We have rounded up all the best and hottest products for pregnancy and beyond for you to select from. Everyone goes home with one Hot Product!

Wednesday, May 30^th. 7-9pm.
Century Grill- 3975 Calgary Trail

Tickets Sales:
Membership Perks Cardholders- Wednesday, May 2 at 9am.
General Public- Wednesday, May 9 at 9am.
Sponsor Ticket (no product take home)- May 2 at 9am.

VIP ticket- $95
Regular ticket- $75
Sponsor ticket (no prodcut take home)- $35

Ticket includes: one wine/beer/non-alcoholic beverage, scrumptious appetizers, Amy Lou Boutique swag bag, and one Hottest Tot Product to take home! Purchase your tickets here!

Only 10 VIP tickets available: includes early arrival, first selection of numbers #1-20, and a LOADED Amy Lou Boutique VIP bag (see below) valued at over $150.

Space is limited to the number of Hot Products we have to give away! We have only ONE of each product and only one ticket sold for per product available! Everyone leaves with a Hot Product!

How does it work?
Each attendee will arrive to enjoy a drink and scrumptious appetizers at this one-of-a-kind cocktail party! Each mama will draw a number, and that is the order in which you will hand select your chosen Hottest Tot Product to take home!

What do we have to choose from?
An amazing list of 4o Hottest Tot Products (below), all of which will be available to choose from at the event! Follow our Hottest Tot Products board on Pinterest!

Hottest Tot Products:
Watch here as we update our links DAILY!
Nibble Bib & Cozy Sleep Sack ($57)- aden + anais
Organic Teether, Lille Throw Blankie, & Be Quick ($68)- BEBE au LAIT, ZooLEY by RiNGLEY, & Ju-Ju-Be
Piggyback Rider ($99)- Adventure Gear Canada
Lovey’s Products ($51)- Bumbleebee Kids
Personalized Lunch Box (with drink holder) & Water Bottle ($80)- CHILDish
Olli Booster ($120)- Clek Inc
Snap & Go Buckle-Tai carrier ($135)- Cosy Baby Happy Mommy
Coverboo Nursing Scarf x2 ($60)- Coverboo Couture
Ergobaby Carrier ($150)- Ergobaby
Gro-Clock, MY WEEK calendar, Little Lasso ($90)- Firefly Baby Shop
Grow-With-Me Bubble Dress ($45)- Golly Gee Baby
Aqueduck, Nose Frida, Hold-On Handles ($58)- Happy Baby Daily Needs
Cocoon Stroller ($499)- Joovy
Hook Portable Chair ($70)- Joovy
Nook Highchair ($150)- Joovy
Personalized CD’s (3-pack) ($66)- Just 4 Me Songs
Cuddle Bubble Hoody (lime) ($48)- Keylime Athletic Wear
Littlelife Animal Day Pack (ladybug & turtle) ($62)- Mountain Equipment Co-op
Littlelife Freedom Child Carrier ($225)- Mountain Equipment Co-op
MEC Cloudburst Rain Jacket ($54)- Mountain Equipment Co-op
MEC Wanderer Tent ($229)- Mountain Equipment Co-op
Natural Skin Care & Nursing Cover ($75)- Peanut Baby Wares
Peekaboo Beans Boy & Girl Outfits (size 4) ($265)- Peekaboo Beans, Stylist Stacy Jackson
Sachay Satchel ($150)- Petunia Pickle Bottom
Tour Guide Carrier ($110)- Petunia Pickle Bottom
Snuggin Go ($46)- POM Kids and Bumblebee Kids
Creativity Cruiser ($80)- Scandinavian Child Intl
Chewbeads bracelet & necklace ($45)- Sprogs
Ah Goo Baby Plush Pad ($46)- Sweet Momma Spa
G-Luxe Stroller ($150)- Uppa Baby
Fancy Schmancy Blanket (with booties) ($90)- Winifred Babies

Amy Lou VIP Bag:
1-hour Massage ($80)- Bearspaw Chiropractic & Massage
Bibagogo ($29.99)- Bibagogo
Munch ($8)- Boon
Chopstick Friends ($8)- Bumblebee Kids
The Mommy Hook ($8)- The Mommy Hook
3-pack Wash Pads ($12)- My Mom & Me Designs
Germz B’Gone Hand Sanitizer ($6)- Peanut Baby Wares
City Grip ($14.99)- Distributed by POM and exclusively sold at Bumblebee Kids
This LIST is growing! Watch here for more items daily!

