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Healthier Halloween Options

EAT, holidays By Guest October 25, 2014 No Comments

We try to make the best decisions we can for our kids, we limit their screen time, we make them eat their vegetables, we teach them how to read and write and be good citizens. Halloween is definitely a time when most parents (myself included) let their kids splurge. I’m not opposed to letting kids have a candy bar every once in awhile, but with the vast amounts of candy that most kids collect on Halloween, it seems like a good time to investigate some healthier Halloween options for trick or treaters. We’ve collected a handful of our favourites. We’d love to hear your healthier halloween ideas too.

Go Go Squeeze

I first discovered these parent-guilt savers at Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. The boys were with me and devoured about 6 in one sitting. I try to provide healthy snacks for the kids but it doesn’t always work. These pouches are great for busy families on the go! Plus they are a Canadian company that harvests the fruit from their own orchard. How cool is that?

Crispy Fruit Snacks from Crispy Green

With flavours like Crispy Apple, Asian Pear, Mango, Pineapple, Banana, Cantaloupe and Tangerine these freeze-dried fruit snacks are 100% pure, have no additives, are non-GMO Project Verified and are allergy-free! Even better, they are delicious and kiddos love them! .

Xylitol Lollipops

If dentists gave out candy for Halloween, they would give out Xylitol Lollipops. Made from Canadian hardwood, Xylitol is a natural sweetener that stabilizes insulin and is good for your teeth. Many dentist give out Xylitol Lollipops with a toothbrush to their patients because of the positive impact that the sweetener has on teeth. Available in lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit flavours.

Harvest Snaps Snap Peas Crisps

Salty, crunchy and absolutely irresistible. SnapPea Crisps are a favourite in our house and the snack pack bags often go in our school lunches instead of a bag of chips. Available in a variety of delicious flavours kids will think they are eating chips but little do they know they are eating baked snap peas! Forgo the snack pack bags of regular chips and go for this low sodium, baked alternative.

Kellogs Multigrain Shapers Treat

It’s always fun to make homemade treats for friends of the family, close neighbours and school friends. Made with graham, Kellogs Multigrain Shapers would be delicious made into marshmallow treats, similar to what you would do with rice crispies. Drizzle with a bit of chocolate and the graham, chocolate, marshmallow combo would give them a smores flavor! Yummy.

Yum Earth Vitamin C Pops

Help fight off cold and flu season while giving trick or treaters something yummy with Yum Earth Organics Vitamin C Pops. Each pop has 100% of a child’s Daily Vitamin C requirements, plus they are super yummy! My personal favourite is the Pomegranate Pucker, but my kids always fight over the Googly Grape.

Annie’s Bunny Snack Packs

Available in cheese, chocolate, chocolate chip and honey graham flavors, Annie’s Bunny Snack Packs are another nice alternative to traditional Halloween candy. You can pick up a big assorted box of these at an Costco. My kids have almost as much fun playing with these little bunnies as they do eating them.

Pirate’s Booty

Have you tried Pirate’s Booty before? It’s impossible to stop at just one of these baked corn and rice puffs. They are SO YUMMY! Thank goodness you don’t need to stop at just one, because these delicious snacks are gluten free, trans fat free and have no yucky artificial colours or preservatives. They also have snack pack bags that are perfect to give out for Halloween.

And now it’s your turn… What do you give out to Trick Or Treaters on Halloween?

Travel Like Your Favorite Movie Characters

International, ROAM By Guest September 29, 2014 Tags: holidays for humanities, indiana jones, jamaica, james bond, jordan, luke skywalker, movie characters, Travel, tunisia No Comments

James Bond, Luke Skywalker, Indiana Jones… What do they all have in common (besides being character’s in fabulous action movies)? They all got to travel to incredible, exotic locals. Want to travel like your favorite movie characters? (I know I do!) Check out Holidays for Humanity. With trips like James Bond’s Jamaica, Luke Skywalker’s Tunisia and Indiana Jones’ Jordan they will appeal to the movie buff inside of you all while exposing you to some of the most amazing locations around the world.

