O Christmas Tree

at The Suncor Energy Fluvarium!

Discover where this popular holiday tradition comes from
and why evergreen trees are important to our forest
and river friends throughout the winter!

Saturdays & Sundays at 1:30pm
December 3 - 18, 2011

Program runs approx. 45-60 minutes
Preregistration is recommended

Fluvarium Kids Club Weekend Programs
Have you heard? Kids ages 5-10 and their families are invited to join Fluvarium Kids! Receive updates, collect stickers, and earn a Fluvarium Kids Fresh Water Friends certificate when you attend sessions in four different months!

This Fluvarium Kids program is Family Fun and includes an outdoor component, game, story and craft!

Fluvarium Kids programs are complimentary with admission.
Ask about our Annual Family Pass for only $35!

Register today with Denise or Tracy:
754-3474 or dhennebury@fluvarium.ca


- Posted from my iPad

Contest Reminder

Don't forget, there's only one day left to enter the contest for a $25 gift card for Chapters. All you have to do is become a Follower of this blog or leave a comment anywhere on the blog and send me an email with your contact info (in case you are the winner).

- Posted from my iPad

Printable Recipe: Cinnamon Chips

Here's a another recipe printable for one of our family's favourite breakfast and snack time options Cinnamon Chips. This recipe came from a good friend of mine and we make it all the time. I have posted about it before. You can use store-bought yogurt to make it even easier.

Christmas at the Library

Christmas Story time at the AC Hunter Library

Registration is not required, but as space is limited, we ask that each child attend ONLY ONE session. The content will be similar in both sessions.

Family Story Time
For children ages birth to six years with caregivers.
Wednesday, December14th
10:30 - 11:00 am

Pre-School Story Time
For children ages three to six with out their caregivers
Thursday, December 15th
10:30-11:00 am


For other Library Events check out the NL Libraries web page.

Parade Day!

We'll be heading down to the parade with the throngs of families today. I can't wait. This is the event that really kicks of the season for me. My husband's coffee shop, Hava Java (258 Water Street), is a popular destination for hot chocolate, treats and of course bathroom breaks during the parade, so if you are downtown, pop in, we'd love to see you in person!

Mummer's Festival and Parade

December 1st to 18th

From their web site: "The Mummers Festival coordinates a series of free public events around the theme of mummering. There will be workshops (hobby horse making, ugly stick), lectures, public forusm, a film night, school programming. Our parade day events are the crowning jewels of our Festival and include a "Rig Up", the Mummers Parade, and a Christmas Concert and Mummers Jam."

Check out the web site for more information.


- Posted from my iPad

Have Patients

Last week my son started complaining that his 'you know what' was hurting. I know that he will hate that his mom is a blogger when he is ten because of this post, but in the meantime that is what happened. We were at Boston Pizza for a Mommy and Son dinner date, but he was so uncomfortable that he was bouncing up and down in his seat and wanted to go home. The discomfort was not so much as to keep him from eating the giant chocolate chip cookie that came with his kid's meal, so I wasn't panicking.

We went home where I quickly discovered a tangled diaper. Looking at that diaper, I was pretty sure I had found the source of his discomfort. I changed him  and turned on his favourite show so I could make supper, as is our usual after-work routine. Soon he was complaining again and now pacing around the room.  I tried making him go diaper-free thinking a little 'airing out' might help. No improvement. I tried putting him in the bath, thinking luke warm water might offer some relief. That just sent him into hysterics.

With no other options we set off to the Janeway. Believe it or not, we had never been to the Janeway before. Seriously. No fevers, no ear aches, nada. I have heard the Janeway referred to as the hospital for "Six Children,' by jaded medical professionals who feel that the Janeway has more resources than it needs. I had also heard that as a result the wait times weren't too bad, but having been through adult emergency and having waited 4-6 hours I wasn't taking any chances. I packed my iPad, some toys, a juice box, gummi bears, and I put my kid in his pajamas. If we were going to have a wait, I was prepared.

