Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Indoor Activities In & Around Edmonton

22 Oct

Yes, winters in Edmonton can be cold.  But don’t let the cold weather discourage you from exploring everything that Edmonton has to offer young families!  Many of Edmonton’s attractions feature activities for children as well as family-friendly seasonal events.

Here is a list of 10 ways to keep your little ones entertained this winter:

1)      Art Gallery of Alberta   – Features “Tours for Tots” (ages three through five) on Wednesdays from 10 – 11am and “All Day Sundays” (all ages) on the 3rd Sunday of each month from 12 – 4pm.

2)      Telus World of Science – Features child-friendly exhibits, “Kids Discovery Zone” and the newly renovated Discoveryland Gallery.

3)      Child-friendly Coffeehouses – Enjoy your specialty coffees and snacks while your children play in specially designed indoor playgrounds and play areas.  Some of the local café’s include:

4)      Gymboree  – Let your child develop and learn while playing.  Enrol your children in classes or drop-in and play. Membership required.

5)      Kidz Quarterz  – While the indoor playground is designed for children up to the age of 12, there is a toddler area that includes large foam blocks and room to climb and play.  Enjoy a coffee, snacks or lunch while you’re there.

6)      Your Local Library – Be sure to check out everything your local library has to offer.  Often there are classes that include singing and reading with your little ones as well as other thematic classes.

7)      Recreation Centres – There are quite a few recreation centres that feature fabulous indoor playgrounds and activities for children.  Some include:

8)       John Janzen Nature Centre’s Tegler Discovery Zone – An indoor play space that allows children to explore nature and climb play structures.  This play area is not staffed and is for children ages 10 years and younger so younger children will have to be monitored as it is a common play space.

9)      Your Local Swimming Pool – Be sure to check out both lessons and family swim times at your local swimming pool.  Take advantage of special rates on days when your school aged children have early dismissal or no school.

10)  Old-Fashioned Play Dates – Take time to connect with other moms whether it is through organized mom-groups or by connecting with another person individually.  Make a date to have coffee, let your little ones play together and get to know each other.

 

By: Kjristen White

Image: devinf | Flickr.com

· Filed Under: Baby, Local, Pre-schooler, Resource, Toddler, travel

Savvy On-the-Go Mom Tips – Part 1

15 Oct

I am a Mom that NEEDS to be out and about.  I am Mommy to two boys, 3.5 years and 7 months and I WISH I could be the Mom to sit and play trains for hours on end and not care about painting and playdough messes but “at home” play finds me thinking about what I should be preparing for dinner, what I can clean, or otherwise diverting my attention away from my children.  Don’t get me wrong, we definitely do hang out at home and have our share of fun making crafts, playing in the yard, cooking etc., but ultimately, I find I more fun when I am out with my kids doing stuff FOR them, WITH them.  I also find I am better organized if I have a plan for my day.

Recently, I began a note on my iPhone where I jot down tips for being out and about and then decided that they were too good to not pass on to others!  Here are some tips you will not find on Pinterest!

Let’s start with the diaper bag:

  • Don’t waste your money on one.  Instead, think oversize purse.   I use a LUG Puddle Jumper that I will most definitely use long after my youngest is out of diapers for a gym bag or whatever.  A diaper bag looks like a diaper bag and once your little one is past the diaper stage you will likely not want to see it around anymore.
  • Once you change to a general use “diaper bag” it can accommodate “stuff” for all children, not necessarily just those in diapers. (ie: a changes of clothes, snacks, water, packable activities etc.)
  • In your “diaper bag”, keep diapers (obviously), but also keep them in your vehicle.  You WILL use them.  And when you do – replace them!
  •  Keep socks for the family in your “diaper bag”.  Socks are required at many, if not all indoor play facilities and recreation centres.  In the summer when you are all in flip-flops you will drop up to $5 / pair for socks for the family that centres will sell to you on location.
  • Also keep small plastic bags in your “diaper bag”.  Even if just a ziplock full of ziplocks.  I use these daily to contain the smells of dirty diapers and dirty laundry.  You also never know when you will have to pack around garbage or a smelly diaper with you if there is no bin.  Dirty laundry has a separate bag.  When you get home, whatever you throw out or throw in the laundry – replace immediately!
  • Great for hauling around the “diaper bag”, picnic lunch and (of course), kids – is a wagon.   I much prefer this to a leash… Also great for kids that may need to rest their legs wherever you may be (zoo, park etc.)

Stay tuned for more top tips on picnics and what NOT to bring when you head out with the kids!