Holiday’s for Humanities is also good for your soul. By working with partners that promote sustainable and eco-friendly practices they offer a range of travel options including eco resorts and hotels, health and wellness, volunteering abroad, cultural and culinary and expeditions and tours.

What movie would you like to climb into?

Fall and Winter Style for Kids from Noch Mini

GEAR, style By Guest September 27, 2014 Tags: boys clothes, children's clothing, clothing, designer, fall, Fashion, featured, girl's clothes, jina jang, kids, kids clothes, new york, noch mini, style, winter No Comments

I adore fall and winter. Not so much for the weather (I’m personally more of a summer gal) but for the fashion! Living in Vancouver, fall and winter fashion stretches all the way from fall to spring. Fall clothing for kids is just as fun (if not more) than the clothing for adults.

At Urban Mommies we are currently loving kids clothes from Noch Mini, a New York based children’s line designed by Jina Jang. Noch believes in protecting the environment and our children’s bodies by using only certified organic materials and low-impact dyes.

Check out the Noch Mini Fall/Winter 2014 Lookbook for great looks for your kids for the fall.

Baby Nutrition Month By Month With Mother Hen

baby, EAT By Guest September 26, 2014 Tags: 12 month, 6 month, 9 month, baby, baby food, diet, featured, food, food by month, foods for baby, frozen baby food, Genevieve Nadeau, mother hen, nutrition, nutritionist No Comments

Every mother wants to offer their child the very best possible, whether that’s education, extracurricular activities or the food that we put on their plates. Many of us struggle with how to “do it all”. Finding ways to make life easier is essential for every busy parent (and let’s be honest, isn’t every parent busy?)

Mother Hen Organic Baby Food is a great alternative for busy parents who don’t have the time to prepare and puree their own baby food. They come frozen so they don’t have the preservatives that traditional baby food in glass jars often has. All you have to do is thaw and serve.

Mother Hen had their nutritionist, Genevieve Nadeau, share with us some thoughts on different stages of baby nutrition month by month through the first year. She debunked some common baby nutrition myths and gave great tips on how to care for your baby’s nutritional needs.

Takeaway- Avoiding high risk allergy foods until after 1 year of age does not prevent allergies from developing. Introducing iron-rich foods amongst baby’s first food selections is important for baby’s health and development of palate.

Takeaway- Focus on foods that are high in iron, avoiding foods that are protein rich but low in iron. Introduce new flavours including dark leafy greens, small pasta and fruit.

Takeaway- At 9 months offer the breast or bottle after your baby has eaten their meal. Purees can start to take a backseat as you introduce grated or chopped foods. Introducing baby to a variety of flavours help develop their palate (even food that you may not enjoy.)

Takeaway- At one year baby can start eating all of the same foods as mom and dad eat.

Mother Hen recently shared their line of organic baby food with one of our writers, Kyla Beyer– mommy to baby Harvey and successful Vancouver entrepreneur. Kyla shared with us her thoughts and Harvey’s reaction to this organic line of frozen baby food.

[pullquote_left][/pullquote_left]It’s no secret that it can be challenging to balance career and motherhood. As a new mom I envisioned making all of my baby’s meals from scratch. Boiling, steaming, chopping, pureeing…I did it all….for a while. And then, when I went back to work, I found myself with less time to prepare healthy meals for my son. I wanted to spend my precious time with him, not in the kitchen. There are plenty of canned baby food products in the market, but once I discovered Mother Hen’s frozen baby food I was delighted. Natural, allergen free, no additives and all their fruits and vegetables are organic. I noticed a big difference in the smell and taste (yes, I tasted them!) of the Mother Hen products when comparing them to canned foods because the flavour and nutrients of their foods is retained due to their freezing process.

The Beginner line of purees are blended to the perfect silky consistency(no matter how I tried, I could not get my homemade carrot purees to be anything but lumpy). The portion sizes are perfect for little ones discovering new tastes, and their containers are free of BPA so they can be safely microwaved.

The Junior line (8 months and up) has great flavours such as Chicken Cacciatore and Lamb with Fruits (inspired by Morrocan cuisine and my son’s absolute favourite). The portion sizes are larger for growing appetites and the variety of flavours help to expand his palate.

