Mumfection

Connecting Kids To The Real World

2013-06-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am super excited to be bringing you this post today, I have begun working with Freaky Rivet which is an amazing site that helps gets kids active again... you know they way they should be. To tear their eyeballs from screens and to go out and play. In the fresh air... the sunshine... remember that?? I barely do, so I am thrilled to be apart of this initiative, not just for my family but for all of yours. We all know we rely on tech a little too much... well tech is about to help us get back OUTDOORS!!

When I was growing up, hand-eye co-ordination meant how quickly could I duck before my older sister's hand connected with the back of my head. Now for my kids, sadly, it is a measure of how quickly they can move an inanimate set of pixels on a screen before they get batted by another inanimate set of pixels. And this trend away from connection with the physical world into the virtual one is only going one way.

The jury is out on what effect this increasing usage of games and gadgets will have on our children. And it's not as black and white as most people assume. In as much as teachers complain that children's attention spans are noticeably shorter, tests also show that kids' ability to multi-task comfortably and effectively are on the increase. And that may better equip them for a future where multi-tasking is becoming an essential skill.

But in our view, this shouldn't come at the cost of losing their ability to connect to people, to nature, or to physical activities. Nor their ability to focus when needed on a single task for longer than the 90 seconds of an average YouTube video. Technology will be a big part of our children's lives in ways we can't begin to imagine today, but their lives need to be balanced with other aspects of the physical, the natural, the social and the imaginary worlds.

So we're trying to get kids to run around, bump into each other and into things, get out make stuff with paper, pens, and even scissors (shock horror), make a mess, climb trees and get to know what nature feels like, and so on. In short, do all the things we did growing up and throw in technology for good measure.

We're developing a bunch of activities that may be physical, creative or technical, or contain aspects of all three and more, which we email weekly to our members. Soon, we're going to release a safe and monitored interactive site where kids can reward each other for doing stuff, and we'll use their love of bragging rights to motivate them better than we as 'mere' parents can!

What kinds of activities? Here’s a couple of examples. Remember playing Capture as a kid? Armed with a list of stuff, we'd go hunting acorns, twigs and dandelions in the back yard, and the first team to bring back everything on their list would win. Move forward a generation, and you have Digital Capture. As in this video. We even asked the kids to bring back a smile. Couldn't have put that in your pocket back in the 70s!

Or in our Special Ops series, we have activities that develop the skills of a budding sleuth! A mix of physical world skills, cunning and technical know how. Navigate 'laser beams' in the corridors in your house with a $1 roll of party tape from your local store, and record it for posterity. Undertake our Special Ops physical fitness training to get fitter and faster. Soon there'll be some language activities in there - what good is a spy who can't speak Mandarin at the drop of a hat?

With the line between our kids physical, online and imaginary worlds getting more blurry by the day, we’re using the power of the Internet to get kids off it! It's about time they learned the meaning of the word irony!

If you want even more info there also a GREAT little ad you can click in my sidebar!!

Disclosure: I have been compensated in the form of ad space for this post, as well as I have been placed on an affiliate program with them.

Party With Vancouver Mom Bloggers

2013-06-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night is the big day!! It will be the Vancouvermom event to celebrate the 2013 Top Vancouver Mom bloggers and I couldn't be more excited about it.

Not just because I have managed to befriend the majority of the list, no...

It is cause this is gonna be a kick ass event, filled with amazing women, all of which I am proud to call my friends.

I remember last year just how excited I was this time a year, especially being on of the top 30 of 2012, and this event I get to share that moment again with the 2013 troop!! I am thrilled bottom line.... I bet tomorrow I will be filled with songs once again!

I do know exactly what I will be wearing this year... lace LOTS of lace. I can't wait for all of you to see... especially my shoes. God I love my shoes.

Hubby is even excited this year, and I am praying there will be lots of other hubby's for him to talk to... or whine to about being a blogger husband!

Who knows...

Point is I am thrilled to be heading out tomorrow night to see all of you, drink with all of you and pass you all your goodies and prizes!!!

Thats right folks I am in charge of prizes and SWAG! LUCKY ME maybe if I am lucky my hubby will win something, that guy is so lucky when it comes to draws usually. One year he won three times at a work party!

I have a theory that he poops horseshoes...

So... in closing... I hope that all of you Top Bloggers will be all dolled up for a wild Wednesday night!! I mean it is hump day after all right??

#ManCandyMonday - Greg Kheel

2013-06-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

It is that time of week again, the time of week where we worship the sexiest of the sexy. Today I have someone special in mind... specially delicious!!

Greg Kheel

oh yes you are welcome... something to really make our Monday completely worth it!! Let us get this show on the road shall we?

HUBBA HUBBA am I right???

Of course I am, this is why you trust me weekly for your amazing man candy!

A little about Greg...

Greg is 6' 2"
Greg has divine blue eyes
Greg is half English and half American
Greg will be 28 this 2013!

note all images are not mine... again if only i was the one taking these picutres!

Happy Fathers Day

2013-06-16T15:50:00.000-07:00

It is Father's Day and I couldn't be happier about spending it with one of the most amazing men in my life. A boy that I met when I was only 17, I was wide eyed and reckless just like him. We have been wild together, silly together, in pain together and have loved each other for so many years now. Years that I wouldn't change for my life.

The last eight years have been a whirlwind of emotion, I have been so blessed to have him in my life. I am proud to call him my own, and I am so happy to be growing old with this man. I wouldnt want it any other way no jokes! He is hilarious and I know that we will still be getting into mischief as little old raisins. He is so special to me as are both the divine little men that he has given me to love each and every single day.

I am the happiest girl to have one of the most amazing men in this world be apart of my life, I cannot tell him enough how much I love him. He has stuck by me thick and thin, we have grown up together and created this amazing family I am so proud to call my own.