 

Mommy of 2 boys (3.5 years and 7 months), Claire Schneider is passionate about writing and photography (by no means a professional in either) and active in her community.  Life before and between maternity leaves (and possibly after her current leave) finds Claire as a Senior HR Consultant spending her days working on a variety of strategic projects to achieve overall business goals.  Currently she is guilty of staying up late watching reality television with a glass of wine, but does get up early to sneak in a workout before hubby leaves for work.

Image: Burstyriffic | Flickr.com

· Filed Under: Baby, Resource, Toddler, travel

The Disney Fantasy – Would You Travel With An Infant?

16 May

Vacationing with an infant? Did I just see you shudder? Or was that me? As a single parent with two very active boys, even the thought of attempting a getaway further than my backyard terrified me. Therefore I have waited five long years to begin traveling with my children, so being invited to attend the press trip of the Disney Fantasy was worth the wait. Imagine my surprise then, when I boarded the newest Disney cruise ship and came across moms with little ones! Shaking my head I secretly thought, “You are crazy, but can I please sniff your baby’s hair…” Little did I know at the time that Disney had a nursery onboard. Yep, I didn’t misspell that – it is a FULL SERVICE nursery. And not like my day care (only for those nineteen months and up), but they actually take babies from as young as twelve weeks!! (Okay in all honesty, who wouldn’t want to cuddle twelve week old babies?!)

I would like you now to sit back in your chair, close your eyes and imagine if you could – oh wait, don’t close your eyes, then you can’t read what I want you to do, so let’s try again. Imagine if you would, (with your eyes open), you’ve just had a baby a couple of months ago. You’re exhausted. You’re sore everywhere. You have zero desire to cook, clean, entertain or otherwise make nice at home. (This may not be difficult to imagine for some of us.) Now, imagine, a soft breeze in your hair, sun warming your skin, a full stomach, and a sleeping baby. Doesn’t this sound divine?! It does to me and I WISH I had known that a Disney cruise could have been my answer to the post-partum depression I fought so hard after my childrens’ births.

The ‘It’s a Small World’ nursery is the stuff “dreams” are made of, check this out:

Umm, can I play here? Please?!

With highly trained childcare professionals, infants and toddlers are treated like prince and princesses, what else would you expect from Disney?

But the infant and toddler activities don’t stop with the nursery, how about attending Jack Jack’s Incredible Diaper Dash? (Seriously whoever designed these activities had to have been a child! They are incredible!)

And don’t forget Nemo’s Reef, even my five year old loves it!

Does this convince you that your infant or toddler will LOVE the Disney Fantasy? I know it did for my kidlets!

Aside from all of the family friendly activities and believe me, there are a lot, (check them out here), you are probably still dreading the thought of lugging all the baby equipment you will need – strollers, diapers, high chairs, play pens, the list goes on forever! Well… what if I told you that Disney made even this easier?! Once your tickets are booked, you can access the “Babies Travel Lite” section to pre-order (again, I didn’t misspell this, it is pre-order!) all of your supplies! Diapers, wipes, powder, most anything your little heart desires and they will arrive on board in sizes made for cruising lengths! I love this. This would be the easiest packing job… EVER.

I also noticed that guests were enjoying high chairs and strollers for their little ones that I didn’t see them come on board with. So I had to check it out and turns out that Disney provides all of the following on board:

  • Diaper disposal units, bottle warmers, bottle sterilizers, cribs and playpens are available complimentary upon request from the stateroom host/hostess for use during the cruise.
  • Strollers are available complimentary at Guest Services for use during the cruise.
  • High chairs are available at all of the restaurants onboard.
  • At Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, wagons are available to facilitate navigating the island’s sandy beaches.
  • A variety of essential baby supplies are available for purchase on the ships

I am used to finding high chairs at a restaurant and certainly playpens at a hotel as well as strollers at a mall, but the comprehensive list above really blew my mind.

Now I have taken care of the sleeping baby scenario from our imagination exercise from above, so what was I saying about your relaxation and wind blowing through your hair? I would completely recommend that you take advantage of the industry lower rates and long operating hours of the Fantasy cruise and treat you and your significant other to some time at the spa, sunning on the sundeck and a child-free experience at one of their incredible adult only restaurants (unless you want to order in… ;) ). Once you have been wined and dined, perhaps you should take in a show or go dancing – the Disney Fantasy has it all! Only, without the mommy guilt!

In all honesty, I have decided that I waited much too long for a much needed vacation – had someone told me about the Disney Cruise Line I would never have waited so long!

 

Outnumbered in her own home, Felicia Dewar is subject to wrestling ambushes, dating disasters and life juggling events. Whether it’s home renovations, volunteering in her community or peeing standing up (her two boys, not her!), Felicia takes on each single parenting adventure with determination and a healthy dose of humour.

