Really the High Park Zoo?

This weekend the family and I visited the High Park Zoo. We saw a letter posted at the gates indicating that as of July 2012 the High Park Zoo will be closed. Bummer.

My family and I kept walking and bitched about the craziness of it all, then we resolved ourselves to enjoy the moment and smiled as the kids squealed with delight over seeing the animals on a cold winter's day. It was a moment. 

I reflected as we walked up the hill that this may be the last time we get to do this. My son, always seeing the bright side of things (as the young do) said... "Mommy we have until June to visit the zoo". Yup. He's right. Months away.

On the way home my son asked me "Mommy why is Rob Ford doing this?

I swear I am not making this up.... I laughed at how he knew the Mayor of Toronto's name - mainly from hearing my husband and I talking about all the cuts he has been suggesting and planning and well just the plain drama of Rob Ford in all his glory. He is an interesting subject to discuss.

I really didn't know how to answer my son's question. I just don't get it. There is no logic. The amount of savings that the zoo closure will result in is a drop in the bucket. Surely there are better cuts to be made that don't effect the quality of life.  One less free thing to do in the City with your family. It seems I am not alone in my thoughts of this - Councillor Doucette, the High Park Councillor explains how she tried to save the Zoo & was deemed out of order.


Apparently the Zoo has quite the history that perhaps Rob Ford doesn't share. Check out this photo of folks in the 1900's enjoying the zoo....





Well that's my sad rant on the closing of the Toronto Zoo. Please share your thoughts on closing of the zoo. I am curious to hear what you think! Leave me a comment below :) 

Photo credit: National Post

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Family Day Plans? It's Monday, February 20, 2012

Hard to believe but Family Day is just around the corner. Mark your calendars everyone - the pressure is on to have fun with your family on Monday, February 20, 2012.

I personally think it is a great day to just get outside. 

Here are some fun ideas to consider:

Go for a family hike - there are tons of parks throughout the GTA. I hear Balls Falls is beautiful option in the Niagara Region. Since you are out that way anyway you can then head over to Family Day Fest in Niagara Falls

Visit with family... no time like Family Day to make the grandparents happy with an impromptu visit. Hey they drop in on you unexpectedly right?

Want to stay in the city or go to the big smoke? Head over to Harbourfront for Skate8 for some skating fun overlooking Lake Ontario.


Have some more ideas? Well share some love below and tell us what you are planning on doing!

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Ain't MisBehavin - A morning of Positive Parenting with Alyson Schafer

Join us for our 2nd annual fundraiser!

Alyson Schafer- Ain't Misbehavin'

Time: Saturday, January 28, 2012 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM

Location: Runnymede Community Church

60 Colbeck Street Toronto, ON M6S 1T9 (Bloor West Village)

To register: Click here

Pick up Ain't Misbehavin' and scan the index of over 100 of the most common parenting challenges - flip to the page on the misbehaviour and VOILA! In about a page and a half of reading, you'll understand the behaviour, be given several parenting strategies to try as well as actual scripts or ziggy one-liners to get you through the moment.

Alyson Schafer is a psychotherapist and internationally acclaimed parenting expert. She is the Ask an

Expert columnist for Today’s Parent Magazine and sits on the Health Advisory Board for Chatelaine Magazine. She is the best-selling author of three parenting books published by John Wiley and Sons; “Breaking the Good Mom Myth” (2007), “Honey, I Wrecked The Kids” (2009), and her latest “Ain’t Misbehavin” (2011).

Visit Alyson Online: www.alysonschafer.com

For more information on this event or Parent Education Network, please e-mail us at parentednet@rogers.com.

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2011 Toronto Santa Claus Parade

When:	20 Nov 2011 (annual)
Where:	Toronto
Cost:	Free
Time:	12.30pm

A fantastic series of animated floats leaves Bloor Street West with marching bands, a couple of thousand over-excited costumed kids and the star of the show - Santa Claus. Toronto's annual Santa Claus Parade is a huge, fun Christmas event.

The parade is a Toronto institution that has been thriving for 100 years. Around 150 clowns accompany the children as they pass along the route, but they are not what they seem - they're actually fun-loving corporate types who pay up to C$1000 for the privilege of donning the clown suit. The Celebrity Clown programme has been running since 1983, a brilliant way of drumming up support for the parade.

The parade runs from the junction of Bloor and Christie Streets via Bloor Street and University Avenue to Dundas Street. From there it passes along Yonge Street, ending at the junction of Front and Church Streets. If you're in a wheelchair, the best way to view the parade is from the special tiers on Front St, across from the Hummingbird Centre.

Website: Santa Claus Parade Website

Content Courtesy of Frommers

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Just Eat It, Dammit!

