Issue 3: Spring/Summer 2013 by Pink & Blue Magazine

FAB NURSERY U S tyle LOTIPS U DESIGN Guid S e!

EXPERT ADVICE FOR FABULOUS MOMS AND SAVVY DADS

STEPS TO

PREVENT PARENT BURNOUT

SPRING/SUMMER 2013

POPSPRING INTO& SUMMER!

Kid Swag in every Issue

CONTEST Win a Cuisinart Baby Food Maker

IS YOUR

TEEN

stressed out?

BOOKS FOR ALL AGES

summer

TREND REPORT

3 Emotional Eating Beauty Breakthrough STEPS TO PREVENT

For Your Kids

GET THE LATEST COLOURED EYE MAKE-UP!

MADE IN CANADA

DOES YOUR KID GOT

SWAG?

Want to see your Kid on our next cover? Submit photos of your child to win the cover of our Fall/Winter 2013 Issue Submit your pictures to our tumblr page or email us at info@pinkandbluebaby.com

DEADLINE: July 1, 2013

contents SPRING/SUMMER, ISSUE 3 FEATURES 28 35 37 58

Breast Milk Production 101 5 Tips to Eating out for less 5 Steps to prevent Parent Burnout Babies are not accessories

PINK GOSSIP 10 Pink Gossip

FASHION & PRODUCTS

20 The Perfect Time For Babywearing Outerwear

03 Kids Swag 12 Beauty Trend Report 13 Trend Report 16 Gear Guide

CONTEST

12 Conair/ Cuisinart

HEALTH 24 25 27 28 29 30

Kale & Carrot Slaw Panko Crusted Trout Spring Cleansing Breast Feeding Eating for Autism 3 Steps to prevent Emotional Eating

FOR YOU 32 33 35 37 38

It’s a Boy Between the sheets Save when eating out 5 steps to prevent Parent Burnout Eco- chic décor

FINANCE 36 Tax

C I H C ECO

Breastmilk Production 101

DÉCOR

spring/summer 2013

contents slug

SPRING/SUMMER, ISSUE 3 FAMILY & LIFE 42 Twins Story 44 Travel 54 Modern Family 56 Books for all ages

LITTLE BIG STEPS BABY (NEW BORN) 50 Baby Movement Guidelines

TODDLER (1-2) 51 Epilepsy

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;M A BIG KID NOW ( 3-5) 50 Apps for Kids

French Article

KIDS (6-8)

34 French Article

TEEN (12-16)

52 Chores 53 Is your teen stressed out

Chores

Baby Movement Guidelines

00 PINKANDBLUEMAG.COM

contributors

UR MEET O

slug

experts COLUMNISTS

ANDREA TRAYNOR

MOMMY GEAREST Andrea is the founder of www.mommygearest. com – a product and services review site for discerning parents – and has been giving unsolicited advice for years. Recently named one of Toronto’s ultimate mommy bloggers, she’s a mom to two little kids. Mommy Gearest is a self-described crazy person when it comes to the latest baby and kid gear, gadgets, clothes, enviro-friendly stuff, toys, accessories – you name it!

CONTRIBUTORS - EXPERTS Jodie Rosen B.A, Dipl. ID, LEED AP | Interior Designer Elizabeth Chambers Teacher, aka “resident book worm” Farzana Bandali Doctor of Chiropractic and Wellness Coach Wendy Goodman RN, MEd, IBCLC, is a registered nurse (University of Toronto) and a certified lactation Consultant Leslie Rubinoff Certified Nutritional Practitioner CNP and Registered Natural Nutritional Coach and Practitioner NNCP Gila Ossip Tax4Nanny Natalie Shay Psycho Therapist and Stress Management Counsellor Erin Lazer MBA, CSP | Home Stager and Professional Organizer

Jaimee Diamond-Mandell Twins Expert Russell Cole Travel Expert Erin Reinblatt Senior Recruiter Ivana Trevisan Teacher Jennifer Paredes bebo mia -Director of Parenting Dr. Dina Kulik Pediatrician Dr. Evan Goldstein DO, FACS | Doctor Kelly Hartman Registered Holistic Nutritionist Lori Hacker PR ProfessionalP | Chef de clean cuisine at Chez Hacker Elyse Schopp-Glaser Chef Jenna Greenspoon Teacher

BLOGGERS - LIST Mommy Blogger: Andrea Traynor, Mommy Gearest Mommy Blogger: Renee Kaiman Daddy Blogger: Stephen Gosewich Shopping List-Terri Krajden Shopping List- Ashleigh Reznick

