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Buying Local in Vancouver

Amber on April 30, 2010 12 Comments

Before I gave my talk at the Bellies to Babies Celebration I had a chance to wander around and see the exhibitors. I met the fabulous Karen Randall from New and Green Baby in person, and got a hug from Allison of Stylekid. I also came across some super-cool baby gear from Snugglings, and even bought one of their T-shirts for my new little nephew who is expected to arrive in July.

While I was chatting with one of the owners of Snugglings, she filled me in on a great event happening in Vancouver for the month of May. From May 1 – 30 a whole bunch of local designers are getting together to create Pop-Up Vancouver. They will have a temporary retail location at 1-4421 West 10th Avenue [map] where you can drop in and shop. I hear there will be loads to see, like baby and kids’ stuff, handbags, jewelry and art.

A handmade doll of Hannah’s made by a local mama

I love the idea of Pop-Up Vancouver. There is something really cool about having things that are designed and made right in your own back yard. There is something really cool about meeting people who are doing their thing and making their art. And there is something really cool about local designers coming together to support each other and work together. It makes me want to join hands and sing “Kum Ba Yah” because working together is how great things happen, even if it does sound a little schmaltzy. Just because your kindergarten teacher said it, doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

This sense of community and shared purpose is the same sort of thing you also see at local craft shows. My father was a goldsmith and so I attended a lot of craft fairs as a kid. They have a unique vibe that I love. Vancouver’s biggest, Got Craft?, is happening this Sunday May 2. One of my local bloggy friends, and regular blog commenter, PoMo Mama will be there with her creations. Sadly, I won’t be able to make it this year, but I’ve been before and it’s definitely one-of-a-kind. A random stranger commented on 9-month-old Jacob’s aura. Do you see that at Wal-Mart? No, you do not.

Photo credit – PoMo Mama on Flickr

A few years ago I didn’t know about all the ways to buy locally produced stuff from people who live where I do. My new awareness is at least partly due to the way that handmade and local is catching on. Etsy, anyone? But it’s also partly because I’m looking for it. It’s surprised me to see how many ways there are to buy things that don’t involve a trip to the mall. I love it, really.

How about you? Do you look for local or handmade when you’re buying things? Are you an Etsy fanatic? Tell me all about it!

Tagged With: Beautiful BC, Buying Local, Things to do

Northern Voice

Amber on April 24, 2010 14 Comments

If you are a bloggy type, and you live in or around Vancouver, you might be interested in Northern Voice. It’s a two-day, personal blogging and social media conference, which is held out at UBC. This year is its 6th incarnation, and it will run on May 7-8, 2010.

There are a lot of reasons to go to Northern Voice. It’s billed as “cheap, friendly and open to all”. It’s the premiere blogging event in Vancouver. And, as icing on the cupcake, I will be speaking!

I will be join the likes of Kerry from Crunchy Carpets, Harriet, The Green Mama and Danielle from The Momoir Project in a panel called Family Matters: Blogging the Parenthood Experience. They refer to us as “some of the nation’s top mommy bloggers”, which is really quite flattering. We’ll talk about the intersection of family life and blogging and that sort of thing. There are a lot of us, so it will be interesting to see how it pans out. Will I be able to get a word in edgewise? Given my love of talking, I think my chances are good, but you’ll have to be there to see for sure.

Our panel will be taking place from 2:30-3:15pm on the Saturday. Which is serendipitous, because I don’t think I can make the Friday in spite of the co-operative childcare. I’m really looking forward to the day. I’m also looking forward to attending the other panels and hearing what everyone else has to say. This is my first Northern Voice, and so I’m really excited to connect with some other local bloggy types.

(Aside – I originally wrote, “I’m really excited to hook up with some other local bloggy types,” but then I decided that might be misconstrued. Ahem.)

If you’re local, I’d love to see you there. If you’ve been before, I could also use some pointers. Either way, I will take lots of photos and report back on the whole thing. Wish me luck!