When we arrived a sign said "average 2 hour wait." The waiting room was busy, but not brimming. We checked in. My son had stopped complaining by this time, perhaps he was distracted by the new environment. He was asking me all kinds of questions about the place, he loved the undersea murals on the walls and pillars. He chatted gamely with the triage nurse as she processed us. He pointed out that he had a stehoscope like hers at home. He was happy to putter around the waiting room and barely glanced at the iPad. He played with a shoe string he found on the floor, his tow truck, and his stuffed elephant. Not once, in what became a two hour wait almost to the minute, did he mention his problem. It was the classic case of 'get to the doctor and the symptoms vanish.' I decided to stick it out anyway because I didn't want to risk going home and having the whole thing start again.

At the two-hour mark we got called in. This is where they take you into a room and you wait again for an intern or a resident to come and check your kid out before the real doctor comes. I think this is a screening process to have the resident determine if there is something worth the doctor's time or if this is just an over protective parent bringing their kid in for a runny nose.  My son was curious about all the medical equipment in this room and wanted to lie on the bed. I took pictures because I couldn't believe how cheerful and interested he was 3 hours past bed time. We waited in there for another hour.

I know everyone jokes about how young residents look, but when ours finally entered the room, he really did look twelve. He was nice enough and tried really hard with the kid-friendly bedside manner. He called my kid's parts a 'turtle' to which my son firmly said "It is not a turtle." He wasn't falling for the cutsy.  The doctor advised that it was likely not a urinary tract infection and more likely something that would go away on its own; however we were told that we should get a urine sample just to be sure. We were given instructions and a kit to take home and we went on our way.  I have to say I was pretty proud of us both for getting through the whole experience without so much as a tear or a complaint. It was actually a bit of a happy adventure.

Stay tuned for Part Two - Collecting a Urine Sample from a Three Year-Old: Nudity, bribery, begging, and a race against time.
- Posted from my iPad

Reminder - Little Gym Christmas Camps

Christmas Holiday Camps at The Little Gym of St John's are offered from Dec 27th - 31st for 3-8 year old children.

 

Choose from morning 9am-12pm or afternoon 1pm-4pm.

A perfect opportunity for your child to burn off some energy and have some "kid time"

All camps have fun themes allowing for lots of imagination and creativity and a snack is provided!

 

Members $30 Non-Members $35

Register by calling 754 ROLL (7655) or email tlgstjohnsnl@thelittlegym.com

 

We are also offering Parents' Survival Nights on Dec 3rd, 10th and 17th. Please view the link for times and themes and to register

The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker is on again at the Arts and Culture Centre. A great holiday tradition.
Dates: December 16-18, 2011
$29.50 Regular

$25.00 Students/Seniors

$22.00 each for groups of 10 or more

(HST and service charge included on all prices)

Pinterest

If you haven't checked out Pinterest, I invite you to give it a try. I am completely hooked! Whatever your work, passion, hobby, or obsession, Pinterest is a way to collect your favourite things, post them, and share them. No more need for all those bookmarks you can't remember why you bookmarked. No more "right click, save as". You can check it out here and follow me here. 

If you aren't hooked on this, I want to know why! :)

Following?

Don't forget to follow this blog to be automatically entered for giveaways. This month I am giving away a $25 Chapters Gift Card. You can also leave a comment and send me an email so I will have your contact info to be entered as well. Deadline is November 30th, 2011.

Christmas in Bannerman Park

All ages are invited to Bannerman Park on Sunday afternoon, Dec 11th from 3:30-5:30PM.

There will be hot chocolate, mulled apple juice, a short carol sing led by the Stella Burry Inclusion Choir, and some Christmas stories. As twilight comes we'll take a walk on the streets around the park to see the stained glass windows and Christmas Lights.

This is a chance to try out your mummer's costume as you get ready for the Mummer's Parade the following weekend.

If you wish, bring a food item for the Food Bank.