I love you my sweet baboo!!! oxoxoxo Happy Father's Day!

Mumfection Mom of the Week - Melissa Carr

2013-06-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Mumfection mom of the week where I feature an incredible mom for all of you to get to know! I am so excited to be doing this and the best part is it will be a weekly feature, so if you want to get in on it feel free to e-mail me @ eschelle_w@hotmail.com! I will be more than happy to feature you!!

This week I would like to introduce to you the lovely Melissa Carr, the voice behind The Thirties Grind!

Melissa was VancouverMom.ca’s 2012 Top Mom Blogger. She has made several appearances on radio and television and continues to be a voice for those struggling to understand what the heck is happening with real estate in Vancouver! Her Absurd Vancouver Property of the Week series continues to resonate with Vancouverites who are watching house prices soar. She also highlights amazing and inspirational Vancouver women in her REAL Real Housewives of Vancouver feature. In “real life” Melissa is a communications professional, mother to two and super fan of wine. Find her on Twitter @meliss604.

1. Give us a play by play of a regular day at your house…

Like it says in my tagline: get up. go to work. raise kids. pay bills. sleep. repeat.

In all seriousness, with two kiddies, a full time job, a marriage, a house, a dog etc. etc. the day to day is pretty frackin’ crazy.

2. How has being a mother changed your view of life?

I just always want to do better. I feel like I am more focused and determined. I want my kids to have amazing opportunities in their lives and I want to be able to help them achieve their goals. I also wonder what the hell I did with all the extra time I used to have! I guess I slept a lot!

3. What has been, in your eyes, the biggest reward of motherhood?

The biggest reward – as cheeseball as it sounds – is those little faces looking up at me with so much unconditional love.

4. What has been, in your eyes, the hardest struggle of motherhood?

Duh…lack of sleep.

5. In what ways are your children exactly like you?

My daughter is uber-cautious. My husband used to call me Chicken Little, because if something bad could happen…I believed it was going to happen. My little girl is a lot like that. I am trying to lead by example and take some risks in life…because you never know unless you try.

My son is a menace and has a wicked sense of humour. We both really enjoy poo jokes. Like, a lot.

6. In no more than a couple sentences give us a description of how you felt throughout your pregnancy/ies…

Fat. Seriously…I’m 5 foot nothing, so I felt enormous.

7. How to do you measure a parents success in this world? Do you think you measure up to your own expectations?

I think most parents would be lying if they said they were totally rocking this gig. You question everything. Just when you think you have it figured out, something changes and…then you don’t. I measure a parent’s success by how happy their kids seem…genuine joy and happiness are signs of a winning mama.

I also try to focus only on my own parenting…I can’t stand judgy mcjudgersons…they need to hush up.

8. What are some of the lessons you have learnt from your own parents about parenting?

A dirty child is a happy child. Truly words to live by. And…if you met my kids, you would think they were VERY happy, based on this expression.

9. What do you love about who you are as a woman and as a mother?

As a woman, I love that I am independent. As a mother, I love that I feel so bound and connected to two other little people. It’s a contrast that somehow works.

10. How do you battle “parent guilt” on a daily basis? What advice would you give to others?

Wine. That is all.

I hope that you really loved getting to know Melissa!! If you want to know more about her here is where you can find her:
www.t hethir ties grind.com
Twitter: @meliss604
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheThirtiesGrind
Instagram: http://instagram.com/meliss604
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/meliss604/

5 Things you can do Father's Day Weekend in Vancouver

2013-06-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

photoshoot with Images by Bethany (she is amazing with camera shy men!)

Father's Day is this weekend and here in Vancouver and Burnaby there is soo much that you can do with that special dad in your life. This year I have no idea what we will be doing other than letting daddy sleep in until 3pm, where he will have breakfast for dinner (since it will be his breakfast). Sounds like a mans dream correct??

Exactly...

But for those of you with hubby's that love to go out and get messy I have a few really great ideas for you!

Burnaby Village will be throwing a GREAT day for all the men in your life with a great Classic car show and Carousel tour!
For the active dad who loves to help a great cause there is an awesome Safeway Father's Day Walk/Run going on! A great thing to be apart of and there are tons of great family activities attached to it that makes it all the better. Sunday, June 16, 2013 Times: 9:00am Address: 6871 Roberts St., Burnaby, BC Admission: $35.00 register at www.walktolive.ca Contact: Prostate Cancer Foundation BC Phone: 604-574-4012
Did you know that June 16th is Family Fishing Day?! At Rice lake you can get a FREE and learn all about fishing ethically, a great way to connect with your kids and a great way to learn something about fishing!
For the Yoga junkie dad here in Vancouver Bikram Yoga Burnaby is putting on a GREAT Father's Day promotion! Awesome way to help your man stay calm throughout the year for sure!
Have a classic dad?? Why not take him to Nat Bailey Stadium for the ultimate day of playing catch with the boys!! The whole event is FREE but they of course encourage your awesome donations, and they will have lots to do.

Nothing can be better than spending the day with the special father in your life. Make sure you make the most of it for them, truly make them happy and help them feel appreciated on Sunday. At least just that much more than you would any other day right?

Afterall, he is one amazing man!

An Interview with Christopher Gaze

2013-06-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am a massive drama geek, to the bone I am a drama nerd. I yearn for the stage and I love to be in the spot light, always will I bet. So of course I really wanted to showcase some of the true theatre awesome we have here in Vancouver, especially the incredible man behind our famous Bard on the Beach. Truly a spectacular thing to go an enjoy by yourself, with your hubby and especially your kids. I think the best way to introduce any young adult to Shakespeare in a way that they can't NOT fall in love with it, is via Bard on the Beach.