Tagged With: Beautiful BC, Bloggy McBloggerson, Things to do

Bellies to Babies Celebration

Amber on April 3, 2010 17 Comments

I am very excited to say that I am going to be speaking at the Bellies to Babies Celebration in Vancouver! I am going to talk about maternity leave, which is one of my passions. I love talking about maternity leave. Maybe a little bit too much, but in this context it works so I’m golden. Plus it will give my poor husband’s ear a chance to rest. Is there a downside? I don’t think so.

Look, if you scroll down they even have my photo! I am especially thrilled to be sharing the podium with fabulous La Leche League Leaders Sandra and Monique who will be talking about breastfeeding, and Karen Randall from New and Green Baby who will be talking about cloth diapering. They will be a tough act to follow, but I will certainly try.

If you are in the area, I would love to see you. Here are all the pertinent details:

Date – Sunday, April 18, 2010
Celebration Hours – 11am-4pm
My Talk – 2-2:30pm
Cost – by donation to Basics for Babies
Location – Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Drive

You can register for the event online. Come early and check out the exhibitors and hear the other speakers. Then at 2:00pm be sure to catch me. I will give a mom’s eye view of how maternity leave works, what it covers and how to apply. I’ll also share some history and compare maternity leave in other countries. Like I said, I really love to talk about maternity leave.

Lara, the event organizer is a super-cool mama who taught me Strollerobics when Hannah was a baby and led my Salsa Babies class when Jacob was little. She is one dynamic woman! It means so much to me that she asked me to give this talk.

Now, please wish me luck! And if you are a local come on out and say hi – I would love to see some friendly faces.

Tagged With: Crafting my Life, Maternity Leave, Things to do

Maternity Leave in Maple Ridge

Amber on March 6, 2010 17 Comments

Guess what! I have my first public appearance. I can’t even begin to tell you how excited this makes me. I am going to speaking about my passion, maternity leave, at the fabulous maternity and baby boutique Tiny Fingers Tiny Toes in Maple Ridge, BC. I love talking about maternity leave. In fact, if you ask my husband he might tell you I never stop talking about maternity leave, so I am thrilled to have the chance to share my pearls of wisdom with others. I promise, they will be pearly. Ish.

If you are in the area, I would love to see you. Here are all the pertinent details:

Date – Saturday, March 20, 2010
Time – 10:30am
Cost – $10 per person
Location – 11997 A 224th Street, Maple Ridge (street parking only)

To register, call the store at 604-466-8637. Space is limited, so call early and all that jazz. My talk will include an overview of how maternity leave works in Canada, a rundown of its history, and some discussion of the benefits parents and babies experience when they have access to quality leave. I will also address any questions that come up as best I can and coo over babies and / or expectant moms who show up. But that’s not all! Attendees also receive $10 in store credit to Tiny Fingers Tiny Toes, so when the presentation is over they can go shopping for some truly fabulous maternity and baby gear. Is there a downside? I don’t think so!

Stacy, the owner of the boutique, is a friend of mine and fellow breastfeeding advocate. She is an example to me of the kind of mama I would like to be – volunteering, running a business, raising a lovely family, supporting new families. It means so much to me that she asked me to give this talk. I am pretty much tickled all over, and my ego is growing to monumental proportions. So, hopefully, there will be room for it in the store.

Now, please wish me luck! And share words of wisdom if you have ever done anything like this before. Or, if you are a local come on out and say hi – I would love to see some friendly faces.

Tagged With: Crafting my Life, Maternity Leave, Things to do

Treasure Hunting

Amber on February 20, 2010 19 Comments

There was a time in my life when I would not have been caught dead in a thrift store. I have never been a big shopper, but back before I had kids I bought everything new. I was convinced that thrift store shopping was a lot of work, and I found the idea of wearing second-hand clothes or eating off of second-hand plates distasteful. Never mind that I would happily visit other people’s homes or frequent restaurants and eat off of their plates, or borrow my friend’s clothes. Using a faceless stranger’s cast-offs did not appeal to me.