NICOLE SCHWARTZ

A Certified Image Consultant, and founder of Toronto based Next Image Consulting. Nicole strives to help individuals present their “best self” possible. Nicole is equipped with the tools to help men and women of all walks attain their ultimate goals and aspirations. To contact Nicole, visit her website www. nextimageconsulting.com, email her at info@nextimageconsulting.com

NATALIE SHAY R.I.H.R, B.A

Natalie Shay, R.I.H.R, B.A is a registered Psychotherapist and Stress Management Counsellor who has been working in the field since 2006. Her specialties include counselling individuals on stress management, work/life balance, anxiety/depression, self-esteem, and emotional eating. She has a strong passion for helping others, especially as they navigate through their stress in our fast-paced world.

STEPHEN GOSEWICH

Stephen Gosewich is an aspiring enlightened male. Weekdays he doubles as a commercial real estate representative. at all other times he loves being a husband to his wife of 20 years and a dad to his two wonderfully inspiring daughters. www.theenlightenedmale.wordpress.com

spring/summer 2013

inside

testimonials What people are saying about I love the magazine and the Facebook site is super helpful. ~ Julie Foisy

BEHINDTHE SCENES with

PINK&BLUE

at the cover shoot

Ironically, so many people have asked me if I work for Pink & Blue because of how excited I get about the forum and how much I actually promote it. I have to say I don’t think I could have gotten through the past 8 months with my daughter (first time mommy) without P & B. I have made some new friendships and have learned so much from the forum.. It is also my GO TO place when I need any advice. Thank you for starting this wonderful resource and outlet for us mommies. ~ Mandy Waagner I am a huge fan of your Facebook group and a devoted member since having my daughter. ~ Jennifer Dickie

Hey saw some of your interviews on FB today. Looked like a great event. Congrats on such a needed event for moms and moms to be. You’re a true revolutionary!! Great Work!, ~ Eric Shendy To all the amazing women out there had helped make this possible, thank you! Today was inspirational and tonight my heart is full. ~ Staci Nicole Lumb Hi Nicole. I’m a big fan of your Pink and Blue empire :) Keep up the good work. Honestly, the Pink and Blue Facebook page helped me a lot after having a baby. I’m grateful! ~ Ofra N.

PINKANDBLUEMAG.COM

I posted on your group this evening about a young woman who was in a abusive relationship and ran away with her 5 week old daughter. She had nothing for her little girl and was even contemplating adoption at one point as she could not provide. She contacted my website Single Moms Fresh Start and was only looking for a little inspiration. After hearing her story i wanted to help her. I posted in your group looking for any type of donation not expecting much but the out poor of support and donations has truly floored me and even brought me to tears tonight. I am doing a toronto run and collecting from everyone who has offered! I just want to say that because of your group this woman will have everything she needs for her little girl and i am so inspired! ~ Staci Nicole Lumb

BEHINDTHE SCENES with

PINK&BLUE

at the cover shoot

{ BECOME A PINK & BLUE TESTER }

DO YOU LIKE NEW THINGS? SIGN UP NOW! and your opinions can be

in our next issue! ( Mom Squad. Tried and tested by our top Moms! We are giving our STAMP OF APPROVAL) Join our roster of testers! We send you products to use, recipes, new books to read, and you provide your feedback at pinkandbluemag.com. The STAMP OF APPROVAL parents trust.

We are what companies are looking for, Real Moms with Real Opinions. Pink & Blue MAG is providing our

members advice from experts they can trust. They are receiving & giving advice from other mothers on our forums and we are giving our final stamp of approval that is trusted by families.

DO YOU LOVE PRODUCTS?

So do we! If you would like to be a Pink and Blue MOM TESTER and test products please e-mail

