April 2010 ~ Gta Parent

The Grade D Report - Get Playing Outside Kids!

8:11 PM Leigh Mitchell 2 comments

The report card is out on our children`s health. Our children get a GRADE D in physical activity but really we should get the D. Sad. We parents are on laptops (more convenient then ever), we are on iphones and blackberries. You think our kids don`t care or notice? They do and what`s worse is they mirror our actions. That`s why I started my outdoor playgroup through Active Kids Club. We meet every Monday in the park and I haven`t missed a week yet (we started March 1st). Here`s a link to the info in the report in the Toronto Star for motivation. Need more motivation? Here`s yet another aspiring video for you to look at. Better yet - show it to your kids. Make that be their screen time! Even little changes help.

Here are a few considerations:

Make sure you know your child care providers outdoor time ``policy`` and that it matches yours. Be sure you talk about this before signing on! If you are able to pick your kids up from school try and walk. Bring a soccer ball with you. My son loves to play soccer with me after school. We always end up attracting some friends to play with us too!
Start with a simple step - go outside for 20 minutes and play tag. Kids love it and gets everyone`s heart rate up. If you want to get your own exercise in try running or speed walking while they ride their bikes. Great bonding time.
Walk when you can with your kids - to school, shopping etc. It is a great way for you to fit in your fitness time as well.
Explore nature when you get a chance. There is nothing like connecting with you children over nature. My son and I just discovered a snail out of it`s shell - it was the coolest thing.
Try and find like minded friends to hang out with for you and your kids. It makes life easier if your friends want to be outside together. My neighourhour across the street and I have bonded and gotten really close just from hanging out with our kids outside. We are also learning together to give our kids space to explore on their own! Great resource for Free Range Parenting is Free Range Kids.
Schedule the time to play (both for you and your children and together!) That means scheduling free play time, not just structured activities like art class etc.
Lastly - Have fun, be silly. There are actually a few book just on the subject of play. Playful Parenting is a great title to consider.

SPAN

Chef Julian Making Pasta Sauce - Yum

3:09 PM Leigh Mitchell No comments

Chef Julian, aged 6, had a show called Big Kitchen with Food on Portland Community Television. To read more about his adventures check out the cool web site Bunch - New Family Fun - http://www.bunchfamily.ca/6yearold-julian-cooking-show

Father's day mini portrait special in the park

10:28 PM Tabitha Brown No comments

Father’s day mini portrait special in the park - Richmond Hill or Toronto

Wondering what to get your husband or father for Father’s Day? Did you want to get him something more special than a t-shirt or golf club?

You’re in luck because Rabbat Photography is offering mini photo sessions! What could be more precious than a moment in time captured between father (or grandfather!) and daughter or son?
All ages are welcome. Be creative! These sessions can be father-son or grandfather-grandaughter, for example. If you'd like to include more than 2 people in a session, please let us know in advance so that we can schedule more time for you. There will also an extra charge of $10 since we'll be taking extra photos.

Even though the sessions will be taking place after Mother’s Day we're happy to photograph moms and grandmothers as well, so feel free to surprise your mom or wife with a gift she will always cherish.

Portrait sessions will take place at High Park in Toronto on Sunday May 30th, between 3PM and 7PM and Richmond Green in Richmond Hill between 3 and 7PM. We will have a rain date as well (or we can reschedule individually if the rain date does not work for you).

What will the session include?

A 20-25 minute mini-portrait session just for fathers, grandfathers and their children;

An online proofing and ordering gallery with 10-15 images on http://www.rabbatphoto.com/;

1-8x10 print (a $30 value), 4 wallet sized prints, 1 watermarked image for social networking sites (ie. Facebook, twitter).

The total cost is $49. If you would like to book a session, please let us know as soon as possible as these sessions will fill up quickly! Payment is due in full at the time of booking.

Pre and Postnatal Exercise...It can be done and it can be FUN!

9:40 PM Leigh Mitchell No comments

With three children, I am all too familiar with trying to stay in shape throughout pregnancy, and get back into shape afterwards. I have first hand knowledge of the transformation of a women’s body during pregnancy, postpartum and beyond, including the aftermath...ahem, or rather “AfterGlow” of that time period. Although hormones, fatigue, nausea, and pain can interfere with our success in maintaining fitness, it is possible to re-gain, and surpass your fitness goals in the “AfterGlow” (even if you can’t even get off the couch....trust me).