My discovery of Mother Hen’s line of baby food has freed up precious time and helped me to find balance in my busy life as mother and career woman.

Thank you to Kyla and baby Harvey for testing and sharing their thoughts on Mother Hen Organic Baby Food and to Mother Hen for sending them food to test.

Kyla Beyer is mother to Harvey and the owner of Limelight Floral Design, a busy boutique floral studio based in West Vancouver. With the help of her fabulous husband she manages to balance it all and still find time to stop and smell the roses.

Tips, Tricks and Resources for Homeschooling During a Teachers Strike

FAM, kids By Guest September 9, 2014 Tags: bctf, british columbia, Education, featured, Happy Hooligans, Khan, learning, lisa marie fletcher, math, reading, reading a-z, school, spelling, Starfall, strike, teachers, teachers strike, World as we knew it 1 Comment

Tips Tricks & Rescources For Homeschooling During a Teacher's Strike

Homeschooling. Maybe the word strikes fear in your heart- “Do I have enough patience to teach AND parent my children?” Perhaps the word gets you excited- Educating a child is a powerful thing. Regardless, with school on strike in BC many parents are starting to contemplate the idea of homeschooling their kids. Homeschooling resources are always a good tool to have in your back pocket, even if it isn’t something that you plan to do as a full time option. Supplementing your child’s education at home is a great way to give them a bit of extra help in areas that they struggle with and give them a leg up over the summer for the following school year.

We chatted with homeschooling expert Lisa Marie Fletcher, the creator of The Canadian Homeschooler and asked her to share some tips and tricks for parents who want to homeschool during the strike.

10 Tips and Tricks for Homeschooling During a Teachers Strike:

Don’t go out and spend a ton of money on curriculum and materials. Try to keep it free/cheap and easy. In case the strike ends earlier than expected, or your child doesn’t learn the way that curriculum works, you don’t want to be out a lot of money.
Expect that your school day isn’t going to look or feel the same as it is in a school setting. It won’t take as long (you might be done before lunch!), and you can sit on a couch or the floor (or in the tree!).
Decide if you are going to simply follow your child’s interests and encourage them to learn as much as they can about it, or if you are going to try and follow the expectations of the government learning outcomes for their grade level. BC curriculum packages by grade can be found here.
If you want to follow the guidelines, don’t stress too much about exact details or trying to figure out what each detail means. Look at the overall topic and use that as a way to start your plan. For example, in Grade 3 science they study plant growth. Plant a bean seed. Watch it and record the changes as it grows.
Use local assets to your advantage – the library, museums and art galleries, tourist attractions, historical centres, etc. Read a lot. Play outside a lot. Learn together.
Daniel Roizman of Hiyu had a few great suggestion for parents – Ensure you learn how to tether your laptops to your phones so they can work and homeschool from anywhere. Kids can get extra focus while camping or being on the beach.
Have the kids watch a movie, then write a report on it and do a bit of research before too.
Cooking – plan dinner. Have your child pick a theme (mexican, bbq, etc.), research recipes, make a list of ingredients, go shop and then prepare. You can also spread it across a few days (planning day 1, shopping day 2, cook day 3). Include some info on nutrition, organic or gmo and turn it into a science and math project.
Our publisher was on CTV news with a few more suggestions of ideas for learning while helping the household. A few neat ideas included exploring impressionist and Mondrian-styled art in colours of the kids bedrooms, leaning about chemical reactions and preserving through canning, using a swiffer duster for a cleaning competition, making fairy houses for the garden, and scrapbooking and writing summer vacation memories.
We also love the stop-motion lego app to inspire creativity and hone film-making skills.

