Jill Amery, Author at Urban Mommies

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Jill Amery

Jill Amery is a mom of 2 small boys and the Publisher of UrbanMommies, a stylish digital lifestyle magazine filled with fitness, style, health, recipes and savvy mom advice to help you through pregnancy, birth, and raising your kids.

Sara Rue: The Activist Actor

EAVESDROP, Overheard By Jill Amery May 24, 2017 No Comments

Actors have many roles, and for mother of two Sara Rue, being an activist in today’s political climate is as important to her as any theatrical performance. With her daughters in tow, Rue recently participated in the climate march from where she was filming, setting an inspiring example for her kids. A celebrated actor on stage and screen, you have probably caught her as Carmen Ferrara on Popular, and as Claude Casey on Less than Perfect. As a huge sitcom fan, I loved her performance in The Big Bang Theory, playing Leonard Hofstadter’s physician girlfriend Dr. Stephanie Barnett for three episodes.

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Kids’ Happy Meal Books for Literacy

EAT, family meals By Jill Amery May 24, 2017 No Comments

Literacy is as much a parenting priority as ensuring our prodigy are well fed. Some lessons, like teaching them not to bully or washing behind their ears are simpler parenting goals than others. While instilling compassion can be done on a tight budget, not every child has access to the plethora books that are required in order to develop a passion for reading.

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My Vacuum Sucks (and that’s why I love it).

LIVE, wash By Jill Amery May 19, 2017 1 Comment

As I age, I realize that quantity is really not preferable to quality. It’s taken me a while. My sunglass drawer is stuffed with dozens of cheap sunglasses that don’t block UVB rays. The closet contains too many pairs of inexpensive stilettos that I can’t wear because they are so uncomfortable. And I have owned so many vacuums that can’t deep clean and then break often. Throwing away a big item like a vacuum every year or two really can’t be good for the planet. It also takes so much time to shop, learn, and then dispose of big items that you either end up returning of tossing. I am thrilled to say that I have aged wisely. I now have one good pair of stunning sunglasses, a couple of comfortable designer stiletto options, and a vacuum that truly sucks. In the most epic way possible. All of these items, by the way, will last me a very long time. Cheaper isn’t necessarily wiser.

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When Your Kids Aren’t Morning People

FAM, kids By Jill Amery May 15, 2017 1 Comment

It’s May and while we are supposed to be seeing earlier sunrises and spring blooms, the weather has been horrible. Mayvember. Daily rain, with grey skies and chilly air are not a recipe for wanting to jump out of bed at an early hour. Apparently, though, track and field begins in the spring and the hardcore teachers facilitating the 7am practices didn’t receive the ‘raincheck’ memo. I try so hard to teach the kids not to quit things, and me not wanting to drive in wet weather wouldn’t set a very good example!

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Heart For Maternal Health

charity, FAM By Jill Amery May 11, 2017 No Comments

We are so very blessed in Canada. When we get pregnant, there is nursery-planning to be done, websites to study and prenatal vitamins to consume. This magical time isn’t so exciting in other parts of the world. We are very much the exception and not the norm. In countries like Cambodia, Myanmar, Philippines and Rwanda, the outcomes of pregnancy can look very different. Every day, more than 800 women die from pregnancy or child-birth related complications in developing countries.

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Spring Beauty Finds for Tired Moms

beauty, GEAR By Jill Amery May 3, 2017 No Comments

At age 20, I used to get out of bed, apply lip gloss and run out the door looking fresh-faced and awake. (And of course that was when I though I was pudgy and ugly). The universe gives us this inverse relationship where wisdom is only bestowed with age. Well – I will be damned if with wisdom, I don’t start truly appreciating my own beauty too. After 2 kids and a hundred and fifty thousand soccer games, I can accept both beauty and wisdom, but I am going to need a bit of assistance from some of my favourite beauty products! I am asked to test loads of things, and over the past few months these few spring beauty finds have stood out for me in a huge way.

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For the Little Thespians

LIVE, nourish By Jill Amery May 3, 2017 No Comments

Julie Andrews is obviously a Goddess. And thankfully, this was recognized by the wise folks at Netflix as well as myself. Tailored to creative pre-schoolers, Julie’s Green Room – a Netflix-original, is streaming away as of this month. You can join Fizz, Riley, Peri, Spike, and Hank, as they explore the magic of the performing arts under the mentorship and teaching of theater legend Julie Andrews.

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Ashley Scott on Parenting Spiritually in LA

EAVESDROP, Overheard By Jill Amery April 27, 2017 1 Comment

The first two things I noticed about Ashley Scott (besides her flawless beauty) were words on her twitter account. ‘Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life’ is her bio, and a few days ago she tweeted 11.11. Whoa. I am one who constantly sees 11:11 on a clock, and knew inherently that I was going to enjoy our interview with Ashley Scott on parenting spiritually in LA.

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The 4 Sustainable Laundry Choices you Need to Make

LIVE, wash By Jill Amery April 21, 2017 No Comments

I just returned from ten days staying in a Barcelona flat where I washed in cold water and hung everything to dry. You may have caught my Facebook Live video about how environmentally-friendly European homes are as I showed viewers around my Gothic-quarter flat. As an exchange student living in Germany when I was 16 years old, I noticed that lights went off automatically, water was heated sparsely, and clothes dryers didn’t exist in most homes. At the time I thought that the Germans were the ones who lagged behind. How wrong I was.

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Nikki Deloach on Postpartum Depression

EAVESDROP, Overheard By Jill Amery April 21, 2017 No Comments

Sometimes you speak to a person and it makes you a better woman and mother. So was the case when I spoke to Nikki Deloach the day before her new film,”Perfect Catch,” which premieres on the Hallmark channel on April 22nd. In the podcast below, I talk to Nikki about her 3 year old son, her current pregnancy and the insane judgments hurled on us by other parents. We also spend much of the interview discussing what got her through her own struggles with postpartum depression and how the challenges associated with this mental illness helped her become an even better actor.

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Gold Bunny Acts of Kindness + Giveaway

Contests, EAT, holidays By Jill Amery April 12, 2017 100 Comments

Our family gets giddy for holidays. Knowing me as you do, it shouldn’t be a shock that I have an entire storage room dedicated to wreaths, décor and cookie cutters divided meticulously into seasons. Yes.. I do. And I gently rotate them throughout the year so that the next holiday’s treasures are easily accessible. Beloved traditions have permeated every Hallowe’en, Christmas and Easter in order to make memories and bond as a family. We have special recipes and songs, outfits and stories handed down through generations. While all of this adds sparkle to life, sometimes these traditions aren’t entirely selfless. At times, I focus more on the spectacle than actually spending real time with my kids. My heart races as I just admitted that.

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Waking Up Happy

LIVE, rest By Jill Amery April 6, 2017 No Comments

I hate mornings. And I’m not just saying that. I REAALY am not a morning person. See? I wrote that last sentence at 7am. That’s what happens. Give me 10pm. Midnight, and I will execute my tasks beautifully, exhibiting flawless grammar and grand ideas. Unfortunately, the world doesn’t operate based on my ideal time of day. The harsh 7am alarm means coffee, breakfast preparation and the crazy marathon that is getting two boys to school on time.

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