So today I am bringing to you, my wonderful interview with the awe inspiring Christopher Gaze!

1. What has been the largest reward from founding Bard on the Beach here in Vancouver?
To welcome 85,000 to 90,000 people every year to see top quality Shakespeare and to see families embrace the Bard experience and feel as passionate about it as I do.

2. What has been one of the most memorable performances you have ever given/seen with Bard on the Beach? What made it so special to you?
To see Bard actors excel and become great. Alessandro Juliani as Feste in 2002.
Bob Frazer as Hamlet in 2005.
To watch Dean Paul Gibson and Meg Roe develop at Bard.
To watch year after year such stellar performances from Scott Bellis, David Marr, Allan Morgan, Lois Anderson, Colleen Wheeler, Andrew Wheeler, Naomi Wright, Todd Thomson, Jennifer Lines, Haig Sutherland, Bernard Cuffling, Duncan Fraser, David Mackay, John Murphy, Allan Zinyk - the list goes on....
And this year to celebrate the brilliance of Kim Collier as the director of Hamlet and the astonishing Jonathon Young playing the title role and also Feste in Twelfth Night - they continue to make a massive contribution to Canadian Theatre.

3. Hands down, what is your favorite Shakespearean play?
A Midsummer Nights Dream

4. If you could only play one Shakespearean character forever, who would you pick and why?
Puck in Dream - he's mischievous, he's fun, he has some of Shakespeare's most beautiful poetry to speak - I played Puck twice in 1980 and 1983.

5. Tell us what it is like hosting Vancouver Symphony’s popular Tea & Trumpets series and their annual Christmas concerts.
I have hosted/emceed/narrated literally hundreds of concerts for the VSO over the past twenty years. To sit on stage surrounded by a symphony orchestra is indescribable. I love it and count myself very fortunate. I write or compile all the words I say and have developed an unique and glorious relationship with the audiences. With Maestro Bramwell Tovey's leadership and the dedicated staff of the VSO we work hard to cherish and honour the loyalty and love of the VSO audiences.

6. What did your mentor say to you to inspire you to come to beautiful Vancouver?
Douglas Campbell inspired me to come to Canada in 1975. He was so proud of the creation of the Stratford Festival in Ontario - and he felt that I was the kind of young man that would blossom and flourish as theatre exploded across Canada.
The early part of my work in Canada was in the East but I moved here thirty years ago. Vancouver is a gorgeous place to live and I am forever grateful for all the wonders of BC. Heaven on earth!
Douglas was my theatrical father and he came to help us many times as Director, actor and friend to all - I loved him very much and miss him dreadfully. But his impact on me and on Bard will carry on for a very long time.

7. Was moving to Vancouver what you hoped it would be when you planned it out in your head?
When I moved to Vancouver with my family in 1983 I had no real plan but to continue to work in the theatre. I started to direct as well at that time. But I always knew in my heart that I wanted to take more responsibility for my professional life and I believed that somewhere deep inside of me there was something I needed to do. This all became apparent in 1988 when my father died - it was a dreadful shock but a wake-up call that started to drive me towards taking action.

8. What are something’s that you wish for the future of Bard on the Beach?
I hope to be with Bard for many years to come - we have so many plans, so many dreams and so much that we want to do. The quality of work on our stages is spectacular.
We want to build the Bard experience - my friend and colleague, Managing Director John McCulloch believes (as do I) that Bard can be expanded into a much richer experience by enhancing what we have to offer on the site pre-show. You can already buy picnics from our caterer or bring your own. You can enjoy beer, wine and cider, tea and coffee, chocolate and so forth - we offer free pre-show talks before every performance - there is live classical music. All this can be expanded and enriched as our patrons discover that you can extend your evening by coming on site an hour before showtime. Bard can truly go from good to great, we have all the potential in the world.

9. What have you loved about introducing Shakespeare to younger generations? I know it was one of the places I fell head over heels for Shakespeare.
I love that you loved Bard as a young girl!
Our whole intent is to open wide the door of the arts to our children, our grandchildren and to all young people. Through Bard, young people can begin to understand the trans-formative beauty of words, of music, of every aspect of the theatrical experience and begin to explore their creative passions in the world.

10. When you first started Bard on the Beach did you anticipate it’s massive success and a full 23 seasons?
Bard is 24 this summer - I believed we could do something remarkable. But I never dreamed that my passion would be shared by so many. I sometimes reflect on our accomplishments - but not for long.... as there is so much to be done.
Off to work now - many thanks for your support and interest - you make an exquisite difference Eschelle!
My very best always,
Christopher

Isn't he fantastic?? I really want you to make plans to have an amazing summer night at Bard on the Beach, I know I will be going to their Hamlet performance. My fav play, with one of my fav Sanctuary characters. I will give you more info on that AFTER the performance... OR if I am lucky enough to interview him as well!

Support Vancouver arts, have a date night at Bard on the Beach!!

Meeting the faces #BehindtheBeef

2013-06-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, as you know from my previous post, I was excited to be heading out and getting the chance to talk one on one with some of the lovely local ranching families raising our meat! Not to mention I was also getting a chance to go head over to my old work location and really have myself a great shopping day. Honestly I was a parent on vacation in a grocery store... living proof that meme is no lie!

Walking into the entrance of the store I see this.... clearly I was in the right place!

walking through the produce section I even spotted this, some of the best display marketing I have seen in a while!

local ranchers getting to know their customers and help teach them a thing or two!

Great prices, apparently the cheapest they have been in FOUR years!! They made a FANTASTIC dinner might I add!

Spending an hour getting to know the great family at this location was so lovely, such a lovely couple living the life and spreading the joy. Here is hoping that I actually convinced the lovely wife to start blogging up a storm, trust me you have sooo much to share with the world they would eat your blog up!!

