOOOO used this on me! It has two pieces, one (the Tamper resistant "Giggle Bug") you clip on your toddler and the other you have on you. If you lose track (!) of your little one, you press the button on your "Activator Fob" and "Giggle Bug" that's clip onto your little one "will “beep” and the lights will flash until the child is located". It's a little like a combination "clapper" (to turn your lights on/off) and what you have on your key chain to lock your car. Very smart!

Holiday Shopping Guide

2006-11-27T21:36:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays! Oh, that's the first time I said that this year and the days are ticking away! I have started my holiday shopping though and I've started it online - no malls, no line ups and home delivery - it's great! We've decided to share our favourite online retailers with you!

Click here to see the first CanadianBabies Holiday Shopping Guide! Our favourite shops spread the joy!

free hugs

2006-11-18T18:27:00.000-05:00

I just found this on urbanmoms.ca. It definately made me smile, laugh and hug my kids. Enjoy and please share! Take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/v/vr3x_RRJdd4

Free Hugs Campaign has become a global movement. This is what the people at the '>Free Hugs Campaign said:

Free hugs is a real life controversial story of Juan Mann, A man whose sole mission was to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives. In this age of social disconnectivity and lack of human contact, the effects of the Free Hugs campaign became phenomenal.

As this symbol of human hope spread accross the city, police and officials ordered the Free Hugs campaign BANNED. What we then witnessed is the true spirit of humanity coming together in what can only be described as awe inspiring.

In the Spirit of the free hugs campaign, PASS THIS TO A FRIEND and HUG A STRANGER! After all, If you can reach just one person...

The response to this video has been nothing short of overwhelming and touching. Hugs to every single one of you who messaged. There have been thousands of emails from all over the world by people seeking to participate in the Free Hugs campaign and asking for permission. You do not need permission. This is the peoples' movement, this is *your* movement. With nothing but your bare hands you can make THE difference.

Mommy Brain!

2006-11-16T20:28:00.000-05:00

Ack, does "Mommy Brain" last forever? I just found myself putting the dishsoap in the fridge! It's either mommy brain or I'm becoming more and more like my own mother - eeek!

Vancouver Doula

2006-11-15T20:01:00.000-05:00

I just came across the website Vancouver Doula and am so impressed with the information found there. I have two little ones and had one doula at my first born's birth and two doulas at my second born's birth. The joke is that if we had a third (and we're not!) that we would have 3 doulas!

My good friend, Anona, was the doula at #1 and #2 birth and she was amazing. She was my brains during both births. She coached, supported and helped me mentally get through those waves of labour pains.

We hired Rachel, a massage therapist, to also be there for birth #2. While Anona managed by brain, helping me relax and not panic, Rachel massaged the heck out of my lower birth - my very own handmade epidural!

Doulas are amazing! I can't imagine giving birht without the support of an amazing doula!

There's no candy left at our house...

2006-11-04T20:54:00.000-05:00

All our candy left the house on the morning after Halloween - yeah! Although I'm sure there's a stash in my hubby's car!

We adapted the following "tradition" because 3 years ago we were all incredibly sick in November and I'm sure it was because our immune systems were weakened by all the sugar we ate after Halloween (I have absolutely no will power when there is chocolate in the house!).

Both of my little ones dress up (Joshua is now 6 and Sabrina is almost 4). This year Joshua was Batman (although he brought a light saber just in case and Sabrina was the same unicorn she was last year (such an easy age!). One parent stays home and the other takes out the kids - half way through the night we sometimes switch.

Here's our tradition...you can find a few different versions of this story on the 'net but around our house, we collect sugar on Halloween night for the Sugar Sprite. Each child gets to keep one piece of candy - usually the number of pieces is the same as their age. The Sugar Sprite is a fairy who collects sugar in the fall and she uses it to make snow all winter long. Children collect the sugar (candy) for her on Halloween and leave it just outside their front door. While they are asleep she takes the sugar and leaves the children a thank you note and a gift. The kids love to see their small gifts in the morning and to see the Sugar Sprite's 'footprints' in the trail of sugar that she leaves on the front porch! :) Luckily we've always had some snow a few days after Halloween! This amazes the kids!