Considering homeschooling? Here are some great resources to help you get started:

The Canadian Homeschooler– A site dedicated to sharing and providing Canadian resources to homeschooling families including Canadian materials, curriculum, products and websites that are relevant and useful to families across the country in their home education journeys.
Kids Activities Blog– A site created by a part-time homeschooling mom who shares activities that she has both created and collected for her sons education.
Reading A-Z– Thousands of downloadable, projectable, printable teacher materials, covering all the skills necessary for effective reading instruction.
Teachers Pay Teachers– On this site, real teachers sell activity sheets and curriculum plans that they have created for a variety of subjects.
Khan Academy– Provides “a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.” Subjects include math, science, arts and humanities, chemistry, computer science and more. For beginner learners to adult education.
StarFall– A wonderful online tool that can be used on the computer or ipad to teach kids to read with phonics.
Time For Learning- A student-paced online educational tool covering preschool through high school. Popular as a homeschool curriculum, an afterschool alternative to tutoring, and for summer skill building.
Super Teacher Worksheets– Printable worksheets for teachers, parents, tutors, and homeschool families.
Happy Hooligans- A website for arts, crafts and activities for kids from Toddler to Preschooler.
World As We Knew It- Read your way through Canadian history with Canadian literature.
World Bank of 1200 high-usage words for spelling.

Are you considering homeschooling your child? Do you already homeschool? We’d love for you to share your homeschooling experiences and what resources are your favourite for educating your children at home.

Gazpacho

EAT, family meals By Guest July 3, 2014 Tags: cucumber, family meals, featured, Gazpacho, soup, summer recipe, tomato No Comments

Gazpacho is an incredibly healthy and refreshing summer soup. If you happen to own a Vitamix it is even simpler! (And will save you some time to make mouth-watering fresh bread).

4 cups tomato juice
1 onion
1 green bell pepper
1 cucumber, seeds removed
2 cups chopped tomatoes (better if skins are removed, canned tomatoes can substitute)
2 green onions
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Coarsely chop vegetables. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until well combined, but still a bit chunky. Chill at least two hours before serving.

American Girl Boutique Opens in Vancouver

GEAR, toys By Guest May 15, 2014 Tags: American Girl, American Girl Boutique, Dolls, featured, slider, toys, vancouver No Comments

The American Girl Boutique opened up inside of Chapters on Robson Street last weekend, and my daughter Zara and I got the opportunity to visit it ahead of time and scope things out. Before the event invite I’d heard of American Girl but had no idea how big they are!

Zara is 7 and told me she had seen American Girl commercials on TV, but neither of us had ever seen an actual doll. We had no idea what to expect. Imagine our surprise when we arrived at the store at 7am on opening day and saw there was already a very long line up to get in. Some girls brought their dolls along, others waited anxiously to get inside at 10am and see an American Girl doll for the first time. I thought to myself – this is crazy, who waits in line for a doll? Then we went inside, and it became obvious.

The dolls are beautiful. They are really well made, and have gorgeous thick hair, they are endearing; even to adults. The best part about the American Girl experience for me was the fact that they encourage little girls to pick one special doll (maybe even the one that looks most like her), and then buy accessories and items for her. Yes there is a doll of the year released annually, but I didn’t feel any pressure to build a collection of dolls. They are definitely an investment retailing at $125 each, but I would rather buy one American Girl doll than multiple plastic dolls and their houses, cars, and other accessories.

Zara checked out all the dolls before she settled on the one that she felt looked most like her. It was really refreshing to see so many different options of skin colour and hair colour – there was actually 4 or 5 dolls that looked like they could pass as Hispanic or South Asian, definitely a welcome surprise. We also loved the fact that the dolls don’t come with names or birthdays – it lets you really personalize and connect with the experience. Z named her doll Izzy (one of her own nicknames) and decided the day she got her is going to be her birthday.

Once you’ve got a doll you can buy clothing and accessories for her, and even bring her back to the American Girl Salon to have her hair styled or her ears pierced. While I know these things can add up in cost, I think it’s a great way to talk to your little girl about finances. I made a deal with Zara that we can come back in a few months and I’ll get Izzy’s ears pierced but if she wants another outfit for her, she’ll have to save some of her allowance. It’s a great ‘save up for it’ learning experience.

Now that we’ve had Izzy almost a week, I can totally understand why all those little girls were lined up to get into the store that morning. Zara and Izzy are inseparable, from morning to night they are constant companions.