This event is organized by the Bannerman Park Foundation as part of the plans to rejuvenate the oldest public park in the province.

Free Recipe Printables

With the holidays coming there are plenty of occasions to eat, from family dinners and brunches to holiday treats and party snacks. And as much as the holidays are supposed to provide time to relax, they are still a very busy time of year. With these two things in mind I thought I would share some recipes that are festive or easy, or both!  With a nod to Petit Cadeau for the great idea of free printables, I have posted the recipes for easy download and printing. Please feel free to share your simplest holiday recipes too. Let me know if you have any problems with accessing the documents as I am trying this for the first time. I will post more in the future as inspiration strikes.

Here are the first two:

Presto Pesto - although basil and arugula are not necessarily the most Christmassy of ingredients, I added this one because it is so easy to do for a quick dinner during the busy holiday season and it can be packaged as a gift.

Christmas Guacamole - a holiday twist on a favourite party dip. Try it with red and green tortilla chips for full effect!

- Posted from my iPad

Create a Postcard

Sunday, November 20, 2-4 pm
Family Fun at the Rooms
Create a Postcard
The Rooms Provincial Archives celebrates Archives Week with a special Family Fun. Did you know that the first postcards were made more than 150 years ago? Today, postcard collecting is one of the largest ‘collecting’ hobbies in the world. Drop in and create your very own. Bring along a mailing address and we’ll help you send your postcard to someone special.

Get out the Kleenex

I don't know about you, but Love You Forever is a story I can barely get through and I always cry. However, if you enjoy a good cry and you love Robert Munsch, here's the event for you and your kids:

 

Love Your Forever Munsch and More Stories

December 8th-18th
Thursdays through Sundays
4pm and 7pm

The Basement Theatre, Arts and Culture Centre

Runs approximately 45 minutes and is suitable for all ages. Tickets go on sale Monday, November 21st

Love You Forever and More Stories by Robert Munsch features six stories about fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, grandparents and friends. With live music performed from the stage, Chris Dreidzic, Katie Butler Major, Jennifer Furlong and Willow Kean bring these stories to life as they make a trip to the lighthouse, play with Millicent and the wind, try their hand at ice fishing and even go for a swim.

Little Ray Birthday's

We were at the Little Ray's Reptile Show and they announced that they will now do birthday's in St. John's.
There is nothing about the birthday party option on their site yet, but they were handing out brochures at the convention centre with the 1 800 number for booking. You can find their contact information here.
If you have hired them, I'd love to hear how it went.


- Posted from my iPad

Take out tip.

Part of my meal planning exercise also includes take out food. I mean, what meal is easier to plan than the one that requires only a phone call? I keep a binder with all the take out menus for our favourite places handy in my kitchen, that way when we want to indulge in a take out dinner; the choices are all right at my finger tips. Last year at Christmas, my mom gave me a binder specially designed for this purpose. It has tabs for styles of food and pockets to hold the menus. I love it. We frequently order Sushi, Indian, pizza, Chinese, and Greek.  Here's a binder like mine if you are interested. But you you can easily make one yourself too.


- Posted from my iPad

Confessions of a Co-sleeper

When our little boy was born he slept beside us in a co-sleeper that I bought from a company called Arm's Reach. It was the perfect compromise for us, we had our child within 'arm's reach' for comfort and ease of breastfeeding and we were able to still have room for us to turn over without squashing him. That wonderful time was short-lived. Our child was a light sleeper back then and when he was three months of age my husband and I both came down with vicious chest coughs. To spare our child the wakeful nights caused by our loud barking, we transferred him to his crib in his own room. He adjusted quickly. Once we were better again we thought briefly about bringing him back in with us, but it seemed to be taking a step backward, so we spent the next year taking shifts sleeping in the chair in his room when he had trouble sleeping or needed feeding. In fact, sometimesin sleep-deprived desperation  we would attempt to bring our little boy in bed with us to try and at least get some sleep without a kink in our neck, but our little boy would insist he stay in his bed and that we 'sit down in that chair.'