info@pinkandbluebaby.com

}

from our editor | notes

}

IEF H C N I MOM-

}

S ’ R O EDIT

R E T T LE

}

By Nico

mberg le Bloo

his letter was hard for me to write as it is spoken straight from my heart. I hope that it touches you in some small way. Doing this issue changed me. I have grown as a mom, put my heart and soul into Pink & Blue and in a sense made it my other baby. But I really have grown with the magazine and I came to the biggest realization of my life, balance! Balance is the key to life and it may just be the key ingredient to making us happy as moms, chauffeurs, doctors, financial accountants, cooks, and every other laundry list of what it means to be a mom! We are all moms and at times I forget that. I forget the miracle of having a baby and what it means to be a mom, like what it feels like holding your baby in your arms for the first time. It means that we as moms all have an unspoken bond. However, it’s just not moms, dads too. PARENTS! The act of juggling it all is something that we all need to do. Sometimes it is hard to decide when our work must come first or when our kids come first. I always struggle with this and I am sure many of you do as well. However, as I am laying in bed, my immune system taking a beating and trying to do everything that I can to fight the flu, I can’t stop thinking about the e-mails that are waiting to greet me. Just before writing this, 33 emails loaded in and the last time I checked my inbox was a half hour ago. I always fear that my kids will grow up so fast and that I will miss it all. I took a bath with Iyla yesterday and just wished that I could freeze that moment, just capture how cute and little she is and that laugh of hers. I love this age and I have loved every stage of her development. It is snowing outside and being from Florida, I have never made a snowman. Then it made me stop and think - I will miss her being two years old and I will regret that I didn’t make a snowman, but I am sure that that the call or e-mail that I have to send will still be sent by tomorrow. I’m not saying to that we be a slacker but, people who have kids will understand that sometimes, it is ok to put yourself and your family first and not to push so hard. After all we are the glue and the missing puzzle piece that keeps it all together. If we’re sick the whole family is S.O.L. My parents have always worked incredibly hard day and night to give me whatever they can and if they taught me anything, it is to

work hard and play hard. So my lesson while doing my anniversary issue is stop to smell the flowers that lay on the path of life, to build that snowman, and to get your nails done! Because when you’re older, you won’t regret that you didn’t send that important email. You will be upset that you missed the little precious moments that builds your memories and makes your life yours. Everyone has a story and their own personal experiences. Those experiences are memories. That is what Pink & Blue is all about. Sharing experiences, stories, and hoping someone else can relate and learn from it. I hope this issue is as amazing as all of you are as parents and contributes to helping make you better at doing the most important job in the world. I hope that the Pink &Blue helps you with your daily questions and makes your lives easier. In some small way, I hope it makes the world a better place. At the end of the day, I am believer in karma. If I don’t make millions, at least I can be happy knowing that I am helping others. It will eventually come back to me (I hope anyway). Thank you all for supporting one another and lifting each other up and making Pink & Blue possible. I cannot believe we are celebrating our one year anniversary and we have come so far. It wouldn’t be possible without our extended Pink & Blue Family on our Facebook Group & Page, readers, experts, bloggers, writers, editors, photographers, designers, and interns. I want to especially thank my family and husband for pushing me to keep living my dream everyday and motivates me to keep Pink & Blue alive.Pink & Blue has really taken on a life of its own and I am trying to keep up daily. But, always receiving such nice testimonials from our supporters makes it all worth it! Xo Nicole Bloomberg, MBA Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

Pink & Blue Magazine is not responsible for advice and information that is expressed in this magazine. If you have any medical question please consult your health professional. Reasonable care is taken to ensure that Pink & Blue Magazine articles and other information on the web site are up-to-date and accurate as possible, as of the time of publication, but no responsibility can be taken by Pink & Blue Magazine for any errors or omissions contained herein. Pink & Blue Mag will not be held responsible for any claim, loss, damage or inconvenience caused as a result of any information within these pages or any information accessed through this site. Furthermore, responsibility for any losses, damages or distress resulting from adherence to any information made available through this website is not the responsibility of Pink & Blue Magazine. The content from any organization websites which you link to or from Pink and Blue Mag are our of our control. These link are provided purely for your convenience. They do not imply Pink and Blue Magazine’s endorsement of or association with any products, services, content, information or materials offered by or accessible to you at the organizations site. The opinions expressed are those of the authors, reviews, and other materials and do not necessarily reflect the views of Pink & Blue Magazine. All copyright and trade marks accessible via the links from Pink and Blue Magazine are owned by the respective website owners, or their licensors.

pink&blue buzz

Conversations

from real mothers Hey everyone: For those who suffered with nausea when preggo what made you feel better? Looking for any advice besides drugs! TIA Michelle Daniel-Newman

• Inat Rozenblyum - Try eating green apples. • Rhiannon Oliveira - Ginger ale or Gatorade in the morning and eating every 2 hours (with my second nothing helped but drugs it totally sucked). Hope you feel better soon. • Andrea Martin Steinberg - Preggie Pop Drops candy actually helped me (in addition to the drugs). Feel better! • Catherine Vettese - The only things that helped me were green apples and Asian pears. They had to be straight from the fridge. Grapes also helped.