So for the past years we've been giving away the candy that we collect. Sabrina had 3 pieces of candy last year and Joshua had 5. And they were still pretty good about it this year. Around 8:00 pm, Joshua even asked if he could put his candy outside! Hubby brings all the candy to work the next day - where his co-workers groan about it but it's usually gone in a few days!

a moral dilemma

2006-10-04T18:15:00.000-04:00

is it wrong to roast marshmallows for yourself over the burner of your gas stove, using chopsticks, while your kids aren't looking?

Ah, sleep.....zzzz

2006-10-03T16:34:00.000-04:00

Recently on a discussion board that I'm on a mom to a 9-month old ask about Elizabeth Pantley's book "The No-Cry Sleep Solution". She had bought the book and was working through it but was getting opposing advice regarding sleep for her daughter.

Sleep – this was a big issue for me. My first little one couldn’t go to sleep without touching me for the first 8 months of his life – he’s now 6 years old and goes to be faithfully at 7:30 each night and we don’t hear from him, typically for 12 hours ('cept for last night!).

When he was an infant I ended up having to go to bed the same time he did so that I was rested. It actually worked out well, I got the sleep I needed and hubby had to clean the kitchen at night!
A book that was really reassuring to me was Dr Sears’ “Nighttime Parenting”. As well, Ann Douglas’ new book “Sleep Solutions for your Baby, Toddler and Preschooler” has also had good reviews. Heck, everything Ann writes is wonderful and very practical!

Baby Om at Wish

2006-09-26T10:29:00.000-04:00

The wonderful Wish magazine recently listed list of studios across Canada that offer baby yoga programs. I want to add to the list their great list here:

The Yoga Loft
5663 Cornwallis Street, Suite 301
Halifax, NS B3K 1B6
Tel: 429-3330

Bluemoon Wellness
684 Osborne Street South (upper level)
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
(204) 287-8978

Lion's Breath Yoga & Pilates
Edmonton, Alberta
780.486.4431 or 780.488.4433

Kanata Yoga Centre
2 Beaverbrook Road
Kanata, Ontario K2K 1L1
(613) 858-1114

Namaste!

Got Blogs!

2006-09-09T10:57:00.000-04:00

I'm in the middle of shoveling out my office with the help of the incredible Glenda Muir from re:organized living...more on that later, including the embarrassing 'before' pictures, but for now I just have to share that...

...the Canadian baby world is amazing! As Canadian parents we are quietly doing our thing, playing with baby, trying to clean the house, hopping in and out of mini-vans, developing our biceps lugging around infant car seats (you know that I've-got-a-car-seat-in-one-hand shuffle) and all the while there's this quiet underground parenting Meetup/yahoo group/blogging/mompreneur world out there! It's amazing!

Please see the blogs, on the right, I've just discovered on the new and improved urbanmoms site!

Before I Pack Tomorrow's Lunch...

2006-09-05T22:06:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Ann Douglas wrote about "School's Eve". Thank you Ann.

Today, I'll write with relief that we got through the day. It was a day of firsts for J. - first day of full school; first day of grade one; first day at a new school; first day riding the bus to school (I followed in the van) and first day of French Immersion. I felt like someone's fist was around my heart all day, but J. was so brave!

To add to the emotions of the day, we were thrilled when the Snowbirds flew over the school to honour Captain Michael VandenBos. From our house, it looked almost as if they flew over the school, over our house and back to the school. What an incredible day! What an incredible story.

gimme blogs, gimme blogs

2006-09-04T11:02:00.000-04:00

Ok, I spending way too much time reading and trying to find Canadian baby-related blogs - such great reading! You'll see our 'links' area on the side growing weekly, especially if you feed my new addiction - send me information about interesting and unique Canadian baby-related blogs that you've found! I working to get a collection of blogs from across the country :) - really I'm working and not having any fun with it ;)

Slingin' at Starbucks

2006-09-02T13:41:00.000-04:00

While running into Starbuck's yesterday (is it getting too cold for Tim Horton's Iced Cappuccinos?), I saw this adorable young couple with their baby heading towards their car. The dad was wearing their little one in a pouch sling and both dad and baby looked so happy. What is it about this type of picture that just makes you sigh and say "aaawww?"

