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.

My Canadian Identity – Strong and Free

EAT, family meals By Jill Amery June 5, 2017 No Comments

As a little girl growing up in East Coast Halifax, I used to glorify the United States. Why couldn’t Canada have outlet malls and Dr. Pepper? It never seemed fair, and Americans openly expressed the notion that we lived in igloos. Many didn’t realize that we shared the longest unprotected border in the world. I couldn’t find many Canadians who ‘made it’ on Broadway or in Hollywood. Was there a future for the little girl who wanted to be a musical theatre actor more than anything? I was as embarrassed as I was insecure.

Pascale Hutton: Cherishing the Environment

EAVESDROP, Overheard By Jill Amery June 5, 2017 1 Comment

Born in Creston, BC, Pascale Hutton studied fine arts at the University of Alberta. A mother of two young boys, Hutton has a huge amount of passion for nature, and constantly models a love of nature for her two boys, ages 6 and 2. On today’s Facebook Live, I talked about the interview and how I plan to do small things to help the environment with my kids in order to get rid of the helpless feeling I have since the USA pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord. It seems that Pascale and I are on the same page!

When Your Vehicle Deepens Your Family Bonds

auto, GEAR By Jill Amery June 1, 2017 No Comments

If a car could tell a story about real life for a family it would be the Honda Odyssey. Like the story of the day your baby came home from the hospital and you were so nervous you shook. And the time you accidentally drove through a red light and managed to avoid the accident that almost killed everybody in the car. That family road trip to the coast where your daughter confessed that she had fallen in love. And the morning you drove your child and her jittery friends to their graduation ceremony.

Since the vehicle is so versatile and timeless, it becomes the one constant that follows and facilitates all of those real family moments. This minivan could tell 1 million stories, because a family is going to want to keep it for a very long time.

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.

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.

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

LIVE, wash By Jill Amery May 19, 2017 5 Comments

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.

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!

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.

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.

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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