and then I found an Elmo potty DVD at shopper’s drug mart. For some reason this did the trick and she decided on her own to start peeing in the toilet. We watched the DVD over and over and it just clicked with her. Not sure it would work for your daughter, but just thought I would suggest it. Klara Ashkenazy - Thanks to everyone who responded. Jennifer, want to sell me Klara Ashkenazy - I should confess that the DVD? 6 months ago we tried the 3-day potty Jennifer Drevnig - I would but she still training method. We took away her dialikes it. It is called Elmo’s Potty Time - you per and she responded by holding her could probably find it on amazon.ca too. Or pee for hours and hours, refusing to go until she got a diaper back. She may be a maybe someone else on here has it? Maxine Sass - I think she is enjoying the little traumatized by that experience... Amanda Avertick - Have you tried taking power struggle. I would totally back off and not try for a little bit. her out to buy underwear that she likes, Christine Leung Orlowsky - In the exact and then throwing out the diapers so same situation as you Klara and our there is no going back to diapers. Can’t son is almost 3. We’ve tried everything want/have something if it doesn’t exist. you did, including the Elmo DVD, and However, maybe she’s still not ready no success. We’ve decided he’s just not and you just wait until she shows some interest. Does she go to daycare? Seeing ready and are going to wait for him to tell peers use the washroom may be more of us and stop stressing, after all everyone learns to use the toilet at some point! You a motivator for her. can find the DVD at Shoppers and HMV. Shaina Davis - Sounds like she’s really just not ready. In the mean time try lots of Ruth Schick Waldman - I have a potty training DVD and book specifically for potty books and gentle encouragement. girls that we’re done with. Let me know if I wouldn’t push it - touchy issue and you said she may have some trauma from pre- you’d like it. Katrina Pasternak - Jumping on...this is vious attempts. It will happen in its own great advice. time. Good luck. Jennifer Drevnig - We had similar issues

Klara Ashkenazy - Advice for potty training the stubborn. My daughter, who just turned 3, has NO interest in the potty. Any advice on what to do to make her feel comfortable?

PINKANDBLUEMAG.COM

Maxine Sass Alright ladies… SEX or SLEEP? I say SLEEP!

Tania Ash - Sleep. Inna Koldorf - Sleep. I can’t believe this is even a debate lol. Inette Luckmann-Pijl – Sleep. Sara Borer - A quickie first, then sleep. The post-orgasm sleep is the most restful sleep there is. Kayla Barda – Definitely sleep, I feel bad for my hubby but I need my sleep. Maxine Sass - Poor poor guys. Except for Sara’s husband. Lol! Maria Litvak-Vaserbakh - What about sex in the morning? Sara Borer – Maria, not for me. It takes time for me to “warm up”... I can’t go from unconscious to turned on in less than ten minutes, which is about how much time we’d have before the kids started banging on our door. Maxine Sass - All the power to you Sara! Jolene Gianakas - Lol this made my day. Sharalyn Crossfield - Sex then sleep. We have 4 kids. Sara Borer Sharalyn - Clearly a woman after my own heart. Sharalyn Crossfield - After 19 yrs together we still have sex 5-6 nights a week, minimum. Sara Borer - Wow. Jennifer LeDrew - I think our husbands should read this to see their wives are not the only ones... I mean sometimes a little ‘me’ time is all we want right? Theresa Cassar - This is funny...sleep all the way! If anything I dodge my husband to avoid pregnancy again LOL. Plus are your husbands not tired? Mine falls asleep on the couch almost every night by like 10:30/11 when I’m still finishing chores...sigh. Marisa Thornhill - Definitely sleep! Fawks Buddyboy Russell-Smooke Both! Julie Farshad Karimzadeh - Try putting her on the potty and pour some water on her. That might get her to go. Here is a trick for moms with LO. Try putting your LO on the potty at like 6 months. This is so that they are use to it for when they actually are ready to use it. It worked for me. I also am a Montessori teacher and the water method works on some kids. Good luck and remember don’t get discouraged it will happen.

fashion &

beauty SUMMER STYLE Cool clothes, accessories and beauty tips to keep you looking hot through the season.