Then I had children. Tiny little people who grow at alarming rates and always need some article of clothing or another. Suddenly, spending $20 for each new pair of teeny-tiny pants seemed exorbitant. Let’s say your kid has 5 pairs of pants, which is maybe not even enough. That’s $100 in pants that they will outgrow in 3 weeks, and poop on, and generally cover in yucky kid goo. Suddenly, the thrift store with its $4 baby pants seemed much, much more appealing.

Thrift store shopping has other things going for it, too. It’s an environmentally-friendly choice, since you are giving new life to old things, and not consuming any additional resources. Re-using at its finest. Also, the variety of items that you can find in a large thrift store is unparalleled. If you want the perfect shirt to match a great skirt you found, you’ll likely have better luck at a thrift store with hundreds of shirts in different styles and colours. They won’t all be winners, but you only need one. Plus, second- hand shopping is like the best treasure hunt ever, my 5-year-old loves combing through all the teacups and saucers and picture frames and sparkly shoes.

On some random Tuesday you’ll find the kids and I out on a walk to our local thrift store. We check out the books and the dishes, and I always take a spin by the pots and pans in search of cast iron. Sometimes we buy clothes, sometimes Hannah spends her allowance on toys, and we always stop off to check out the kids’ shoes and the jewelry. I find 3 shirts I like for a grand total of $17, which is less than one new shirt from the mall. And when we get home I just give our new treasures a thorough wash and we’re good to go.

Do you like to comb thrift stores for hidden treasure, too? If so, care to share any great finds? I promise to be suitably impressed.

Tagged With: Enviro-Mommy, Money, Things to do

Ventriloquists are Fun

Amber on December 18, 2009 11 Comments

This week my 4-year-old Hannah and I were invited to see children’s entertainer and ventriloquist Kellie Haines perform Journey to the North Pole. I was asked to attend because I agreed to write about Kellie. I’ll take any chance to look cool to my kid, and going to a Christmas show with just my daughter sounded like fun.

We arrived at the theatre and took a bathroom break. That’s how 4-year-olds roll. I held the stall door shut for Hannah because this is the glamourous life I lead, people. Don’t let anybody tell you that family blogging isn’t first class all the way.

Holding the stall door shut

We had two reserved seats in the theatre’s second row. Primo location, really. But Hannah decided she would rather sit in the first row. That kid’s got chutzpah, what can I say? Anyways, they very kindly moved our reserved signs. We could have taken them off, of course, but Hannah really liked them.

Look at us, we have reserved seating!

Hannah, sitting in the new and improved front row seat

The rest of the show’s patrons were students from five local elementary schools. It was a field trip and the energy was high. There was much in the way of talking and seat-kicking and making pretend bunny ears over the head of the kid in front of you. It turns out that 6-year-olds are still pretty much the same as they have always been. It’s sort of comforting, really.

The stage, set up and ready for action

Before the show started a very nice gentleman reminded everyone that it was time to stop using our mouths and start using our ears. But the show was really not about sitting still and being quiet, opening with the classic, “Are you ready? I can’t hear you!” The kids screamed and yelled and laughed and pointed throughout the show. Kellie has been practicing her ventriloquism since she was 8 and she’s very good. Magrau the bird was the wise-cracking sidekick, and he brought down the house by stealing cupcakes and making jokes involving underwear.

Kellie and Magrau having a little chat

Hannah laughed loudest at Magrau, but was more taken by Kamilla, the 4-year-old frog puppet. Being a 4-year-old girl herself, she seemed to feel they have more in common, although she told me she thought Kamilla wasn’t really a frog.

Kellie and Kamilla

After the show, there was an appearance by Santa, bearing goodie bags. Hannah got to try a Wagon Wheel and was in raptures. Chocolate, marshmallow and cookie all in one package was too good to be true. We were also invited backstage to meet Kellie and the puppets. Hannah got to have a chat with Kamilla and talked Kellie into letting her try on some lipstick.

Kellie shares make-up tips with Hannah

It was really great to spend the afternoon with just Hannah, and watch her enjoy herself so thoroughly. Front row seats, underwear jokes, 4-year-old frogs, a Wagon Wheel and lipstick were just too much fun for my kid. Although she continues to puzzle about just how those puppets were talking, she thoroughly enjoyed herself. I would like to say a big thank you to Kellie for inviting us to the show, and I would recommend checking her out if you have the chance.