It was super nice to be able to get an insiders view on the life of a rancher, they had so much to share and they were so happy to do it. They really truly wanted you to get to know all the ins and outs of the process and you all know how much I like Overwaitea for how they package and display their product, something these ranchers are very proud to be feeding all of us.

It really goes puts into perspective just how much love and effort goes into what we eat each night and it isn't just the love we've given the food. You know what, love is the best ingredient and these guys know how to marinate every moment in it from beginning to end. I like that, bottom line. So thank you guys for doing what you do and loving it, I really hope you get that long overdue trip you have been dreaming of!!

#ManCandyMonday - Joseph Morgan

2013-06-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Man Candy Monday everyone! I hope that all of you had a great bunch of fun this weekend, got into some trouble and laughed till your eyes were filled with tears. If not... well I wouldn't call it a weekend!

Unless of course you were in complete relaxation with cabana boys fanning you whilst feeding you grapes. Then I would forgive the lack of excitement/movement on your part.

To our man candy, today for you I have Joseph Morgan and luscious lipped man beast whom I love thanks to Vampire Diaries. Honestly he has some of the nicest looking lips, I bet his kisses are incredible. PHEW, getting a little hotter in here than it should on a Monday morning.... here is hoping hubby isn't reading this.

as always none of these pictures are mine.... if only...

A little about Joseph....
He was born in 1981 (here I am sitting at '87... not tooo bad!)
born in either London or Wales (I am getting both when I search him up)
He is sexy Klaus on Vampire Diaries (a show you should watch if you have no idea what i'm talking about...)

An Interview with Rebecca De La Torre

2013-06-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

I was recently given an amazing chance to interview Rebecca De La Torre about her latest album and inspiring life struggles. I really hope that you love it and her!

1)    How has your personal story impacted your music?
You have to have courage to get out in front of people who may or may not like you. Being a performing artist, you’re sharing a bit of your soul out there. People are going to like you or not like you. For the most part, I haven’t encountered many haters, but they exist. The main thing is that I know that I have the strength to do it if I can go through some of these things that I’ve been through. I’ve written songs that allude to those experiences and feelings of being in the darkness. I know that I’m a strong person having gone through all that.

2)    When you left your career and went back to music during this abusive relationship what were your first steps?
I always wanted to be in the music business; I knew that was my calling. During my career, I kept singing and had started taking piano before ending my relationship. It was always my love. Everything changed on September 19, 2003 – that’s when my life began. That’s the day my abusive husband threatened me with a gun. After that, I started a whole new path and changed my life.

3)    If you were to give advice to anyone in an abusive relationship what would that be?
Don't be too proud to admit that you need help and/or have made a mistake by staying in this relationship. Reach out to whomever you can: parents, siblings, coworkers, friends. Realize that you cannot change him, and he will most likely NOT change nor improve his behavior, especially not while you are still in the relationship.

I hate saying "he". Although women are statistically less likely to be physically abusive, they are more than capable of being verbally abusive, which NO ONE should ever tolerate. You need to believe that you are not alone and that life really can be better; no one deserves to be treated badly. It is NOT your fault.

Also, assuming you're already married, don't feel ashamed to be divorced. Being divorced is better than being beaten down (physically or mentally).

4)    Your album “Incognito” is deeply influenced by your life experiences in an abusive marriage, was it a hard album to put together or healing?
I ultimately found the experience healing. However, it took me a while to get there. I have gone through a lot of therapy, and I still see a therapist. When in therapy, I am encouraged to reconnect with my true self or "inner child" - that inner child was conceived to be a musician. After all this time and everything I went through, I finally listened to her.

5)    When you were a teenager what made you choose the trombone?
Everyone in my family was musical. My mom plays flute, my dad plays flute and trombone, and my grandma was a musician full time. She plays piano and sang – more classical. She got her degree in music. So I played trombone because my older sister played flute, and my second older sister, Kathleen, the one that I’m the most like, plays trombone. I wanted to be like Kathleen. Kathleen got yelled at the least. Kathleen got the best grades. Obviously, as a kid growing up in a dysfunctional family, I wanted to play the trombone because I’d be the most like Kathleen and maybe my dad would stay off my case.

6)    What do you love most about your album “Incognito”?
I feel like I finally found my voice as an artist and as a songwriter. This album is really about my personal life and struggles. The inspiration for the album came from the agreed on direction for each song. This particular album is a collaboration. I wrote all the music. The inspiration – in the case of the lyrics – comes from T. Siering. They’re his lyrics, and his inspiration comes from different life experiences, imagined experiences, or things that are part of life.

He would tell me, “I think it should sound like this song or that artist.” I would listen to the artist and try to get a feel for the lyrics with that kind of energy. It’s somewhat engineered, somewhat inspired collaboration, but one thing I always inspired were the vocal lines.

There isn’t one particular era that I feel defines the vocals or music style of this album. One song was kind of a jazz influenced pop and the most recent era would be like Adele or the Black Keys.

7)    How, in your opinion, has your life journey formed you as a new stronger, successful woman?
Finding the strength to leave my abusive husband gave me confidence and put me on a whole new path. I am my own person now and I am truly living my best life! My proudest accomplishment was leaving engineering. I left engineering, and I am making a living as a musician. I was making $102,000 a year, and the people that don’t believe me, I got the pay stubs to prove it! I’m starting to live my dreams – I left the cush-cush life, and I’m an artist. I am a much stronger person today because of what I have been through.

8)    Despite the hardships you’ve faced in your life you have excelled and risen above, how does that feel?
Amazing! I am living my dream. Anything that’s worth doing is hard work, because if it were easy, everybody would do it. It’s a lot of work, and it’s hard. Blood, sweat, and tears is so freakin’ right. That’s the truth right there. It is a lot of hard work, and you can’t give up, you have to keep going. That’s what I’m doing. I don’t care if I’m “successful” or not according to what anyone else thinks, because there’s nothing else that I have to do with my life but this.