I love, love, love the carriers I have. We started with a Baby Bjorn that is pretty much standard in the baby carrier world. It's great for a younger baby and my husband loved to carry Joshua in it and go for walks without me (apparently the neighbourhood women gushed all over them!). Joshua could snuggle close and then face out (which he loved!). It got limiting though as Joshua got older (read "longer"!) and his little feet would dangle and get in the way of mommy and daddy's leg.

I also have a Heart-to-Heart ring sling (oh, they've updated their website! cute!). I need Dr. Sears’ Baby Book to help me understand how to use it but once Joshua was in it he fell asleep in 2 minutes! Perfect! It's a very versatile, easy to get into carrier. I've loaned mine to so many people to try - hey, where is it now? Who has it?

Next I found the Hip Hammock online (before it was bought by Playtex). This is an amazing carrier - so many people would stop be to ask about it that I consider selling them. What was next?

Oh, sigh, my favourite - the Ergo Carrier... let me have a moment here ...this such a fantastic and comfortable carrier. I could still carry Sabrina in it and she's almost 4 years old (I won’t though). Just looking at it on the Pookababy site makes me smile.

The last carrier I tried was a Moby Wrap. It was a little intimidating learning how to use this loooong piece of fabric but when I put Sabrina into it, at 16 months, my first reaction was "oh, I’ve got to have another baby so I can wear an infant in this". Which is a crazy thought because we are not having any more children just to fill a baby carrier! LOL! But the Moby is just that comfy and cuddly.

Enjoy your babies, wear them close and maybe I'll see you at Starbucks! :)

Balance not Boredom

2006-08-20T22:46:00.000-04:00

I was recently asked by Rebecca Eckler about my thoughts on "this wave of mothers - mostly from Britain and America - that are coming out and writing about how difficult it is to be a mother, and how they rather go out with friends for drinks, to the gym, etc."

These mothers are writing about how difficult it is to be a mother. Is motherhood at times difficult? Of course, it is! Clean & straighten the house continually, get the groceries, cook dinner that appeals to all, read all the parenting books there are, keep in touch with prebaby friends, attend this mommy class and that one, fill out new child tax forms, make time for the gym, count your new grey hairs (grr!)...and then be a sexy mama at the same time? Something will inevitably go! We are under a lot of pressure. These writers have taken it to the extreme though and that's what gets the press...and the book deal.

Rebecca called these parents "uninvolved" but I would call it "unattached". "Attachment is the strong bond of affection and connection that develops between children and their parents or primary caretakers. The quality of this bond influences the child's physical, emotional, and intellectual development." You need to spend time with your children to be attached to them and for them to be attached to you.

Parenting is about balance. Parents bored of their children? Come on! What was my grandmother's best quote of all: "If you are bored, you are boring." Find a way to get involved with your children and spend time with them. Finds ways to make yourself happy as well.

As parents we need to spend time with our children, our spouses and as corny as it sounds...ourselves. But it's got to be a balance...some of each...not one over the other.

Do you find Barney boring...well, don't watch him! In Canada, there are so many great ways to go spend time with your babies. You can go to Movies for Mommies in Vancouver, Toronto, Waterloo, Ottawa and Montreal. Moms in the City organizes amazing events for parents in Toronto. Wee Welcome is holding "Mama Mingles" across the country. Babyvibe in Vancouver, and soon Calgary, has listings of wonderful events for families. Spas are creating baby days. The MommyClub in Calgary organizes events monthly for parents. There are Mom Meetups across the country. Some very smart spas are even offering stroller days, when mamas can get manicures in a baby welcoming settings - how cool is that! As well there are baby sign language classes, music classes, fitness classes, mom and baby yoga classes- there are so many fun things so much to do with your child.

Add to these some well deserved time with girlfriends (AKA, girls night out, nit and nag, etc). Go out have fun! Through in the regular "dates" with your partner and you've got balance, not boredom.

I like to potty, potty...

2006-08-06T22:51:00.000-04:00

Okay, my family is approximately 1 year, 5 days and 7 hours past the potty training stage (but who's counting!) but this website that I just found has a very cute product:

http://www.pottysong.com/index.shtml

I was able to find the personalized version of their potty song for my son (J. went potty, J. went potty...), but couldn't find one for my daughter, but they would record one for her. Each personalized song would cost $9.95 (I'm assuming this is US) . I I would have bought these for my kids, considering what we've paid for diapers.