Benefits:
The benefits of exercise pre and postpartum not only include preparing you for the endurance of labour, and shedding that baby belly, but can improve your overall health and mental wellness. Including; increased energy, increased bone density, decreased stress, and reduced risk of Postpartum Depression and Anxiety.

Guidelines:
After 13 weeks, eliminate exercises in the supine postion. Yoga and strength training are great primers for labour. Wait 4-6 weeks Postpartum before beginning a workout regime. Walking or gentle Yoga are encouraged from 2 weeks on for women who were fit prenatally and have had uncomplicated births.

Listen to your body:
Physiologically take into account what your body is going through. You need time to recover and heal properly before diving into your pre-baby workouts. Your hormones, like Relaxin, which relax your joints and muscles during pregnancy, enabling your hips to open for birth, are still pumping through your body until 6-9 months postpartum. Also, during pregnancy, your blood volume increases by 50%, which means you may become light headed. Take it slow.

Core:
Safe and comfortable ab work,like crunches, transverse abdominal exercises, and kegels are encouraged throughout pregnancy. Although the first thing we want to do postpartum, is start crunching our way back to thin, it’s not the most effective way to shed the pounds. Building larger muscle groups will burn fat faster and increase your strength and energy. Try squats, lunges, warrior pose, and 1/2 bridge pose.

When seeking a program, look for one that suits your needs. A place in close proximity to your home, has stroller access, and offers specialized classes. Enlist a personal trainer who specializes in Pre and Postnatal health & fitness. Go with a friend or connect with other moms. It’s just as important to exercise your mental health as it is your physical, so have fun with it!

Julie Watson is the founder and owner of AfterGlow Health & Fitness, in Toronto’s Hillcrest Village. As a Can-Fit-Pro Certified Personal Trainer specializing in Pre and Postnatal Fitness, a Certified Pre and Postnatal Yoga Instructor, as well as Certified Spin Instructor, Julie takes the necessity of incorporating health & fitness into pregnancy and postpartum, and makes it safe, informative, and exciting. You can read more from Julie at www.afterglowtoronto.com/blog or in Tonic Magazine as Optimom www.tonictoronto.com

The Modern Momma's Marketplace

10:51 PM Leigh Mitchell No comments

Details: Market Moms Online

A Hot Mother's Day Gift!

8:32 AM Leigh Mitchell No comments

This year's most sought-after and unique Mother's Day Gift is preserving exact replicas of Children's Hands & Feet!

Market leaders in the children's life-casting industry, Wee Piggies & Paws boast record high sales just in time for Mother's Day! "When our customers first see how we can re-create perfect replicas of their children's precious hands & feet, they often get teary-eyed and emotional. What can be more satisfying than that?", quotes Debbie Cornelius, founder and 'Mom-preneur' of one of Canada's fastest-growing Home-Based Franchises.

One-of-a-kind LifeCasts are produced by taking molds of the child's hands and/or feet in a safe, non-toxic molding material, within 20-30 seconds, this custom-made, warm liquid turns into a rubbery mold, the child can then easily slip their hand/foot out of the mold. At this point, we work our magic to complete the casts and frame and mount them to the customer's liking. The possibilites are endless!!! Prices for products start at just $25. For pictures of how this is done, and to see examples of our work, please contact Jacqueline Burlock-Bowes at
(416) 253-4KID (4543)/ etobicoke@weepiggies.com or visit our award-winning website at www.WeePiggies.com

Get out & Get Active with Toronto Adventure Boot Camp

4:08 PM Leigh Mitchell No comments

Spring is here and using the outdoors to get into shape is easy and it’s free!

Take advantage of the weather and take your exercise routine outside. It provides great atmosphere and motivation to keep going.

Try going for a jog through the park, take it to the beach, climb some rocks. Use the environment around you and get a great workout.

Here are some ideas for outdoor exercises:

Push Ups on a bench or rock
Moving Lunges
Run up and down stairs
Step Ups on rocks
Low shuffles on the beach
Dips on a bench
Wall Squats using a tree, post, wall or rock
Intervals with lamp posts or trees – sprint for 1, jog for 1
Quick Step on a low rock or step – standing on ground tapping one foot on top of rock/step at a time – for high impact add a hop
Plank on a bench

If motivation is your challenge, find a friend who will join you. Schedule a time to meet and workout. Another option is to hire a personal trainer who will meet you at the park and provide you with a challenging outdoor program. If working out in a group is more your style, outdoor boot camps are also a great way get in shape.