You can find more info about her and her music HERE

Behind the Beef!

2013-06-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend you have had a real chance at something special. You can meet the wonderful people responsible for raising our meet here in BC. Thanks to the amazing Behind the Beef program that has been going on you really get an amazing look into the lives behind our beef!

And I am all about learning more about what I eat and what I feed my family. If you didn't get a chance to today, you do still have time to take a look and check it out tomorrow!! Very much well worth it, I mean you have to go shopping anyways right??

Trust me this is a great way to make some new BBQ friends too! Thanks to Canadian Beef and the BC Cattleman's Association for really showing us just how local our beef is. Not to mention Overwaitea for always providing us with Canadian Beef ALWAYS. Nothing better than local, tastes great, you support amazing families (whom you can meet during these events!!), and the process behind all of it.

Saturday June 8
10-1pm
#600-333 Brooksbank Ave, north Van
22703 Lougheed HWY, East Maple Ridge
2140 Sumas Way, Abbotsford
#1-20255 64th ave, Langley
3-6pm
1250 marine Drive, north Van
300-20395 Lougheed HWY, West Maple Ridge
2388 Whatcom Rd, Abbotsford
8840 210 street, Langley

Sunday June 9
10-1pm
4399 Lougheed HWY, Burnaby
12130 Nordel Way, Surrey
7015 120 street, Delta
2308 Cambie Street, Vancouver
3-6pm
200-7155 kingsway, Burnaby
100-7320 King George Hwy, Surrey
5186 48 Avenue, Ladner
2308 Cambie Street, Vancouver so take the time and check them out!!

Take the time to really get to know how our beef gets to our table and get to know some of these really incredible families that work so hard to give you quality local product. If you do check it out make sure to share it on your social media networks!! Here are the tags you can use:
@LoveCDNbeef
@behindthebeef
#LoveCDNbeef

Vancouver International Children's Festival

2013-06-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Again thanks to Spokesmama I was given the amazing chance to take my boys on a great day to the Vancouver International Children's Festival!!

We made a huge day of it, taking the aquabus from Science world and riding it all the way to Granville Island. It was a great day and a first for ALL of my boys, as hubby had never been to Granville Island EVER, which is soo weird to me. It is like saying you've never walked in the rain when you live in Vancouver here.

Anyways, since the day was so fun and there is no way to cover all of it in a post I decided to go crazy with sharing photos of our day with you.

After all a picture says a thousand words...

BATMAN!

BANG THE GONG!

OH YUM!! he got Green Apple Gelato!

Playing in the spinning death trap for kids!!! (i really didn't want him on this but w/e)

Gorgeous sailboat we spotted on the way back!

Boys are pooped!

Taken with my HTC phone (takes the BEST pictures)

about to ride the Aquabus!!

Mumfection Mom Of The Week - Angi Embler

2013-06-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Please welcome.... Angi Embler....

Angi grew up in southern Arizona but now lives in rural southern New Mexico with her husband, two sons and two dogs. She creates, she designs, and she loves to ramble on about anything. When not doing those, she can be found slaving over the kitchen stove cooking for her family, curled up with a good book or watching any one of her favorite TV shows.

She has also been a long time buddy of mine thanks to the Blogelina blogging groups so I am really happy to once again introduce you to her!

Q: Give us a play by play of a regular day at your house...

I stir awake when our puppy, Starlet, jumps on our bed to greet my husband as he gets ready for work. I fall back asleep for an hour or two before dragging my body out of bed and stumbling into our home office where my husband has been working for at least an hour already. I skim through Thunderbird and social media sites for any must do items and complete those before sauntering down the hall to check on our two boys. If we have somewhere to go, I remind them how long until we must leave the house. I tackle house work, blog stuff, and other various tasks until I head into the kitchen to make lunch for everyone. More house work, blog stuff and home school stuff happens after lunch until Tim and/or I get started on dinner. The boys head off to their room while Tim and I settle into the living room to catch up on our favorite TV shows. Some nights we have family time with games or movies. After relaxing from the days events, we all head to dreamland.

Q: How has being a mother changed your view of life??

I can't say that is has. I started babysitting when I was 10 years old and saw first hand how being a mom has it's ups and downs. That's why I swore I didn't want kids at all. Of course that changed once I was emotionally ready for a family.

Q: What has been, in your eyes, the biggest reward of motherhood?

Watching our boys overcome obstacles put in their path.

Q: What has been, in your eyes the hardest struggle of motherhood?

Waiting... I hate waiting to give presents. I hate waiting for them to overcome the obstacles in their path. I hate waiting in waiting rooms. Motherhood, like life, is a “hurry up and wait” world that I just don't like!

Q: In what ways are your children exactly like you??

Some of my personality shines through with our youngest but our oldest is so much like Tim, it's scary.

Q: In no more than a couple sentences give us a description of how you felt throughout your pregnancy/ies...

I was nervous with our oldest because it was our first child and everything was new to us. With our second, I had literally just been through the process so I was super laid back.

Q: How do you measure a parents success in this world? Do you think you measure up to your own expectations?

Success is hard to measure because each child and parent relationship is different.

Q: What are some of the lessons you have learnt from your own parents about parenting?

You're going to make mistakes so just do your best.

Q: What do you love about who you are as a woman and as a mother?

I love that I am surrounded by people who support me and that I am able to give support back to those people. I love that our boys feel respected as individuals and that they respect me not only as their mom but as a person. I love how my views on the world are just one part of the way our boys interact with the world. I love that as a mom I can help our boys learn from their mistakes.