Another site that I did use when my daughter was toilet training was this Sign Language Potty Training Activity Book:

http://www.linton-entertainment.com/ASL/toilet%20gifs/Pottybook.htm

It was great to personalize the storybook (hmmm, there's a theme here) and read it to her a few times a day. The vocabulary/story really helped all adults in her life follow the same steps and use the same words as well.

We did think of "starting" to toilet train S. when she got close to 2 years, but I thought I could toilet train her for a year and she'll be using the potty by age 3 OR I could not work at it for a year and she'll be using the potty by age 3! :) I choose not to "train" her for a year and she was using the potty on her own about 3-4 weeks past her 3rd birthday. Yeah!

Actually, she didn't really care about it one way or another (her brother was sooo much easier!), when she had an accident she'd just say "it's okay, mommy, you can clean it up"...in a kind of "whatever" kind a tone...sigh! This is so much her laid back personality! What I ended up doing is just telling her we ran out of diapers and we only had a few to use a night time. She thought about it for a bit and came up with, "Hmmm, I better use the potty all the time now." Aaaahh!

Lord, help me when she's a teenager! I wonder if there will be a personalized "S. will be home by 10:00 pm, S. will be home by 10:00 pm" song by then? Anyone?? Please...

Gripes!

2006-07-14T17:52:00.000-04:00

I was recently asked where to buy gripe water in Vancouver - :) what did you think I was writing about this time!

Most drug stores/pharmacies should have it in the baby section. I’m pretty sure all have no alcohol now but check just in case. Some have different flavours (though not stated on the bottle), e.g., a licorice or dill flavour (!)

I've been doing some searching online for "gripe water" and I'm surprised that what I'm finding for the most part are sites that sell it but not a whole lot of information on it! Even my trusted Dr. Sears has nothing on the topic. Maybe this is a sign?

Other remedies for colicy (don't like the term!) babies are infant massage and wearing your baby. I found the latter out when my son was 4 months old and as soon as I put him in a sling he was asleep in 2 minutes! Grrr!

If anyone else has any hints to share, please do so!

"Mommy Milk" T-Shirts

2006-07-07T22:29:00.000-04:00

I’ve create a toddler/children's t-shirts for breastfeeding challenge this fall, on September 30, 2006 at 11am. They are very cute! Text on the t-shirts reads "My WeeHands Can Sign...Mommy Milk".

Profits from the sale of these 100% cotton infant and toddler t-shirts will be donated to La Leche League. For more information about the Breastfeeding Challenge please visit this website: http://www.babyfriendly.ca/

You can have a look at them at this website:

https://www.cafepress.com/weehands.25768269

Please share with all the families with wee babies you know!

Universal Child Care Benefit

2006-07-03T23:50:00.000-04:00

Recently, I shared information in our newsletters about the governments new Universal Child Care Benefit. There has been a bit in the media about this. Parents with children under the age of 6 years will be getting $1,200 annually per child, broken down into 12 monthly installments of $100 for each preschool-age child in every family Unfortunately, this benefit is taxable so it will actually turn out to be $80.00/child per month. Read more about this "benefit" and it's intricacies on another blog I've been following lately!

From nibble trays to brussel sprouts

2006-06-23T23:02:00.000-04:00

A new mom wrote me today and asked about feeding her 10 month old...or not feeding him...well, not NOT feeding him but he wasn't interested in eated because he had just learned to walk and was too busy exploring the world.

As a mom, I can completely relate to what she was saying! Been there! I told her that Dr. Sears' site would be helpful. I would not have gotten through babyhood with my little ones without Dr. Sears’ (okay a slight exaggeration!) As well the idea of a nibble tray (with appropriate 10 month old food) may be helpful as well.

Believe me I had to do a song and dance to get my first born to eat. Picture me putting a load of laundry in our front loading washing machine just so he could watch the water and bubbles while I fed him – he did NOT want to eat. At almost 6 years now he eats almost as much as my husband at times and loves almost any and all green vegetables – go figure!

If only Ann Douglas had written her book, Mealtime Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler And Preschooler, when my wee ones were, well, wee! Okay, they are 5 years and 3 year old - they're not ancient. Ann was most likely starting to write her new sleep and food books while I was pacing the floors at 2 am and putting on a floor show for Joshua!

Typical Canadian Mom?