Allison Amery is the co-owner of Toronto Adventure Boot Camp, a four week fitness program that excites, motivates and gets results. For more information call 416-434-6378, email us at info@bodybyubootcamp.com or visit our website http://www.bodybyubootcamp.com/.

Always Protect Your Vacation

4:20 PM Leigh Mitchell No comments

Reason number 1 to book your vacation with a TICO registered Travel Agency: Skyservice Airlines

A guest called our office last week right after Skyservice folded. They booked the Walt Disney World Resort portion of their vacation with us, but insisted on booking flights ten dollars cheaper than what we were offering elsewhere. The carrier they were booked on? Skyservice Airlines. Our guest called in hopes of us helping them get their money back, but unfortunately we could not do anything, as they did not book their flights with us. We advised them to call TICO and find out what their course of action was.

TICO (Travel Industry Council of Ontario) is Consumer Protection. It is an organization mandated by the Ontario government to administer the Ontario Travel Industry Act, 2002 which governs approximately 3,000 travel retailers and travel wholesalers registered in Ontario. In order to legally operate as a travel agency in Ontario, you must register with TICO and have a storefront office. If a travel agent is not TICO registered, do NOT give them your money. In the age of the internet, anyone can create a website and call themselves “travel agents”. There are websites dedicated to selling Disney Destination Travel by “experts” who will plan your vacation for you. But, ask them where their office is and chances are majority will ask to meet you in a coffee shop or will only communicate via email.

Reason Number 2 to book your vacation with a TICO registered Travel Agency: Conquest Vacations.

In April 2009, I was vacationing at the Henry Morgan Resort in Roatan, Honduras. We heard that there was going to be a meeting for all Canadians because Conquest Vacation had folded and we were going to have to pay the resort to leave! Sure enough, all Canadians who had traveled with Conquest Vacations (42 of us) were served with invoices from the Henry Morgan Resort, as Conquest Vacations did not pay them for the hotel portion of our all-inclusive stays and the resort needed to get paid for our vacation somehow.

Being a savvy travel agent (and traveler), I knew that because I booked my vacation through our storefront travel agency, TICO would pick up the tab. My group and four other couples were spared having to pay $1,700 USD to depart - this was the set cost the resort had insisted on. Unfortunately, the other remaining travelers were either from another province (where such consumer protection does not exist) or had booked their trip at the cheapest on-line source they could find. As a result, they had to pay to leave the resort. Not exactly my idea of paradise.

In order to protect your investment, always book your Disney (or any) vacation with a TICO registered travel agency. Visit their storefront office or call them up. Feel secure with where you spend your money, as travel is one of the few products which you purchase before you are able to inspect or try the merchandise.

Kathryn Dickson is a Disney Vacation Planning Specialist with Fairytale Dreams and Destinations. Fairytale Dreams and Destinations which is the only TICO registered agency in Ontario that deals specifically with Disney destinations. You can contact Kathryn at 905-857-3611 or by email at kathryn@fairytaledestinations.com

DISABILITY Doesn’t Have to be a Barrier to Good Parenting

4:28 PM Leigh Mitchell No comments

Thursday May 6, 2010, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

365 Bloor Street East,16th Floor Boardroom
(Bloor and Sherbourne)

• Hear personal experiences from parents with various disabilities
• Learn more about Nurturing Assistance
• Observe Nurturing Assistance in action
• Discover myths and stereotypes around Parenting With a Disability
• Hear from a Doula with a disability

Lunch and refreshments provided. Attendant services provided.
Other accommodations provided upon request

RSVP by April 22, 2010 to Carling at 416 599 2458, x270, by TTY at 416 599 5077, email to carling.barry@cilt.ca

LET’S BUILD A PARTNERSHIP TOWARDS A PARENT-CENTERED APPROACH BY TAKING THE DISABILITY FACTOR OUT OF THE PARENTING EQUATION!

Win tickets to A Mommy Soiree by Becoming A fan of GTA Parent

11:54 AM Leigh Mitchell No comments

Win two tickets (we have 2 sets to giveaway) to A Mommy Soiree! The Soiree is Sunday, April 25th at 3:00 pm at The Sutton Place Hotel- An amazing line up of chic services & boutiques for mama & baby, exclusive discounts at the event only, door prizes, swag bags and finally a glam event for mama’s and girlfriends! NibShbles, wine & mini spa included, oh what a night!

How to WIN - Become a fan of GTAParent

and send me an email at info@gtaparent.com or leave a comment on this post by April 19! Your name is then entered into a random draw. Winner will be announced on April 20th!!!!