By Stephanie Clark (Mother of Timbit and Toddler Timbit)
Originally published in Diary of a Fashion Mommy

Poster courtesy of Kaboodle.com

We eat all sorts of food in our house - pasta, crockpot dinners, Indian, Chinese, casseroles, and even Sushi.   Yes...Timbit eats sushi and use to ask if we could eat "Nemo" for dinner since the Disney character was the same color as salmon.  Anyway before I digress as I have a tendency to do...

I always imagined that I'd be like my mom and tell my kids they had to eat whatever I made.  Which worked up until Toddler Timbit arrived.  This kid has a mind of his own, won't sit at the dinner table, eats when he wants to and what he wants to, and doesn't have any interest in trying anything new.  My older Timbit never ate McDonalds, chocolates, undiluted juice, sugar cereals, etc., etc. - we ate healthy and wanted to introduce him to different cultures by way of eating.  How wordly of us.  And here I am with Toddler Timbit, who ate Chicken McNuggets as soon as he had teeth, drinks chocolate milk (thanks to my current pregnancy addiction to Nesquick - reduced sugar, iron added version of course), and is helping me reduce the Halloween chocolate stock in the house (even though Halloween is still 3 days away).

I assumed Toddler Timbit would be open to trying different types of food just like Timbit was.  Nope - he's not.  He'll eat naan bread and have nothing to do with butter chicken; edamame beans but won't try the sushi; and garlic bread but not the pasta if it's not Kraft Dinner or smothered in tomato sauce.  I find it so frustrating because - DAMMIT!  I slaved over the friggin' stove making that damn bacon carbonara sauce for 45 minutes, and he didn't even try it!  The audacity of him!

I'm hoping this is just a phase.  That he'll eventually open up to trying new foods and eating proper meals - but for now, Toddler Timbit is a grazer.  And though he does eat more junk food than he's brother ever did, he surprised me one day when I fed him a hotdog, chips and apple for lunch: he finished off the apple and asked for another, ate the bun, drank his milk, and left the all-beef-don't-ask-which-part-of-the-cow-it-came-from meat product and chips.  (Seriously...who leaves chips?!?!)

I guess it goes to show that despite the early introduction of craptacular foods,  he has still picked up the healthy eating habits that do go on in our house.  I've decided to pick my battles and not force the food onto him.  I do make sure there's something in the meal that I know he'll like or at least try.  If he's not digging the homemade turkey burgers, then I offer him his favourite - corn on the cob; but only when everyone at the table is ready to eat theirs as well.  We have a "safe list" of go-to foods if we find he's not interested in what were eating - but we never give him the impression that he's getting a different meal from everyone else.  That's what I grew up with - we all had the same thing for dinner regardless of whether we liked it or not.

Will Toddler Timbit's taste buds eventually match our own?  I sure hope so, because I have this insatiable craving for butter chicken right now.

How do you get your kids to eat what you make?  Do you cook only what they like or different meals for each?  Do you make them try other foods?

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Parenting Conference November 5, 2011

Join Kids & Company for a day of learning and connection with celebrated parenting leaders, who will speak on topics such as

• Power Struggles to Co-operation 
• Nutrition 
• Sleep Challenges 
• Finding a Healthy Balance between Work and Raising a Family. 

Keynote Speaker: Alyson Schafer, Psychotherapist, and one of Canada’s Leading Parenting Experts. Alyson is the “Ask an Expert” columnist for Today’s Parent Magazine and sits on the Health Advisory Board for Chatelaine Magazine. Her parenting strategies are practical & straight forward and potentially life- changing.

Other Confirmed Speakers and Panellists:

• Theresa Albert, Registered Nutritionist, Television, Host and Spokesperson
• Julie Cole, Co-founder of Mabel’s Labels, Mother of Six
• Karine Ewart, Editor-In-Chief, Today’s Parent
• Tracy Ruiz, The Sleep Doula
• Paula Smith, Partner, Ernst & Young
• D. Smith, Partner, Smith Family Law Group, Family Law Specialist

Host: Victoria Sopik, Co-founder and CEO, Kids & Company, Mother of Eight

Date: Saturday, November 5, 2011

Location: Marriott Springhill Suites 612 Applewood Crescent Vaughan, 905-760-9960

Time: 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Price: $79 per person (includes breakfast, lunch and one year (12 issues) complimentary subscription to Today’s Parent, Canada’s #1 Parenting magazine).

Optional on-site child care $40 per child

To purchase tickets, please go to: http://kidsandcompanyparentingconference.eventbrite.com

For questions, please contact Zara at 905-771-1153 ext. 1240 or zalibhai@kidsandcompany.ca

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