Our Event Sponsors:

Join us May 30th for the Hottest Tot Products event!

~ Erin, Josline, and Sajida

Yes, it’s inevitable, we have to shop for kids birthday gifts.  Between our own children, their friends, nieces and nephews, the gift-buying is endless.  This month alone, we had two birthday parties to attend, our nephew’s birthday just past, and my niece turned nine on April 1st.

I often head over to Indigo Kids simply to hang out with the girls, since they have toys, colourful tables and chairs usually supplied with colouring supplies, and those little plasma cars and a train table!  We can hang out there for a good hour before anyone’s asking me to leave (I’m not entirely sure if they would ever ask to leave, actually?).

When it comes to birthday gift hunting, Indigo Kids offers up the best is convenience and options for your brood.  They have an entire gift guide online based on the child’s age, and in store, their staff can help you select just the right items.

We ventured over to Indigo kids the other day to pick out a friends’ gift and a niece gift, both turning nine.  We visited their gift guide online prior to visiting and the girls enjoyed their suggestions.

A few things we love about Indigo …

• FREE GIFT WRAP (gift bags) is now available on kids’ purchases, which we took advantage of this visit!
• Great book AND toy recommendations by age
• Wide, stroller-friendly aisles and colourful décor – a comfortable shopping experience for parents AND kids
• Earn plum rewards with virtually every purchase (get yours, it’s worth it!)

You can win a $35 gift card just be commenting here on the blog!  Tell us why you love Indigo Kids too and we’ll draw one entry randomly on April 30th!!

The fine print:

–> Giveaway is open to Canadian residents only
–> Winners can only win from one blog
–> Disclosure – I am participating in the Indigo Kids program by Mom Central Canada. I received compensation for my participation in this campaign. The opinions on this blog are my own.

WeeStock 2012 Spring Edition is THIS SATURDAY, April 21 from 10 am to 4 pm at the Edmonton Aviation Heritage Centre on 11410 Kingsway Avenue in Edmonton.

Modern Mama will be there, and we hope to see you there!

WeeStock is THE Indie & Boutique Baby Show! If you’re looking for unique baby products and services by local artisans, local boutiques and fun community groups, this is the place to be!

WeeStock is brought to you by Lite 95.7: Edmonton’s Lite Favourites and is sponsored by: Modern Mama, Steve Nagy Photography, Cosy Baby Happy Mommy, Natural Urban Mamas, Urban Chickadee, Whimsical Elements and Golly Gee! Baby

Taking place in the funky Edmonton Aviation Hangar on Kingsway Avenue in Edmonton, the event will feature vendors from all over Alberta that specialize in handmade, organic, natural, fair trade and unique & original goodies for babies, toddlers, new mommies, and mommies-to-be.

After you snuggle your baby in a trial carrier at their Stroller Check by Natural Urban Mamas & Cosy Baby Happy Mommy, take a tour around our shopping area for unique finds. You can then relax with your baby, and feed & change him in the Mommy Lounge area sponsored by Urban Chickadee. Bring your child to the Greenwoods’ Bookshoppe book nook for story time! They’ll also have fabulous coffee, drinks and food on site provided by Java Mama. It will be a fun day out with the family supporting local talent and business! Get some shopping done, prepare for Baby coming soon, or find unique and beautiful gifts for your new mommy friends.

Exhibitors: http://www.weestock.ca/vendors. We hope to see you at WeeStock 2012 Spring Edition!

ADMISSION: $5 each (children age 12 & under free) or $3 each after 1pm!

They are supporting Alexander’s Quest, a non-profit organization dedicated to grant wishes of children facing cancer and to raise children’s cancer awareness. We encourage you to donate to this wonderful organization by visiting their booth at the show.

Anyone who has had a baby understands what it’s like to feel uncomfortable in their own skin. Pregnancy, although a beautiful and enriching experience, can also leave a women feeling less
than desirable. Hormonal changes, exhaustion and lack of sleep can contribute to weight gain. Although the answer seems simple, eat better, exercise more, sleep when you can, it’s often a lot harder to implement than it sounds. That’s why we are focusing our Essential Series in May to fitness. Erin Kathan, has been a personal trainer and yoga instructor for the past 10 years (plus she’s a mom herself) and she shares her secrets to getting back into a fitness routine for the “mom” lifestyle.