Well now we appear to be going through a new phase, our child has suddenly taken a liking to sharing our bed with us. He wakes in the middle of the night and nothing but coming in with us will console him. He snores, he kicks, he head butts us, but you know what? My husband and I both confess; we LOVE having him cuddled in with us. He's so warm and sweet and he puts his arms around us and pulls us in tight. There's no better feeling. Perhaps we are creating a monster, but I feel like we missed out on this when he was little, so we better take this opportunity while we can because this time will be fleeting and soon this little monster will be a big monster who will want no part of cuddling in bed with us.

Do you have co-sleeping stories to share?




- Posted from my iPad

National Child Day Nov 20

Reposted from last year:

NATIONAL CHILD DAY is November 20th

This special day is all about celebrating the rights of children. I found a great list of ways you can celebrate National Child Day at the Child and Family Canada Website. Check it out for yourself, but here's a few from their list that I liked:

1. Attend a special event with a child.
2. Ask a child for advice.
3. Introduce your child to your place of work.
4. Plan a special visit to your child's class or day care.
5. Send a package of toys, clothes or books to children in need.
6. Invite a child out for a meal or snack.

The Canadian Government also has some information on this day.


- Posted from my iPad

More Meal Planning

Sorry for the late post today... My favourite app now has meal planning. You can see more here:
http://www.cozi.com/live-simply/food-meal-planning

- Posted from my iPad

Childhood Obesity Discussion

On Sunday, Nov. 20 from 2-4 p.m., three experts from Memorial University of Newfoundland will be participating in an interactive discussion about childhood obesity. Dr. Guang Sun, Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Laurie Twells, Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy, and Dr. Antony Card, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, will share their knowledge in an interdisciplinary conversation on the roots of childhood obesity, methods of prevention and possible treatments. The event will be hosted by Dr. Ray Gosine, associate vice president (research), Memorial University. It takes place at the Suncor Energy Fluvarium, 5 Nagle’s Place, St. John’s. For more information, visit http://www.mun.ca/research/CafeScientifique.php
Refreshments will be served. Everyone is welcome. Seating is limited, so please reserve your seat by calling 864-4073 or emailing mcwhelan@mun.ca. You can also RSVP on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=106393419475819.
Café Scientifique is a sponsored by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The goal is to provoke community discussion on the latest issues and ideas in science, technology and health in an informal setting.


- Posted from my iPad

Looking at Nature: Drawing like Joseph Banks

Sunday, November 13, 2-4 pm
Family Fun at the Rooms
Looking at Nature: Drawing like Joseph Banks
Joseph Banks was an early European naturalist who visited our province in 1766 on a historic voyage to collect and classify its plants and animals. Join members of Nature NL to practice your own observation and recording skills.
Presented in Collaboration with Nature Newfoundland and Labrador

11/11/11

Looking for a way to help your child understand Remembrance Day? The Canadian Government's Veteran's Affairs web site has a kids section. 

I have taken my toddler to the War Memorial activities even though he is too young to understand the reason for the event.  It still has an impact on him and I encourage everyone to make this an annual family activity. The music, the RCMP horses, the veterans, and the minute of silence all make this a meaningful activity that really makes you feel as though you have honoured the day and the people who sacrificed so much. It was also nice to see so many others our community make the effort with their families. 

What better way to ensure we never forget than by showing our children the importance of remembering?

If you have thoughts or ideas about sharing Remembrance Day with your children, please leave a comment or send me an email. I would love to hear from parents with spouses in the Canadian Forces and what this day means to them.

Makin' a list

I am sure you have experienced the rabbit hole that is the Internet. Some days it is boring and some days you hit so many great links you cant keep track. Wednesday was that day for me this week, so I share :
One of these links lead to the next and so on...

• You have heard me rave about the cozi family calendar ( that may have saved a marriage or two) well now they have a Christmas countdown add- on
• From there I found this amazing site for OC people like myself. It has a list for everything, while not free, it looks like the fee would be worth it.
• And from there, this Christmas blog and as I am a Christmas nut, I am thrilled with this find.