PS – I have advanced to the second round of the Canadian Blog Awards! From now until December 19 you can vote every day. Look for Strocel.com in the Family and Blog Post Series categories. This is the last time I’ll hound you about this, promise!

Tagged With: Bloggy McBloggerson, Kids, Reviews, Things to do

The Annual Pumpkin Patch Extravaganza!

Amber on October 23, 2009 5 Comments

On Tuesday we took our annual trip to the Laity Pumpkin Patch in Maple Ridge. This is the third year in a row that we’ve gone, and unfortunately Jon wasn’t able to make it this time. But I loaded up the kids and headed out myself, crossing my fingers for smooth sailing. We visited at around 2:15pm, and that was a great time to go because the school groups were gone, but the after-school rush hadn’t started yet. We had a great time, and we found some wonderful pumpkins.

And, of course, I took many photos.

Jacob playing on a ‘tractor’

Hannah playing with the wooden sheep

Watching the ducks

Jacob was blown away by all the small pumpkins

An old-timey pumpkin family

How will we choose from so many?

Me holding our selections (framing courtesy of Hannah)

Hannah does her princess pose amidst many pumpkins

Do you do the annual pumpkin patch trip, too? Or do you have another go-to pumpkin source?

Tagged With: Beautiful BC, Halloween, Things to do

Watercolors

Amber on August 19, 2009 8 Comments

Whenever I think of painting I think of a cheap tin of watercolors, the kind that you packed in your bag to take with you on your first day of school. They always came with a complimentary paintbrush tucked into a slot in the middle, and they had a very distinctive smell. Sort of like crayons, or pencils, or new wooden rulers. Come to think of it, most school supplies have a very distinctive smell. But then, I do tend to smell everything, so that might explain things.

Painting with watercolors is a scene that I can re-create very vividly in my mind. There’s a cup of water, which has taken on a very unappealing milky-brown hue. There’s a piece of waste paper, which is used to blot paint and test colour. There are drips on the page where there oughtn’t to be drips, thanks to too much water on the brush. And there’s the act of swirling your wet brush in the dry paint, making circles until it’s just the way you want it to be. If I close my eyes I can even hear the sound it makes.

Some flowers we picked on a walk, serving as inspiration

Now I have children and we have tried a few different kinds of paints, but watercolors work best. They are the least messy, being solid and spill-proof when they’re not in use. They are also by far the easiest to use, since you open one lid and have access to all the colours in one spot. You don’t have to open bottles and dole out small portions of 6 colours individually, or deal with the messy fingers that come with finger painting. Watercolors remain my paint of choice.

Hannah at work with her watercolors

Watercolors have their faults, to be sure. Somehow darker colours always end up on top of lighter ones, obscuring the true shade. I doubt any clean little white cake has stayed white in the entire history of watercolors. Getting just the right ratio of paint to water can be a challenge. Paint that is too watery or too dry is neither satisfying nor good for painting with. And certain colours always run out first. Black and pink are gone while that weird yellow-green remains untouched. And of course watercolors aren’t terribly vivid.

Hannah concentrates on her painting

Nothing in life is perfect, but much is still good. And I think that watercolors fall into that camp. Still good. Our colours are all mixed up, and the glass of water is never clean. Sometimes the baby gets into them while they’re still wet and that’s a total fiasco. And there was that time that 2-year-old Hannah painted her feet blue and tracked the colour through the whole house. That was not a fun evening.

But in spite of the lack of perfection, I love watching my daughter paint. She concentrates so deeply, takes her time, lays out her materials just so. She’s absorbed by painting in a way that’s second only to watching television, from what I can see. For the price of a tin of watercolors, I have a little painter. It’s so, so lovely.

Tagged With: Kids, Parenting, Things to do

Weekend in Port Moody

Amber on April 25, 2009 4 Comments

Last month I went through all of Hannah’s clothes, sorting and discarding items she’d outgrown. I wasn’t meaning to organize my 4-year-old’s wardrobe, but when Hannah and her friend decided to spend their playdate piling every single stitch of Hannah’s clothing in the middle of her floor they forced my hand. And so I took advantage of the situation (after some disgruntled admonitions in my daughter’s general direction).