beauty

Illuminator by NARS $30

spring

summer TRENDS

Coloured Eyes: One of the easiest and quickest way to change

your overall look is to change your eye makeup. Vibrantly coloured eyeliners are becoming readily available, which is great news for us! With a simple swipe of a thick pencil you can create a modern and on-trend look, easily achievable in only a couple of minutes. Begin with a clean and neutral face. Simply use a thick pencil to infuse colour onto your lids, and follow this by curling and magnifying your lashes with a swipe of two of volumizing mascara. Your eyes will pop, and speak for themselves. Jumbo Liner 12HR Wear Waterproof by Sephora collection $14

Brow Zings $30.00

Dior Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum $28.50

Diorskin Nude Skin Perfecting Hydrating Concealer by Dior $30

* All products can be found at Sephora

Dizzy dress

Farah Sweater

345.5805 100% cotton $395

Dress by Shoshanna $145/$319

Lila dress 369.5807 66% cotton; 34% linen $385

Moroccan Embroidery Gwen Dress by Shoshanna $168/$370

Ivory W/Black

Pointelle Stripe Daniela Sweater by Shoshanna $115/$250

SPRING

SUMMER stripes

pink purse $ p ink dress $2110 Available at Ted Baker Lo 35 first Cana

dian st ndonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Yorkdale Sh ore which is now open opping Cent at re, and is al so http://www av ai lable on .tedbaker-lo ndon.com/? line: sr=NA

We have seen a number of pattern trends in the last few seasons,

although probably the most classic of all are stripes. They have been showing up on runways and retail floors alike; this season is no exception. Try fresh takes on this timeless pattern by mixing colours, varying direction and weights of the stripes, or simply opt for showcasing this pattern in an uncommon way, such as in cocktail and formal attire. spring/summer 2013

SPRING & SUMMER ORANGE

Colour seems to be the common denominator this Spring. Among the various hues making a statement, orange is certainly making a splash. From blushed peach to vibrant coral renditions, donning a variation of orange is a surefire way to update your wardrobe with fun and heat. If you are somewhat colour averse, opt for pairing one coloured piece with neutrals, for a wearable and practical look.

range. aker-oth Ted Btfi e left5 ou NtGto TS $18 N A P E

Raina Pink Earrings

ORA 360 JACKET $ ORANGE CLUTCH $175 BLACK 100 OLLAR $ BLACK C r London’s ke at Ted Ba n at Available which is now ope d is n re a o , e st tr n n ia e d C first Cana rkdale Shopping ilable online: Yo also ava m/?sr=NA o r-london.c w.tedbake w /w :/ p tt h

by Dannijo $245

Neon Peach Pebbled Chiffon Sequin Najia Dress by Shoshanna $200/$440

Necklace:

Deacon Bib necklace by Dannijo $545

SPRING & SUMMER MINT GREEN Emerald green was named Pantone’s colour of the year for 2013. Welcome the Spring and Summer months with Emerald’s lighter sister, mint green. Incorporate some of this colour into your rotation, to lighten and revitalize you working wardrobe – minty fresh, it is!

Deacon Bib necklace

by Dannijo $545

King Street Jacquard Janie Dress

Shoshana

by Shoshanna $190/$415

Mint jeggings by M for Mendecino $49

fashion &

Style for kids

SUMMER STYLE Cool clothes, accessories and beauty tips to keep you looking hot through the season.

411

GIFT GUIDE

Product images supplied by

Mastermind Toys

SPARKLE TATTOO PARLOR ($16.95, Ages 8+) by Mastermind Toys

DELUXE SPIROGRAPH ($24.95, Ages 8+) by Mastermind Toys

CIRCUS IN A SUITCASE ($29.95, Ages 8+) by Mastermind Toys

MAXI KICK T-BAR SCOOTER ($154.95, Ages 6+) by Mastermind Toys

SCREAMING SKY WEASEL ($13.95, Ages 6+) by Mastermind Toys

GOLDIEBLOX ($34.95, Ages 6+) by Mastermind Toys

EXPLORER’S TORCH (Ages 6+) by Mastermind Toys $22.95

ROOMSET X=JACOB & SHAWNA CONVERTIBLE CRIB Shown In Glazed Aged White. $1265 by Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard

JACK AND JILL CONVERTIBLE CRIB Shown in Charcoal $849 by Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard

CRIB D= BUMBLE BEE CONVERTIBLE CRIB Shown In Espresso. $849 by Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard

CORY & DANIELLE CONVERTIBLE CRIB Shown In Charcoal $949 by Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard

Canada’s Best Baby & Children Furniture Made Locally.