· Filed Under: travel

Holiday’s and Sleep

8 Dec

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year!  It is also one of the most exhausting times too.  There is so much to do, many places to be, and family and friends to visit.  How do we fit in our little one’s need for naps and a good night’s sleep?

A well-rested little one can handle variations in his schedule and will just ‘roll’ with little changes without disruptions to his sleep.  Here are some tips to help you through the season and the bigger disruptions to his regular routine.

1)      Travelling during nap time (if they will sleep in the car) will help fit in a little bit of sleep.

2)      Packing light is never an option so be prepared with regular items that your child finds comforting and part of his regular routine: blankets, your sheets because of the familiar scent, a special lovey, books, night light with extra bulb, a white noise machine (or radio tuned between stations), and a playpen or even a crib.  If you find you are regularly visiting the same place throughout the year and/or have family that also visits and has a little one – perhaps investing in a second crib is worthwhile.  Another option for frequent travellers is to use the same playpen all of the time; it will be one more thing that is the same.

3)      Having a base ‘camp’ is a great way to enable you to establish a predictable routine during your vacation.  Instead of jumping place to place to fit all of the visiting in; you can pick one house to ‘camp’ at and have all of the visiting done here.  You can pick one family’s home for this visit and the other family for next visit.  Everyone is much happier visiting with well-rested children and the visits can be longer because you aren’t packing up to get back before bedtime.  You will also be avoiding the struggle of getting him settled at a new home each time you move.

4)      Staying in the same room?  You can have a little family meeting with your little one(s) and explain that “at Grandma’s house we can sleep together because it is a special visit but when we go home you will be back in your room”; of course you will need to remind them of this when you return home.   You would be surprised how much little ones do understand!  Remember that choosing to use old sleep crutches, such as rocking or nursing to sleep, on a holiday will be OK as long as, once you are back home, you are prepared for a couple of nights of his refusal to go back to the regular routine.  Consistency, as always, will be key.

5)      We all want to avoid disrupting everyone else’s sleep wherever we are staying.  Try very hard to establish a good bedtime and be consistent with your responses throughout the night.  Predictability and consistency will help everyone (usually the first night is the test and then the remainder of the holiday will go smoother).

6)      You always need to follow your little one’s sleepy cues; vacation or not.  Your best chance to get him to sleep is when you follow his sleep windows.  You know what happens if you don’t – that second wind hits!  An over-tired, fussy child is difficult to deal with and you want to avoid adding stress to yourself.  Once your little angel is sleeping it is time for you to relax and enjoy yourself too.

7)      Accept help and give yourself a break.  Family understands – most of the time ;)

Written by Heather Plante – a certified Gentle Sleep Coach; mentored by Kim West, LCSW-C – The Sleep Lady®, Heather is the owner of Soothing Angels -  www.SoothingAngels.ca

Photo courtesy of Heather Wagner Photography, www.heatherwagnerphotography.com

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: Baby, Holiday Season, sleep, travel

Baby Moons

2 Dec

With the cold weather here to stay and the wind blowing we thought we’d share one of our favorite articles from one of our previous issues. A very good reason to go somewhere sunny! – UI Team

You’re pregnant and excited. This is a great time in your life for you and your partner! But you’re also used to packing up and getting away whenever you want … impending mommydom could mean the end of such freedoms and luxuries. Sounds like a babymoon is in order!

A “babymoon” is one last trip before two become three. It’s an idea that is being embraced by more and more couples. This is a time to take advantage of being pampered and enjoy bonding together before baby arrives. A growing number of resorts are catering to expecting mommas and their partners. Packages often include massages, candlelit dinners and relaxation all around to enjoy before your world gets a new bundle of excitement. If you will be traveling out of country, make sure to check with your OB/Gyn first to get  the OK.

Travel during your second trimester, avoid long flights, be vigilant about what you eat and drink, and don’t hesitate to seek medical attention if need be. If you choose to stay close to home, you can make a fun day of it by turning off the phones, heading to a spa together, and then add something fun like belly casting to your agenda. Just make sure that the whole day is really about the two of you.  There are a number of websites out there catering, specifically, to potential babymooners like you! Check out www.babymoonfinder.com for some great info, and then contact your travel agent so you can get packing! Congratulations!

From Pg 18 • winter 2011
Written by Darci Huhn, Independent Travel Consultant with Expedia Cruiseshipcenters Sherwood Park. dhuhn@cruiseshipcenters.com

Photos Courtesty of Sammy Tavarez | www.JMonetstudios.com

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: Pregnancy, travel