2006-06-19T21:49:00.000-04:00

I consider myself a typical Canadian mom...I have my quirks...some of my friends parent the way I do...others, well they don't! Still I think many Canadian moms have asked themselves these important questions...

Is it okay to put Kahlua in a Tim Horton's Iced Cappucino?
Is there any residential cleaning services out there that will fold and put away laundry?

Inquiring minds want...no, NEED to know! I think I'll try the Kahlua thing tomorrow night! Meet me on the front porch!

Dear Andre

2006-06-15T23:31:00.000-04:00

Fantastic article! Thank you Infact Canada for fowarding it.

This stood out for me, “Yet, in hospitals (where, sadly, most births still occur), nurses and physicians are often too busy to help.” Both of my children were born to midwives at home (both were also nursed until about 22 months). I remember after my firstborn's birth that the midwives helping me/him right away get latched on. I had a great support network but still had moments of am I doing this right? I heard too many stories of friends who had gone to nurses who told them to supplement because they were not producing enough milk. These friends soon gave up on breastfeeding their little ones.

Education or re-education has to be there for the frontline staff – the OB, the family doctors, public health and visiting nurses…even some midwives. As well, post-partum support and doulas is a necessity, especially for first time moms.

What to Expect When your Surfing!

2006-06-13T13:50:00.000-04:00

I do remember when I found out I was pregnant for the first thing time...the first thing I did was head to Indigo Books and purchased "What to Expect When You are Expecting". I was so nervous and a little embarrassed (?) when I paid for it...would the 20 year old cashier know that I was pregnant (duh!)? what would his reaction be? ... turns out it looked like he didn't care!

I read little snippets of it every night in bed and was amazed at the pictures of what your little one looked at at every week and month.

The creators of the book, and the whole series, have now come up with a matching website, http://www.whattoexpect.com, complete with the same pictures (yeah!), tips, advice, pregnancy calendards, recipes, etc.

This site wasn't around for my two pregnancies (I don't think!) but I used similar sites: from IVillage (lots of ads) and BabyCenter. There are others that are similar, but nothing uniquely Canadian yet...hmmm!

My New Favourite Lullaby

2006-06-10T17:13:00.000-04:00

The Dixie Chicks have been in the news quite a bit lately. I just bought their new album (love shopping on iTunes!. My new favourite lullaby is the Dixie Chicks' Lullaby. It's one of the longest tracks on their album at 5:51 minutes - how smart is that! A slow, loooong lullaby - wise mammas!

With lyrics like "How long do you want to be loved? Is forever enough?"... I just love this song. Gotta go check on my napping wee ones now!

Travel with Baby!

2006-06-08T20:10:00.000-04:00

I've recently received an email from a mom travelling from the Caribbean back home to Canada for a visit...First of all...sigh! How exciting! It started me thinking about travels with my little ones...actually with our first little one since we haven't really gone any where since Sabrina was born!

I remember travelling with Joshua when he was an infant...we had to put a blanket over the window on his side because any transport truck whizzing by on his side would just terrify him. I travelled a lot around Ontario in the back seat next to him and mini-gos are great travel food for babies!

When we travelled by air, we made sure that we tried for an evening or night flight and that we reserved the bulkhead (?) and a bassinet for our little one. If you are bringing a stroller, they'll take the stroller from you at the gate and stow it for you and it'll be waiting for you at the gate when you arrive - nice! If you're bringing an infant car seat I think getting a "snap and go stroller" would be great for the trip. You can find a picture of one here:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00007M4JT/002-5478505-1867201?v=glance

As well, a soft baby carrier for the trip is an almost must! I LOVE the Ergo Baby Carrier and the Hip Hammock. I just sigh when I think about carrying my babies in them! I actually think I could still carry Sabrina, she's 3 years old, in the Ergo...must try that some day - she'd love it!