We had sit down chat this week and I asked her what every mom is dying to know about getting back into shape after baby. Whether you have a new born or a 10 year old these tips can help you get on track!

1) What are the number one mistake people make when deciding to start a new fitness regime?

Often people try to overdo it! They try to make drastic changes too quickly such as make a major overhaul to their diet or promise themselves they’ll start to exercise an hour a day every day. My motto is ‘slow and steady wins the race!’. In my experience with my clients as well as with myself is that slow steady changes lead to long term success. Focusing on building upon the success of small changes to your lifestyle can compound over time and are ultimately much more successful. After 10 years of working with clients I’ve learned that the ‘all or nothing’ approach doesn’t work, and is probably the most common cause of failure to achieve results.

2) Do you need to join a gym or work with equipment to get back into shape?

No! This is such a great question, because often people will decide to get into shape and will have really lofty goals including buying a gym membership, buying a bunch of equipment for their home, or believe they need to make things complicated in order to get in shape. Working out at home, especially for moms is the way to go! You can hop out of bed in the morning before the kids get up, and follow a workout video on DVD or can use high intensity interval training using very minimal equipment which is highly effective in getting their heart rate up, burning tons of calories and increasing strength and metabolism. Also, for me, driving to the gym, working out, having a shower, and driving home can cost a lot, in time and money (consider child care expenses while at the gym)! I know that for me, I’ll be more successful if I can cut out some of the driving time to and from the gym and funnel that time into my workout at home.

3) You have worked with many different types of clients including professional athletes to stay at home mom’s what is your favorite type of client?

I especially love to work with women. I feel I understand women’s bodies as a result of being a woman myself who has gone through the hormonal changes of pre and post-pregnancy and helped many clients through the hormonal changes of menopause, as well as having been able to watch my body transform pre and post pregnancy.

4) How often and how much does someone has to work out to see results? What is realistic?

Results can be felt as quickly as one week. Your ability to be motivated to get to the gym can be fueled by the results of one week of eating better, working out, and therefore sleeping better. So, typically the way a person feels is usually apparent first, which becomes the motivating factor to continue with the habits you’ve started to include in your lifestyle. As for visual results, in about 2 weeks results can start to be seen, especially if you are committed to a healthy diet.

5) What are the common “problem areas” that new mom’s have and is there one type of exercise you recommend?

The dreaded ‘mummy tummy’!! For those of us who have been pregnant, we’ve all been there and most of us have struggled with trying to flatten out that bulge that remains post- pregnancy. It’s not fun, and can sabotage our self -esteem and therefore our efforts to get our post-baby body back. As frustrating as it can be, it can be a relatively simple problem to solve using the proper strategy. Diastasis recti is a common result of pregnancy, where the abdominus rectus muscles are literally pulled all the way apart laterally until none of the fibers remain in contact. That leaves a gap in the abdominal wall which provides space for abdominal contents like the stomach to push forward bulging out and giving us that 5 month pregnant belly look! Unlimited amounts of crunches won’t necessarily solve the problem unless we practice proper form during crunches or other abdominal work. Focusing on pulling the belly button in towards the spine and performing a pelvic tilt throughout your core workouts is imperative in strengthening all the muscles of the core. Pushing the abdominal wall up and allowing it to bulge outwards during exercise movements can actually aggravate diastasis recti
and will therefore not help in our efforts to flatten our tummy. Precision in form is imperative in regaining control over the mummy tummy!

6) How important is diet? What are some “small” changes that women can make in their diets that will help them see results?

Diet is so incredibly important. How you look is a direct reflection of how you eat. A small but impactful diet change that you can make is to avoid sugar….in all its forms! For example, flavored yogurt, ketchup, sugar or honey added to your daily coffee or tea, fruit juice, white bread, white pasta, and white rice which are ultimately taken into the body as sugar all need to be kept to a minimum or eliminated if possible. These seemingly small amounts of sugar can add up over the course of a day or a week and add not only additional calories that we don’t need, but will adversely affect your blood sugar levels, and can cause the body to store fat!  This blood sugar imbalance can also cause you to feel hungry sooner and will cause you to crave more sugar, and so the cycle continues…….

7) You are the mom of twin 3 year olds and you are a trainer for Body By Bennet plus you have your own holistic fitness studio ( with child care!) , How do you balance it all?