14 Brisbane Rd, Toronto, Ont, M3J2J8 www.mhcfurniture.com 416 572 0486 spring/summer 2013

fashion GIRLS’ SELIMA OPTIQUE® FOR CREWCUTS ÉCOLE SUNGLASSES Black sunglasses $58.50 item 30184 FREE SHIPPING

H&M PINK Sunglasses $4.95

OLD NAVY Long-plastic bangles $1.25

H&M-TOP Long-sleeved, striped jersey top with the heart. $4.95

H&M Overall Shorts $19.95

OLD NAVY Green Goddess now $8.00

PATTERNED FLIP-FLOPS FOR BABY Old navy Buy 2 or more, save $.44 each item 258951

Overall shorts

in washed denim with adjustable shoulder straps and a heart-shaped chest pocket. Two side pockets, two back pockets, ruffle trim, and worn details. Snap fasteners at sides. link-http://www.hm.com/us/product/06316?article=06316-A

PINKANDBLUEMAG.COM

J.CREW GIRLS’ WAFER TERRY HOODIE $57.50 item 58222

JCREW-CANVAS OVERNIGHT BAG was $41.50 select colors $33.50 item 23302

J.CREW GIRLS’ STRIPE FLIP-FLOPS $17.50 item 99373

J.CREW GIRLS’ WAFER TERRY HOODIE $57.50 item 58222

time babywearing

fashion&products

THE PERFECT

BY: ANDREA TRAYNOR, FOUNDER OF MOMMYGEAREST.COM

FOR

OUTERWEAR

h, spring. Nothing quite screams April showers and May flowers like the unpredictable weather patterns of springtime in Canada. If you’re a die-hard babywearer, chances are that neither slush nor blizzard prevented you from enjoying a daily walk with your little one strapped to your body this past winter. But if you’re like most of the moms I know, you’ve been waiting for milder temperatures to don a baby carrier and get outside. Whether it’s for special bonding time with your child or to duplicate the effects of a weight vest to lose a few pounds, spring is the perfect time to “wear” your baby or toddler. Unlike summer, however, when you can simply grab a carrier and fly out the door, spring requires an additional babywearing apparatus: outerwear designed especially for the task-at-hand.

When I first started babywearing more than four years ago, there weren’t a lot of options available and I ended up with a thin, scratchy poncho that barely covered my tooshie. I had nothing for the rain or if a cold snap blew through. Now there are thick, luxurious ponchos like the Mamaponcho that can also be worn during your first pregnancy. You and your baby are tucked beneath pure virgin wool that’s soft and temperature-regulating to keep you both comfortable. There are also versatile jackets that allow you to keep your baby next to you but stay warm and dry. The Junah softshell jacket is one of the best available worldwide. It’s windproof, waterproof and breathable – the trifecta of spring comfort. It comes with a pregnancy panel and a babywearing insert, complete with hoods for both of you! The Junah softshell lets you wear your baby on your front or back, which is a pretty unique feature for anything other than a poncho. In fact, it’s such a nice, well-made piece of outerwear that I often wear mine – without any of the panels – as a mid-weight jacket. The bonus? If you have twins, you can purchase an extra babywearing panel and zip one in the front and one in the back and wear both babies at the same time. It’ll take some practice, but if you can master birthing, feeding and bathing twins, I’m sure you’ll figure this out, too. If Daddy is looking for a great option that will protect baby from the elements but not look too girly and will also let his man-heat escape, the Kowalli Baby Carrier Cover is a steal at less than $70. If you share it with him, that’s only $35 per person; even if you only use it a few times each season, it’s excellent price-per-wear. One of my favourite baby carrier companies, Boba, recently purchased a babywearing apparel line and will be rebranding and relaunching fleece vests and babywearing hoodies sometime this spring. Keep an eye out for those – I predict that they’ll be fabulous, well-priced and fit like a dream. No matter what your level of fitness, babywearing is something you can do to enjoy some fresh air and undistracted one-on-one time with your baby. And with babywearing outerwear options like these, there’s no excuse not to get outside every day.

Now there are thick, luxurious ponchos like the Mamaponcho that can also be worn during your first pregnancy. You and your baby are tucked beneath pure virgin wool thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soft and temperature-regulating to keep you both comfortable.

spring/summer 2013

17 21

win

CUISINART BABY

™

You can win a Cuisinart Baby(TM) New Moms Prize Pack just in time for Mother’s day valued at approximately $250 which includes the Cuisinart Baby(TM) 2-in-1 Baby Food Maker/Bottle Warmer, a Food Storage System unit, a Bottle warmer with built-in Nightlight, and an Electric Steam Sterilizer. Valid only for Canadian residents. www.cuisinart.ca/baby

3 LUCKY

moms can win!