As well, you may want to try the following companies to see if they'll be able to help you in your journey:

Borrow Til Tomorrow
Serving - Niagara Falls, The Greater Niagara Region, Lake Ontario and Lake Erie shorelines
Fenwick, Ontario
Phone: 1-800-924-4914 U.S & Canada only
905-892-6960 local - Niagara Area (Canada)
Web site: http://www.borrowtiltomorrow.com/

Travel-Buggy
Serving - Montreal and surrounding area
Phone: (514) 659-2323
Web site: (English) http://www.travel-buggy.com/ / (French) www.bebes-en-voyage.com

gogoBaby
Serving - Toronto
Phone: 647-895-BABY (2229)
Web site: http://www.gogobaby.ca/

V.I.P. Child Car Seat Rentals Inc.
29 Steckley Street
Aurora, Ontario
L4G 7K6
Phone: 905-713-0326
Web site: http://www.vipchildcarseat.com/

Away WEE Travel
Serving - Toronto & Vancouver
Phone: 416-737-1622 / 604-222-4722
Web site: http://www.weetravel.ca/

Globe Toddlers - Baby Equipment Rentals
Serving - Fernie
Phone: 250-423-0355
email: reservations@globetoddlers.ca

Baby's On The Go
1410 Alpha Lake Rd., Suite 204A,
Function Junction, Whistler, B.C. Canada
Phone: 604-905-0002 Toll Free:1-866-905-0002
Web site: www.babysonthego.com

Let me know if any of this is helpful and please share what you've found useful!

Itty Bitty Links on Sale!

2006-05-25T22:15:00.000-04:00

Ok, I've had too much coffee or too little sleep - maybe both!

We’ve had an amazing response to our link offer! More than 65 additional companies are now linking to our site and our unique visits per day have increased by 24%! Special thanks go to http://www.ninepounddictator.blogspot.com/ and http://www.elephant-shoe.ca/!

We’re working to get all enhanced listings requests (free for June, July and August) ready for the first week of June. If you haven’t already done so, please forward the URL of the page that contains your link to http://www.canadianbabies.ca/ and the following:

your company name & logo;
your company' phone number;
your company' street address;
your company' web address;
a 40-word description.

Have a great evening!

Thank Goodness for Brooklin!

2006-05-17T15:37:00.000-04:00

Our neighbours just had a baby a few weeks...has it been months!...ago now. We're luck because the 2 little ones they already have are the same age as our kids, 5 and 3 years old.

Yesterday we were doing a little bit of spring cleaning (trust me this is not something that we typically do!)...and found in our bathroom cupboard an unopened package of diapers. Sabrina, our youngest has been potty trained for a year now, and we never got around to this package and we're not sure what to do with it.

I voiced this when we saw it and my son, he's almost six, said "Don't worry mom. We can use them when our baby comes". I stopped, backed up and said, "What?". He replied, "You know Anthony and Natassia next door just got a baby, so when our baby comes, we can just use those diapers for her". Okay, I want to hear a collective "aaaawwww" now! :)

I had to break it to my poor little one that we won't be getting a new baby. It's just mom, dad, brother, sister and the dog. He thought of it for a while again and thoughtfully said "Oh, and don't forget Brooklin" - our fish. Quick recovery!

One Big Community!

2006-05-11T12:28:00.000-04:00

So it's post-BabyTime! now...the baby show that is! I think I slept all day on Monday! My apologies to any one driving in Brooklin that day!

What a huge number of families came out - it's that 4th time I've 'worked' the show but the number of people there always amazes me. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera so I didn't get a chance to snap a photo of our booth. We had our fantastic new banner (thank you Sherri!) and two wonderful gliders from Dear-Born Baby (thank you Kelly!). At one point, there were two friends lounging in our booth - one nursing her little one and the other resting her 8-month belly - if you read this, pulleeaase, email me the picture we took!

I'm also having fun with our new stats program for the Canadian Babies sites (how nerdy is that!). It's great to see so many companies connecting/linking with our site! That's one of the main goals for CanadianBabies - to directly connect all things baby in Canada...and we're well on our way (and our sites just over 2 months old!). Have a look at this Kindermusik program in Vancouver; one of my favourite blogs; this service offering so much for moms in Toronto; a great new Canadian baby magazine; an adorable online baby store; these parenting classes in Calgary; a wonderful yoga studio in Halifax; a belly casting services in Toronto; and this party store in Edmonton! I LOVE that all this is connected!

Fantastic! Thank you for linking to our site: www.canadianbabies.ca

my first post!

2006-05-04T13:32:00.000-04:00

How exciting! Canadian Babies was created to link all things baby in Canada...and I'm blown away by what there is to offer Canadian familes!

I'm off to set up for the Baby Time! show in Mississauga ... it's going to be a busy weekend!

See you there!