Well, I’ve definitely realized that you can’t have it all. I’ve made some sacrifices in order to try to excel in all the amazing opportunities I have been given in my life. The best resource I’ve found in my life is to continue practicing yoga and meditation. It sincerely helps me to stay focused, remain calm in spite of chaos, and helps me to remember to just slow down and breathe. I really feel that the skills I’ve learned through practicing yoga and meditation has increased my ability to truly savor all of life’s opportunities.

Join Modern Mama and Erin Kathan on Tuesday May 1st for 10:30 for our Essential Series - Body Back event! Not only will you learn a great workout routine you can do from home , but
you will also meet other mama’s who are getting into fitness too! Bring or wear your baby under one and for those of you with toddlers we will have Nanny Service available! Register
at www.modernmama.com as a Bonus you will also receive fitness passes to some of the hottest classes around town! Hope to see you there!

Are you a family looking to buy a new home in the Edmonton area?

Are you and your spouse not sure which way to go and can’t agree on Urban or Suburban?

Modern Mama has teamed up with Force Four Entertainment to help find dynamic families and couples, from the Edmonton area, who want to participate in Season 2 of HGTV’s hit show URBAN SUBURBAN!

Homebuyers across the country face a common dilemma: where do you buy your dream home? Do you compromise on space to live in the heart of the city, or move to the suburbs, where you get more “space for your buck”? Urban Suburban is hosted by top realtors and brother-sister team, Sarah Daniels and Philip DuMoulin. Philip champions city living, while Sarah reveals the perks of life in the suburbs! Each episode they meet with prospective homebuyers and help them determine, urban or suburban?

Four Four is NOW casting Edmonton and area couples and families for season 2! To apply to be on the show please email: casting@forcefour.com. Be sure to tell them Modern Mama sent you! Deadline is this Friday, apply today!

~Josline

We have four gift packs, each of which include two movie passes (for any Cineplex theatre), the movie Novel and the movie Storybook plus a beautiful little girl’s charm bracelet.

Enter below by commenting to win!  Tell us how you feel about fairy tales with kids – yay or nay?  (Pssst, we LOVE fairy tales and can’t wait to see this!)  You must be an email subscriber to win (so subscribe today!).

Contest open to Canadians only.  Only one comment please.

Keeping a family tradition of posing for photos with the Easter Bunny has become nearly as important to my girls as going to see Santa at the mall.

The Easter Bunny is now back at West Edmonton Mall!  With photos, colouring pages and a beautiful backdrop, it’s a really fun Easter keepsake for your family.

Visit the Easter Bunny at Centre Stage (main floor in front of The Bay) from now until Easter weekend. The hours are posted on the West Edmonton Mall site daily.

]]> http://www.modernmama.com/blog/2012/03/27/easter-bunny-looove/feed/ 0 http://www.modernmama.com/blog/2012/03/23/ctv-morning-live/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ctv-morning-live http://www.modernmama.com/blog/2012/03/23/ctv-morning-live/#comments Fri, 23 Mar 2012 04:30:53 +0000 josline http://www.modernmama.com/?p=3465 Continue reading →]]>

CTV Edmonton Morning Live invited Modern Mama to come chat with their viewers about our “mobile” program offered for moms and toddlers in Spruce Grove and St. Albert. Here’s what our Spruce Grove Director, Josline Stefanick talked about:

Let’s play! Let’s get out! Let’s get on the go!

Looking to get out of the house? Wondering where to go and what to do? Want something different each week? “Mama & Tots… ready, set, go!” is a 6-week” on the go” program for moms and their tots aged 1-4 years. Moms and tots meet on Thursday mornings at various times and locations in and around Spruce Grove, St. Albert, and Edmonton.

Moms and tots will enjoy story time, nature, music, swimming, and lots of PLAY! We visit Boston Pizza and the Public Library in Spruce Grove, Java Mama Cafe in St. Albert, and the John Janzen Nature Center and Moves & Grooves in Edmonton, and our finale is at the Tri-Leisure Centre pool!

Every mom will also receive a digital MOMento photo taken by Kokoo Photography- a professional photo of you and your little one(s)! We also have giveaways from these mom and child-friendly businesses- Bumblebee Kids, CHILDishes, Coverboo Couture, Firefly Baby Shop, Gymboree Play & Music, and Just 4 Me Songs!

Our next program starts in Spruce Grove on Wednesday, April 4th! Space is limited to 15 moms! Register today! Missed classes can be made-up in our summer or fall session.