What I discovered is that Hannah is actually out of summer clothing. Which didn’t seem like a big deal back in March when it was still cold and even occasionally snowy. But now that warmer days are here I can see that some shorts and sun dresses may be in order. I sort of hate to spend a ton of money on clothes that will end up covered in food, paint, and dirt, though.

Luckily, this weekend they’re holding the Kids Only Swap Meet in Port Moody. Today and tomorrow, from 9am – 1pm at the Port Moody Arena there will be more than 60 tables filled with used kid’s clothing, toys, books, and furniture. The thing I love about buying second-hand items is that it’s actually a really earth-friendly choice. Re-using old items, instead of discarding them and buying new ones, reduces waste. Since many of us are still celebrating Earth Day, I can think of no better choice than to spend the morning searching for deals.

On a completely different note, this weekend is also ArtsConnect’s Annual ArtWalk in Port Moody. (Fun fact – Port Moody calls itself the City of the Arts!) From 12pm – 5pm today and tomorrow over 50 artists will be opening their studios for free tours. And while I doubt that you will find a lot of clothes that your kids can get dirty on the ArtWalk, I’m sure you will find some amazing local creations. And remember, buying local and contributing to a sustainable local economy is environmentally friendly, too.

My good friend Kirsten of Yummy Yarn participated in last year’s ArtWalk (although they called it the Studio Tour way back in the olden days of 2008). She’s not on the tour this year as she’s expecting a baby any day. And the last I heard she was hoping that any day would come sooner rather than later. So I will be thinking of her, and hoping that she delivers before the weekend is out. After all, as much fun as swap meets and studio tours may be, new babies are infinitely better.

Tagged With: Enviro-Mommy, Things to do

Westcoast Adventures

Amber on March 25, 2009 3 Comments

Jon has a good friend named Danny Sayson. They’ve worked together covering local sports for years. They work behind the scenes, running replays. Danny stands apart because of his fabulous hair, which he keeps looking its best by wearing his headset flipped back instead of in the standard over-the-top configuration. It may be that Jon is telling these stories because he is a little bit jealous, I don’t know. Either way he did procure some photographic evidence.

Danny wears his headset flipped back

Danny also runs his own video production company, creating the most amazing wedding videos. In fact we attended his wedding 5 years ago, and I can verify first-hand that the video was quite something. I can also verify that Danny is a lucky man, his wife is beautiful. And since then they have welcomed their own little guy to the family.

Danny and his beautiful bride cut the cake

A few years back Danny embarked on a labour of love and created his own TV series. It’s called Westcoast Adventures, and it’s all about fun and adventure here in BC. It features activities from shopping at the Richmond Night Market to sky-diving in Pitt Meadows. Danny poured a lot of time, energy, and money into the project. And now it looks like that work has finally paid off.

Westcoast Adventures has been picked up by several PBS stations, with a potential audience of 12.8 million (!!!). The stations are KCTS, KSPS, KWSU, and KTNW, so if you have access to any of those stations check out the broadcast schedule. The first episode airs tonight at 7:30 pm on KCTS. If that doesn’t work for you, the episodes will be available online following their broadcast on PBS.

I realize I sound like a commercial today. But there’s so much work that goes into a project like this, with no guarantee of success. Jon has worked in TV and video production since he was 16 and it’s rather mind-blowing to see the effort involved in creating something as basic as a TV commercial. It takes a lot of heart to create a whole TV series and then get it on the air, and I’m just thrilled for Danny that he’s done it. And of course I’m also glad that he’s showcasing this beautiful place that I call home. I’ll take any chance I can get to learn about fun things I can do right here in my own backyard.

(Plus, I hear that Jon has a credit for the help and advice he offered Danny, and I do love to see my husband’s name on air.)

I won’t be able to watch tonight, because I don’t have a TV these days. But I will be logging in following the airings. And of course I will be hoping that Westcoast Adventures enjoys a very successful run!