Q: How do you battle "parent guilt" on a daily basis? What advice would you give others?

This is a hard one because we have two boys with drastically different special needs. I remind myself that parenting is a series of trials and errors but as long as I treat our boys with respect, everything will fall into place.

I hope that you really loved getting to know Angi!! If you want to know more about her here is where you can find her:
Twitter: amboutwe
Facebook: amboutwe
Google+: amboutwe
Blog: Tim And Angi

$50 and The Children's Place...

2013-06-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Shopping...

When you have kids, it is a non stop battle trying to find something that fits your kid. Face it we go clothes shopping for them more than ourselves. Living here in Vancouver too doesn't help with our budgets does it?? no... no my friends it doesn't....

$50 barely gets you anything it seems. BUT if you shop at the right places, trust me you can walk out feeling like you just robbed the place!!

Just a bit of what I got for $50!!!

So with $50 and a determination to walk out of the Children's Place with a decent load of goodies for my boys I headed out the door! As you can see from above there I am VERY happy with what I walked away with. I even added some geeky little argyle socks to this... they were dirty cause I used them right away... and if you know me, you know I fold NOTHING in my house so I wasn't about to go find them just for this picture. Also there is another red shirt I got my Eldest that is long sleeved that says "I have this game under my thumb" with a Xbox controller on the front. That also isn't included in this photo BUT I did get it and Eldest loves it, his teacher also found it particularly amusing today!

One of my fav shirts we got him AND his Children's Place jeans! They survived a full day at the Childrens Festival!

Eldest sporting the shorts around the house while he battles "bad guys" on Lego Batman!

And this handsome little devil always looking good in blue!

basic Vancouver gear, summer clothes with rain boots...

Now, the great people at Coupons.com, were nice enough to also offer one of my US readers a chance to see just how much they can buy with $50 at The Children's Place!! In fact I will even dare you to be able to buy as much as I managed! If you beat me AND blog about it maybe I will have a little something extra special to send to you!! So ENTER ENTER ENTER and keep me posted!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lulu sweet pea bday giveaway!!

2013-06-05T08:04:00.001-07:00

Whoot whoot nothing like celebrating another bloggers bday than an awesomely huge giveaway right?!

Honestly the best way to do it lol.

I know you guys love a great contest, this week is full of em it seems! Lucky you guys!!

Let's get to the fun stuff.

How would you like to win $200 in gift cards to some of her favorite places?

Do you like Target? Amazon? How about Sephora?

If so, you're in luck! And if not, you're crazy.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions: No purchase necessary. Giveaway ends June 16th, 2013 at 12:00AM PAC. Open internationally. Void where prohibited by law. Must be 18 to enter. Prize retail value: $200. The number of eligible entries received determine the odds of winning. Winner will be selected by Random.org and be notified by email. Winner has 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. Please note that Lulu & Sweet Pea is not responsible for "lost" emails that get sent to the wrong folder, such as a spam box. Target, Amazon, and Sephora are not affiliated with this giveaway. Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin', Google, Pinterest, and Instagram are in no way associated with this giveaway. By providing your information in this form, you are providing your information to me and me alone. I do not share or sell information and will use your information only for the purpose of contacting the winner.

Illness has taken me

2013-06-04T10:47:00.001-07:00

Since my super lovely weekend focused on nothing but kids stuff. I have gotten sick.

Very sick...

I couldn't even manage a man candy Monday yesterday. Forgive me.

Today I hope to get back into things... But, as fate would have it, my computer is temporarily offline. Annoying...

But we should be up and running soon.
Right now I need to rest and snuggle. I'll keep all of you posted.

In the meantime I hope that all of you keep on loving my week of giveaways cause I seem to have a lot of them coming your way!!!

Well... maybe not a full week but a few days of GREAT giveaways nonetheless!

Whistler Children's Festival!!

2013-06-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be getting this up to you despite my computer issues I am doing my best to get things done on time. Sadly hiccups have happened ugh.. anyways....

I want to share with you something special. The Whistler children's festival.

Here is some info straight from the source:

"The Whistler Children's Festival is the longest-running festival in Whistler, attracting locals and visitors looking for a cultural family-friendly experience in one of North America's primary resorts. The festival comes alive with a full roster of arts workshops, activities, animation and roving characters, and a main stage that features musical and performing acts by award-winning entertainers.

The festival was founded with the purpose of introducing school-aged children to the arts using over 80 hands-on workshops led by professional artists and artisans from BC. Children explore the arts with workshops in ceramics, jewellery, soapstone carving, tie-dye, percussion and fine art, in a festive environment with their parents, siblings and friends by their side."

Honestly a great thing to check out and support so here is your awesome chance!!

Guess what you can get??? A 2 night stay in Whistler for a family of four FOR this festival!

What more could you possibly ask for??

Oh I know!!

How about a $100 gift certificate to Araxi restaurant for dinner!!

AND

a $65 gift certificate for 4 hours of baby-sitting!!!! oh yes, alone time BOO YA! ENTER ENTER ENTER!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

$550 Summer CASH Giveaway!!!

2013-06-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the $550 Summer Cash Giveaway. How would you like to win some free cash to perhaps brighten up your wardrobe, treat the kids, or even pay those dreaded bills! I've teamed up with some lovely bloggers to give you the chance to win $550 in Paypal cash!! Simply complete the tasks below to earn entries for this giveaway.

Rules:

-Giveaway starts June 1st at 12:01 am GMT – June 15th at 12:00 am GMT

-Open to everyone worldwide

-You must have a paypal account

-You must be at least 18 years to enter

-All entries will be verified, so please don’t cheat.

Please take a moment to visit our co-hosts below.