Everything is coming up Orchid in 2014

GEAR, style By Guest January 16, 2014 Tags: color, colour, corporate, Fashion, featured, pantone, radiant orchid, slider No Comments

So I have a confession to make, I’m a complete colour geek. In fact, when Pantone announced their colour of the year for 2014 I actually stayed up until 1am to catch the news. It’s sad but true. Thankfully I wasn’t disappointed because the colour they chose is gorgeous – Radiant Orchid.

“Radiant Orchid blooms with confidence and magical warmth that intrigues the eye and sparks the imagination. It is an expressive, creative and embracing purple – one that draws you in with it’s beguiling charm. A captivating harmony of fuchsia, purple, and pink undertones, Radiant Orchid emanates great joy, love and health.” – from the Pantone website.

Historically speaking Pantone’s colour of the year choices have made major impact on fashion, home decor, and even graphic design. (Remember Honeysuckle in 2011, and Emerald Green last year; Pantone called it). At the recent fashion previews for Spring 2014 Radiant Orchid was spotted on the runways at both Max Mara and Missoni, which almost guarantees it will trickle down to mass market fashions as well.

Personally I’m loving this new hue, it’s about time that we see something fresh and vibrant hit the fashion scene as opposed to the deep jewel tones and heavy makeup that has been popular for the last few seasons. A nice bonus; purple is one of the most universally flattering colours out there, so this really is a trend that everyone can participate in. If you have fair skin, lean towards cooler lilac based colours, and if your skin is darker pick a deep rich shade of orchid.

So what’s the best way to wear this new hue? If you are feeling bold you can wear it all-over, but I will probably lean towards a few statement pieces in Radiant Orchid. I’m already envisioning skinny jeans, with a light orchid coloured cardigan, and a cluster of vintage broaches (maybe a beehive too?). Or maybe I’ll get a nice cross-body bag in a deeper orchid shade and pair it with my spring/summer dresses. For me the key to participating in a trend is to balance my investment. A good bag will be with me for a long time so I can splurge, if I decide to go for Radiant Orchid pants though, I’ll probably get a budget friendly pair.

Not sure what shades play well with Radiant Orchid? You are safe working with navy, brown, or even a deep violet. If you want to create a real statement with your outfit consider pairing it with teal, turquoise, or last year’s favourite; emerald.

If you still aren’t convinced or ready to go all out with the trend, how about starting with your makeup? This is a great colour to wear on your lips or tips – in fact you might be able to do both for a polished monochrome look. However you style it, do give this trend a try, and then tweet us a pic – we’d love to see what you came up with!

How to raise your mom style game

FAM, self By Guest November 5, 2013 Tags: aldo, anna wintour, denim, diaper bag, dressing, Fashion, featured, flats, holt renfrew, jeans, kate spade, leather, lingere, maternity, michael kors, mom, motorcycle jacket, payless, pinterest, purse, slider, sneakers, style, sweatpants, underwear No Comments

When people ask me what do for a living, I usually say, “I’m a fashion writer and blogger”. More often than not, this is followed up with, “oh, you are a mom blogger?” The thing is, being a mom isn’t what defines me or my dress sense. I’m an entrepreneur and fashion blogger, and I happen to be a mom. To me being fashionable doesn’t stop being an option when you have kids. If you had a sense of style before, it’s still there, just a little dormant now.

25 Series to Read If You Love The Hunger Games

books, GEAR By Guest April 24, 2013 No Comments

I have a confession: I would rather curl up with a Young Adult novel than read more age appropriate books (i.e. books targeted for adults.) It’s true! Reading about others’ mortgage woes, loss of jobs or infidelity just gets me down. I would much rather read about adventure, possible unrequited love or a first kiss. And having spoken to quite a few of my fellow “mommies” I know that I am not alone. There is a reason why The Hunger Games series remains on the NY Times Bestselling books list week after week; despite our ages, we are all still connected to our adolescent angst.

Luckily, while searching Pinterest for back-to-school ideas, I came across a list of 25 fantastic series to read if you loved The Hunger Games.

Source: 2busybrunettes.com via Renee on Pinterest

Actually, I already have read a few of these titles prior to seeing this list and have loved them. What do you think? Are you as addicted to YA SciFi & Fantasy as I am? Have you read any of the books on this list? If so, please let us know what you thought of them.

Happy Reading!

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