Know a good link that you want to share? Leave a comment (and don't forget, a comment in November is an entry in a draw for a $25 Chapters gift card.)



- Posted from my iPad

Little Gym Christmas Camps

Little Gym Christmas Camps and Parents Survival Nights are posted here.

- Posted from my iPad

Reptilian fun!

Ray's Reptiles are back and it's been all over Facebook, but in case you are not on Facebook I thought I would post here too.  My kid really enjoyed this last time. November 11 -13th, 2011.
More information here.
- Posted from my iPad

Free demonstration music classes

Here's an email I received and thought I would share:

My name is Stephanie Rockwood and I am the Centre Director of Music Together St. John's. Music Together is an international, award-winning music and movement program for infants, toddlers and preschoolers together with their parents or other caregivers. I started this program in St. John's in September. We are wrapping up our first semester and will soon be taking registrations for our second semester, beginning in January.

To help spread the word about this wonderful program, I am offering free demonstration classes in December. I will come to your group of 6-12 children aged birth to five (with their parents) and do a free demonstration class. I'll supply the instruments and fun. Demo classes are about 35 minutes long with a 10 minute Q&A following.

More information can be found on my website: www.MusicTogetherStJohns.com

To book a demo class, please call me at 753-2424 or email me at rockwood88@gmail.com.

- Posted from my iPad

Christmas Camps

MUN kids Christmas Camps are not posted yet, but they promise they will be soon...

A few of my favourite things....

I hate shopping in crowded malls and I love looking for unique gifts so downtown and online are my favourite places to shop. I also like to find things that are inexpensive as it seems our list of friends and family gets longer each year as people's families keep getting larger. Last year I found these wicked snow ball makers at LL Bean and they were a huge hit. The work perfectly and they are less than $10 each (US). I have ordered them again this year to give to my friend's kids. All they need is a ribbon... or stick them in a stocking. I highly reccommend.

I spotted this cool family gift there this year, a snow man kit. I like it because it is in keeping with my 'get out' theme of making the most of the weather. I have bought this for my in-laws who have a cabin, but I am really tempted to buy one for us too.

If you have hot tips on cool Christmas gifts you have found I would love to hear about them.

Guest post: Once a month cooking

A few weeks ago I posted a couple of links to web sites that help you cook a whole month's worth of meals in one day. One blog reader, Andrea, took on the challenge and I asked her to write up something to share on the blog about how it worked out for her. Here is her post:

I find weeknights to be too crazy and hectic and rushed to do anything productive like make a good supper for the family. By the time we all get home it's almost time to go back out the door for activities. So I'm always looking for quick, healthy meal ideas that don't involve a drive thru! That's where Once A Month Cooking comes in. Erika at St. John's Kid suggested it a few weeks ago, and I had a look. I decided to give it a try.

I'll start with the website. Every month Once a Month Mom (OAMM) posts a whole new month of meals, plus their recipe cards, grocery lists, and labels. And not just for one type of menu, but for 6 - Traditional, Whole Foods, Gluten/Dairy Free, Diet, Baby Food, and Vegetarian. The idea is to grab your menu and grocery list on the first day of the month, then shop throughout the month, and at the end of the month, have one great big day of cooking. And then that's it, no more cooking all month! It includes breakfasts, lunches, and suppers. It doesn't make quite enough food for the whole month though, it does leave room for entertaining, eating out, or family pizza night. The website is very easy to navigate, and even gives you an option for how many people you're cooking for before you print out the recipes and grocery lists. The only downfall to the website is that the documents are in Google Docs, and despite being a technical person, I've never quite figured it out. But you can export them into Excel, and then fix them up a little bit, all the while maintaining the option to change the number of servings.