Hosted by: Ohsoamelia, Co-hosts: Berice Baby, Life In A Break Down, Aka Chymecindy, Raising Reagan, Mumfection, Mama Fashion Flies, My Life Of Travels & Adventures, Part of That World, All My Happy Endings, Faith, Love & Hope, Dear Beautiful You, Chrissy Bernal, Plucky's Second Thought, Simplistically Sassy, The Dwelling Tree, What Jean Likes, Glossy Blonde, CuddleBug Cuties, Snack Cups & Smiles, Sew Crafty Angel, Then I Laughed, Bugs Beans,

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I have received no compensation for this post. Any opinions are my own and may differ from your own. Please contact ohsoamelia@hotmail.co.uk with any questions or if you would like to take part in the next big event sign up to the mailing list here.

Vancouver Children's Festival!!

2013-05-31T12:37:00.001-07:00

from VCF website

This weekend is your last chance to get out and enjoy the Vancouver Children's Festival and guess what??

It is supposed to be sunny the ENTIRE TIME!!

It is a great way to spend a day here in Vancouver and I know our whole weekend will be geared towards the kids!

Hat's off day is happening in North Burnaby on Saturday and I will be hoping to get my butt to the Children's Festival, thanks to The Sprog blog, this Sunday!

Just check it out...

With so much to see and do you'll definitely be in for some great family moments and some great fun. Not to mention you will be supporting a great event here in Vancouver that really needs all the love that it can get. Besides you might as well head out and get a tan while the kids run wild at the festival.

It will be worth it, make a day of it maybe even have brunch as a family at Granville Island. What more could you really need out of a Sunday??

Easy to use and decorate!

2013-05-31T02:00:00.001-07:00

This post brought to you by Royal Building Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

Summer is coming and you're house is looking rough am I right??

There is algea and ivy growing on the side of your house, your patio door squeeks and has been apart of your home so long it is a draft trap.

It is time for a much needed change, a change to welcome in the summer and to really showcase your house and let it shine!

The amazing people at Royal Building Products have an amazing way to get the ideas flowing, to really see how you can transform your home in the best way possible. In fact on their site they have an actual virtual tour that is super simple to use!

With so many things to update like: windows, vinyl siding, and patio doors it will certianly be a hard time deciding what your house really truly needs.

This is why their virtual tour system is so great in terms of usage, you can easily uplaod an image of your house and plug in all the options. This makes your guess work WAY easier, you will be able to see exactly what works for your home. Not to mention you can even test out some wild ideas you wouldn't normally go for!

It is good to live a little right?? Variety is the spice of life and change is a wonderful thing and all that!

Now that you know this how can you ignore all the stuff that needs updating this year?? How could you go another day looking at your wintery dingy house?? You can't I know... I just made life hard, but thankfully Royal Building Products can make it simple!

We have had a makeover!

2013-05-30T10:45:00.001-07:00

So you might have noticed something new on the blog today... after a lot of work from a couple people I have a new design! I am still working out how I want it so bare with me over the next few months while I really finalize everything but I think it is well on it's way don't you think??

The header image my very own sister designed for me and I really adore it, very much me if I do say so myself!

Lots of me and my boys in this if you ask me. The chubby mischievous-ness of my youngest and the sweet sincerity of eldest. Not to mention I have on my signature dress and red heels, although I cheated here cause cartoon me can wear white. I myself have yet to brave the white dress... I will have to start soon, eventually I will have to actually hit "BUY" on my wedding dress!

My old blogging gf over at Samantha's Day helped me out a little tying everything together for the header, matching my favicons and helping me out with my pages. Notice I have a new page up at the top! Since I am at the mercy of blogger and can't quite get what I want in the pages/style department I am creating a page to feature posts of the past! I will have some categories and posts with appropriate links to go with them, great for your browsing needs and awesome for me when it comes to finding those old AWESOME posts I have buried away.

Did I mention that I made the cute signature myself? Well I did and I am darn proud of it, and I also found the background and plugged that in. Sadly the clean white look was killing me... especially after all that color from before. Needless to say the white and pink will take me some time to get used to, and I will be tweaking it over the next little while. In the meantime I would love your input!!

Tell me what you like about my new design, tell me what you hate!

The Tale of Three Restuarants...

2013-05-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Well the Telus day of giving was a very busy day for me, and since it was so busy I had to eat out and about the entire day. Oh heaven forbid right??

Anyways since I know all of you care SO MUCH about what I eat when I go out I thought I would give you the photo run down today!

Cafe Crepe on Robson

Right before we headed off to go and clean up the west end we were just starving so we decided to stop on our walk to the location. Here in Vancouver this is one of the best on the go breakfasts you can get, perfect for walking along Robson and still satisfying your hunger to the fullest extent. Not to mention it is fun to watch them make em!

I had the fresh baby spinach and feta cheese (no egg)

Once we had finished our awesome day we decided to take a pass on the offered hot dogs and go out to find something cheap and delicious! Since my gf and I have taken to getting Pho when we're out and about with one another we yelp'd this place and thought it looked just perfect for us. It was a great little mix of Vietnamese and French food, Pho with a French twist?? YES please!

Joyeaux Cafe & Restaurant

It was super good too, it was Pho but it had a great light stew twist to it! I was really impressed, the sweet carrots and brisket really set it off! I especially loved how they left the brisket in rustic chunks, really playing up the French stew aspect of the dish.

The Eatery

After my day of eating, I decided enough wasn't enough and headed out to The Eatery for a girlfriends birthday dinner! I was soo stoked, this place is raved about by everyone and the novelty is truly awesome, though the hour and a half bus ride I could do without.

Me and the birthday girl!!

The Fat Elvis!! tempura'd avocado slices with teriyaki sauce and unagi mayo!

Omg I ate a lot here so I am going to show my two favs the Fat Elvis and the Erotica roll. Both were to die for delicious and really I can't wait to go there and eat them all over again with my Pulp Fiction Martini!