3 lucky moms can win a Conair ‘Tried, Tested and True’ Hair Appliance Prize Pack valued at $200 which includes a salon-performance dryer, a 1” Professional Heat Straightener with Argan Oil, our award-winning curling wand and a bunmaker. Valid only for Canadian residents. www.conaircanada.ca

health& food YUMMY FOR MY TUMMY Nutritious and delicious recipes mixed with fitness suggestions to keep everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind and body feeling great.

health

Kale and Carrot Slaw t BY ELYSE SCHOPP-GLASER

his salad is perfect for a BBQ or potluck as the kale is hearty enough to remain crisp and not get soggy after a few hours. Besides being delicious, kale is also packed full of amazing nutrients.

WHAT YOU NEED: • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar • 1 tsp. honey • 3/4 cup olive oil • 1 bunch of kale, shredded • 1 large carrot, grated • 1 cup roasted sunflower seeds

Directions

SERVES 6-8 EAT AS SIDE DISH

1. In a sma l l mixing bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, honey and a pinch each of sa lt and pepper unti l combined. Slowly pour in the olive oi l whi le whisking unti l the mixture is thick and emu lsified. 2. Toss the dressing w ith the ka le, carrots and sunf lower seeds. Season w ith some more sa lt and pepper and a l low to sit for a few minutes before ser ving.

PINKANDBLUEMAG.COM

Panko Crusted

health

Rainbow

TROUT WHAT YOU NEED: • 4 filets of rainbow trout (about 6 oz. each) • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs • ¼ cup fresh lemon zest • ¼ cup finely chopped parsley

BY ELYSE SCHOPP-GLASER

his dish is perfect for even the fussiest eaters. Even those who say they don’t like fish will love this delicious rainbow trout with a crispy crust. The best part? This recipe is super quick and easy. Serve with some sweet potato fries and a salad for a delicious and healthy dinner.

• 1 Tbsp. butter, melted • salt and pepper to taste

SERVES 4

Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 2. Check the fish for any sma l l bones and remove using fish t weezers or your fingers. Place onto a parchment lined baking sheet, skin side dow n. 3. In a sma l l bowl combine the breadcrumbs, zest, parsley and butter. Season w ith sa lt and pepper and stir unti l combined. 4. Press ¼ of the breadcrumb mixture onto the f lesh of one of the fi lets of fish, repeat w ith the remaining four fi lets. 5. Bake in the oven unti l the fish is cooked through and the crust is brow n and crisp, about 10-12 minutes.

spring/summer 2013

to keep 3Ways

your body fit and YOUR BABY HAPPY

THIS SUMMER

1. Strollerfit:

Get ready to take a Strollerfit class with the ORIGINAL Strollerfit company! Definitely not a walk in the park, this class is designed to help you lose weight and tone your muscles fast. Want to up the ante? Try Stroller H.I.I.T, a high intensity interval training class for those who are serious about losing that mommy tummy. FIT FACTOR: FUN FACTOR:

FIT FACTOR:

FUN FACTOR:

2. Aquababies:

Get a break from the heat and use water as resistance for a cardio and strength training combination your body wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t soon forget. Babies get to ride the waves and enjoy the movement in a special flotation seat designed just for them.

3. Carrier Fit Fusion:

Does your baby love to be held? Do you love to work out? Now you can do both at the same time! Combine cardio, sculpting, yoga & core while using your baby as resistance in their favorite carrier or wrap. Strong mom + happy baby = awesome class! FIT FACTOR:

FUN FACTOR:

If you want to join in on the fun or visit www.babyandmefitness.com the first and original pre/postnatal fitness company.

health

Spring

Cleansing s pring is in the air – it’s time to get rid of all your clutter. This usually means clearing out your closet, vacuuming under the bed, and cleaning behind the fridge. Besides getting things in order around your house, spring is also the perfect time to do some inner cleaning as well. As we all know, our world is full of toxins – in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. Our diets have essentially become chemicalized – we consume way too much alcohol and caffeine, refined sugars and artificial sweeteners, and processed foods. Our body systems and organs that were once capable of cleansing our bodies naturally have become overloaded. The results: toxic substances linger in our tissues and wreak havoc on our delicate bodies. Some of these toxic substances can be deposited in our fat cells and build up within us causing various issues such as decreased metabolism, impaired immune function, nutritional deficiencies and hormonal imbalance. These impurities can lead to adverse health effects such as water retention, early onset of disease, premature aging, and increased risk for cancer. They affect how our bodies function and the way we feel.