Next we move on to the food. I used October's Traditional Menu, and I found the variety of food to be pretty good, although there were no fish choices. When I did my grocery shopping I managed to find everything I needed in one store, so the recipes don't use hard to find ingredients. And OAMM makes use of seasonal foods too. We've had almost everything on the menu now, and I can only complain about one recipe, but that was just our family's personal choice. The recipes are very easy to follow (even for me!) and OAMM posts instructions for the big cooking day, right down to the exact order to do things most efficiently. I didn't follow the instructions because I had to break it down over two nights worth of cooking, but if you have the time to get it all done in one day, it's well worth it. If you have any questions or comments about the recipes, OAMM responds very quickly to everybody on the site. There are also many tips and tricks to cooking and freezing meals, as well as a recipe finder if you're just looking for one particular meal.

I love coming home from work and shoving something into the oven that isn't chicken nuggets. I would have to say it is well worth the extra bit of work up front, and I will definitely be recommending this to everybody! Thanks so much to Erika for letting me do this review!

Sketchy-doodle at the Rooms

Sunday, November 6, 2-4 pm
Family Fun
Sketchy-doodle
Do you draw, doodle or sketch? Mark making, no matter how leisurely or loose, is a form of expression. Turn your sketches, doodles and drawing into art in this Family Fun for everyone.

---

Patriotic Concert for our Soldier Lads

Sunday, November 6, 3 pm at the Rooms Patriotic Concert for our Soldier Lads
It’s winter 1916 and the local community hall is hosting a Patriotic Concert in support of their young men and women overseas. Based on genuine Patriot Concerts of the period, this special performance is a play between fact and fiction, featuring archival materials that highlight the experiences of and contributions made by, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians during the First World War.

Patriotic Concert for our Soldier Lads was compiled and written by Kevin Major, commissioned by The Rooms and is performed by Rising Tide Theatre.
Tickets $10. (10% off for members)

Cancer Free Baby Products

I was driving home from work yesterday listening to Ted Blades interview a woman about the cancer causing chemicals in baby shampoo including the ubiquitous Johnson and Johnson No More Tears products which we have been using since our child was born. I posted a link to the story on Facebook when I got home and the comments started pouring in, along with lots of helpful tips and links to help you sort out the toxins from the safe(r) products. I thought I would share them here in case you heard the same news and are now suddenly wondering what to wash your kid with that isn't going to make them sick or mutate their genes.

The Original CBC News Story
EWG Skin Deep

Less Toxic Guide

I was only able to find one product at Sobey's that was free of both the Quaternium - 15 and Parfum which were named as ingredients to avoid, Parfum being the more ubiquitous one by far. The product I found was over $12 and called Eco-Kids.

My only advice is to check the link lists for safe products, read the labels on everything you buy, and make your own decision about the right products for your family. And send an email or leave a comment about any good products you find so I can share with readers.  Locally Flowerchild on Duckworth and Tval have options, but check the labels to be sure.

It's hard to protect your family from everything, half of the ingredients aren't required to be listed, but you can try to protect your family from toxins when you know about them. And as this article implies, you can send a message to companies when you make educated consumer choices. - Posted from my iPad

Win a Prize in time for Christmas

I will be giving away a $25 Chapters Gift Card on December 1st. To qualify all you have to do is leave a comment on a blog post this month or send me an email with an idea for a future blog post. I will draw a name on December 1st. If you comment on the blog, send me an email too so I will have your contact information if you win.

The more you comment or email, the more entries you get, but be a good sport - your comments and emails should be constructive and relevant. Don't be shy! :)

Erika

YMCA Chistmas Camps

The YMCA Christmas Camp registration is available online. I will post more camps as I come across them.

Santa Claus Parade

This year the parade falls on November 27th. I have brought my son each year, even when he was too young to care. My husband works that day because his shop is usually a VERY busy place on the day of the parade, so my father comes with us and we make it a three generation event. I think this year will be the best yet as my son is now starting to get his head around all things Christmas. Hope to see you there! Don't forget your food bank donations and letters to Santa.