The Erotica roll

The Cu Cu's Nest that my gf ate and said was amazing!

So you can tell why I am a lover of Vancouver... everywhere you go there is something new and exciting to try out and eat. Honestly there are too many places to eat in this city... one day maybe I will be able to say I made a dent in my list of MUST eat places as well as added some I didn't even think about!

Tell me some of you favorite places to eat and why!

Telus #GiveWhereWeLive

2013-05-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, May 25, thousands of TELUS team members and retirees, friends and family, across Canada took part in the eighth annual Telus Day of Giving. This year, since they opened the invite to friends and family, my gf and I jumped on the chance to join in! We were so stoked to get out there and really make a difference in our own gorgeous city. All the thank yous that we got throughout the day was really amazing and really made it even that much better for us, the appreciation from the locals is always great!

Me cleaning up the planet! (image taken by gf)

we got super lucky with a zone by the beach! Even in the rain it is gorgeous.

Canadians are invited to show us how they give where we live. Now until June 15, take a photo, upload, tweet or Instagram it with the hashtag #givewherewelive to givewherewelive.ca and tell us how you give back to your community. At the end of the campaign, you could be one of 10 Canadians who will receive $10,000 to make a donation to your favourite charity and truly make a difference.

“Since its inception in 2006, TELUS Day of Giving has mobilized more than 65,465 TELUS team members, retirees, family and friends to volunteer at 1,650 activities benefiting the communities where we live, work and serve,” continued Mr. Entwistle. “That adds up to 192,545 hours of painting, gardening, planting trees, landscaping, cooking, serving lunch, sorting cans of food, sewing and much more for citizens in need of a helping hand.”

my gf just as the rain started you can find her blog HERE

After a long day of garbage picking in the rain we were definitely wet, but still smiling!

TELUS, its team members and retirees have contributed more than $300 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 4.8 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. That is truly fantastic, you can't ignore the numbers! In 2012 alone, TELUS contributed over $44 million to charities and non-profit organizations across Canada, equaling almost 2.5% of our pre-tax profit. Not to mention their heartfelt efforts in this regard to focus on educating and empowering youth to improve their quality of life and to enable them to reach their full potential.

Sunglasses totally not needed (image taken by gf)

Another great example of Telus giving back:

Through the Team TELUS Charitable Giving program, TELUS matches team member and retiree donations made to Canadian registered charities, dollar for dollar. In 2012 alone, the TELUS team donated $6.8 million through this program. Since 2000, this annual workplace campaign has provided TELUS and our team members with an opportunity to contribute more that $63 million to charitable organizations in Canada.

The awesome kit they sent me to prepare me for my big day of volunteering!

It was a super fun day filled with lots of gushy lovey feelings of pure pride for our community and other volunteerees. There was young, old, newbies and repeat participants. Spending the day cleaning up with a dear friend of mine really made it all that much better, not to mention seeing more of my bloggy friends and PR buddies. Never often enough that I get to mingle with all of them, looking forward to next year everyone!!

Did you participate this year?? Do you do any volunteering??

#ManCandyMonday - Stuart Reardon

2013-05-27T11:27:00.002-07:00

So I know that last week we didn't get to have a Man Candy Monday because of a campaign; so I thought that I would really make it up to you this week with someone that is just divine. He is a Libra and a Rugby player AND he is from England.

His name??

Do you even care??

okay a little bit we care... Stuart Reardon!

Now how can you have a bad day after looking at him this whole time??

I hope that put a little pep in your step and I know, in my eyes, this completely makes up for missing last weeks Man Candy Monday correct??

A little about Stuart....
He is 31 years old
He is 5ft 11
his nickname is Reards

all images are NOT mine... I wish.... best job ever if they were...

Soya Sunrise Launches School Donation Project!!

2013-05-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Now I am all about companies that give back, especially ones that have even helped me give back! And Soya Sunrise, once again they are giving back to our community here in metro Vancouver and I am so happy to be sharing this with you. After all this is for all our schools!

Sunrise Soya Foods, Canada’s leader in traditional and innovative tofu and soy products, is thrilled to announce the official launch of its community based Super Squeezies School Donation Program. Focused on the Metro Vancouver area for its initial launch, the School Donation Program offers free Super Squeezies Omega-3 DHA Pudding Tubes for student events and programs with a dedication to healthy lifestyle choices.

With the adopt a school program here in Vancouver I just know that this program is going to be wildly needed and very appreciated. A great snack for all the kidlets and my boys love them frozen especially! Even better you can throw a frozen one in their lunch pack and by lunch it is perfect and even a little bit frozen still when kept in an insulated bag. I love to send eldest to school with them, and you can find them right with all the tofu in your local grocery store.

Here are some great FAQ's from their site!

"Super Squeezies is a pudding, how are they healthy for kids?

Super Squeezies contains Omega-3 DHA, essential for brain, eye and heart health. In addition to being diary-free, they are gluten-free, lactose-free and contain no cholesterol or artificial colour, flavour or preservatives. This makes them a healthier alternative to many other snacks and treats available to kids - especially for those faced with dietary and allergy limitations.

How many donations will you be making?

We intend to provide as many donations across various eligible areas as possible. We do not have a specific limit on the total number of donations made, however once all allotted products have been donated, more will not be available until the next donation year.

Is this program available in other areas?
For initial program launch, the focus is on the Metro Vancouver area and the Greater Toronto Area. However, there are plans to expand this donation program to additional markets in the near future."

A great idea and I am so happy to be sharing with you so spread the word, tell your schools and help them all get a GREAT donation!

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, I have a long standing relationship with the company and genuinely thought it was a good thing to spread around. All opinions are always my own.