St. Albert and North Edmonton mamas… check out the Mama & Tots series with Modern Mama St. Albert!

Although the program is geared towards ages 1-3, ANYONE aged 0-5 is welcome! The cost is $75 per mom and (1) tot, $70 for Perks cardholders, and $25 for any additional children (1-5). Additional children under 1 are no charge! Register here!

Join us… on the move!

Have questions? Email Josline at josline@modernmama.ca. We are excited to host this series in part with Melissa of My Mom and Me Designs!

Thanks for having us CTV Morning Live! We always have a blast!

~Josline, Director Modern Mama Spruce Grove

(By the way, this isn’t a sponsored post, and I paid for these books, these are just my opinions)

I Was a Really Good Mom, Before I Had Kids

Sincerely my favourite because it speaks so clearly about defining our priorities, letting go of guilt, advice from a Dad’s perspective and so much more.  When I read this book, I was so relieved to learn that I wasn’t the only mom around who doesn’t always enjoy playing with my kids.  There are some extremely funny quotes too, and a list of bitchy questions moms ask one another in an attempt to demean or inadvertantly induce guilt upon each other.  A great read all around, my copy has earmarks throughout!  (I actually gave away a few copies of this book, here, back in April 2008)

“A boner in the back is not foreplay.” – one of my favourite quotes from the book.

$16.68 paperback or $9.69 Kindle download on Indigo.

The Three-Martini Playdate: A Practical Guide to Happy Parenting

This is borderline fiction, because it truly is just a light read with no real expert advice, although it’s quite funny.  I do refer back to it from time to time when I need a laugh about the daily frustrations of parenthood!  With amusing chapter titles like “Preschool – The Fast Track To Harvard” and “Diaper Bag or Steamer Trunk”, it’s a cute easy read and would be a fantastic gift for any mom-friend!

“Once you’re ready to go [leave a playdate], it’s wisest not to ask permission of your progeny.” – so true.  Great advice.

$11.36 on Indigo.

The Happiest Mom: 10 Secrets to Enjoying Motherhood

This one made it into my top five because it has all these great graphics and lists, and is simply based on 10 basic ‘rules’ we can follow that will ultimately drive us to enjoy our parenting experiences.
1. take the easy way out
2. aim low, and go slow
3. trust your gut
4. keep it real
5. find your tribe
6. go with the flow
7. make your bed
8. have a plan
9. look out for number one
10. love your love life

“You + momhood = awesome”

$12.88 on Indigo.

The Baby Book

This isn’t a light read, but it’s everything I needed to know when I had my first baby.  This book gave me the reassurance I needed every time I questioned a choice like co-sleeping or babywearing, and breastfeeding, it’s all in here. I really respect Dr. Sears’ parenting theories and advice.

“Be patient.  It takes more time, support, and perseverance to achieve a successful breastfeeding relationship following an operation [cesarean]”

$18.23 on Indigo

The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal

A step by step workbook on incorporating self-care and balance in your life.  I think moms need to find more ways to seek out ways to rejuvenate and make themselves a priority and this book can help us do that.  Laid out so that you can work through it with various exercises, it’s “roadmap for mothers to tap into their innate capacity for wisdom, renewal and self-love”.

“I believe it’s your birthright to live the life you desire.”

$16.68 on Indigo.

Tell me in the comments, what is your favourite parenting/mom book?

Mommylicious happens this Sunday!

Mommylicious is a show primarily featuring local businesses offering products and services geared towards families. There are over 60 Vendor tables as well as various bonus areas such as stroller check and a private mother’s area for nursing, changing and snack time.

What: Mommylicious Trade Fair

When: Sunday, March 4th 10am-4pm

Where: Marriott River Cree Resort, Edmonton

Free to Attend!!!

We’d like to invite to join us for a fun filled day for the whole family.  We have a wide variety of amazing Vendors as well as heaps of fun and exciting activities planned.

• Photos with Tender Heart Care Bear
• Free Face Painting from Facetastic Facepainting
• Stroller Check brought to you by Natural Urban Mamas and Cozy Baby Happy Mommy
• Bouncy House and Glitter Tatoos from Inflatable Fun
• Play Area from Gymboree Play and Learn and Bibagogo
• Private Mother’s Nursing/ Changing Area
• Free Popcorn from The Toy Hutch
• Fabulous Raffle and Door Prizes

Visit them on Facebook!