Cleansing and Detoxification

Cleansing and detoxification has been practiced throughout history by many cultures for physical and spiritual reasons. Today, the reported health benefits of cleansing and detoxification are numerous. Those who cleanse have reported improvements in:

• ENERGY • VISION • HAIR • SKIN • MENTAL ATTITUDE • ABILITY TO COPE WITH STRESSFUL SITUATIONS Reported benefits include weight loss, fewer colds, improved concentration, cessation of menstrual pain, migraines, and joint pain.

BY FARZANA BANDALI

Nutritional Cleansing

A disadvantage among popular cleansing systems is that A disadvantage among popular cleansing systems is that during the cleansing process, your body is deprived of nutrition that it normally needs. An ideal cleansing system would be one that is effective in helping the body release impurities while providing it with essential nutrients -- i.e. nutritional cleansing. Most traditional cleanses do not provide your body with any protein. If the body does not have the protein it needs, it will use the protein stored in your muscle, which can result in a loss of muscle mass. Nutritional cleansing provides needed protein and unlike other cleanses, nutritional cleansing helps the body release toxins stored in the fat.

Isagenix Nutritional Cleansing

As a health care professional for over six years, I’ve done research into the various forms of cleansing rituals and my preferred cleansing method is a particular system of nutritional cleansing – Isagenix. This system is not a diet; it is a gentle, full body nutritional cleansing program. It releases toxins and impurities from the body on a cellular level and shows up on the outside in lost pounds and inches, better skin and hair, and improved overall health and wellness. It provides the body with an abundance of nutrition, removes the toxins, and provides live digestive enzymes to aid in the delivery and replenishment of nutrients to the body. This environment will allow your body to relax, heal itself, release impurities, and help promote lean muscle mass. The amino acids also help decrease cravings and appetite and increase energy and mental clarity. Products are natural, organic, and top quality. Before embarking on any cleansing routine, it is recommended that you check with your health professional, especially if you take any medications or have any health problems.

Before embarking on any cleansing routine, it is recommended that you check with your health professional, especially if you take any medications or have any health problems. spring/summer 2013

health

BREASTMILK

PRODUCTION

101

THE LAW OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND BY WENDY GOODMAN, R.N., IBCLC, FOR BABY AND YOU, 4BABYANDYOU.COM

s a Lactation Consultant, a large part of my nursing practice deals with mothers’ real or perceived concerns of their milk supply throughout the duration of breastfeeding their baby. Moms often worry if they have enough milk. Breastmilk production is a very simple concept; it is based on supply and demand. The more the baby breastfeeds, the more milk the mother manufactures. A good sucking baby is the best breast pump in the world! That means that the baby has to know how to suck properly and the new mother has to be able to tell if the baby is sucking properly. Breastfeeding is a skill, and like any skill, it often takes time and patience to learn. This is why moms and babies need help in learning this skill. New moms are not Lactation Consultants, so there should be no shame in having the experts get you off to the right start. Often the mother’s breastmilk supply is low simply because the baby is not properly latched and is only sucking on the nipple. This will cause cracks, pain and definitely will lead to low milk supply. Correct the mother’s technique, and voila, the milk is flowing! However, if the baby is not sucking properly, despite mom doing the correct positioning, the mom will need to -perform other interventions to keep her milk supply up until her baby learns to suck properly. Babies born early are not always ready to breastfeed at birth. In these situations, the mother will need to pump her breasts to keep her breastmilk supply up. Only a hospital grade rented pump is appropriate or a store bought “double -pump”. Single pumps are not sufficient to use in these circumstances as the motors are not strong enough to mimic a good sucking baby at the breast (refer to my article on “The Mysterious World of Pumps”). Sometimes moms’ breastmilk supply will go down after a period of having no problems with breastfeeding. Often the mom has become very busy with her own life’s pressures, is running around, and not taking time to allow her baby to nurse. In these situations, mom can easily increase her milk supply by doing skin-to-skin breastfeeds, feeding in a quiet room with her baby and not rushing the baby while breastfeeding. I wouldn’t

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want to eat with you, if you were on your blackberry the whole time! And finally, there is medication that will increase breastmilk production. This should only be used when the mother’s breastfeeding technique has been assessed, and/or breastpumping is still not producing sufficient supply. The medication is called Domperidone and must be prescribed by a physician. It is very helpful in increasing breastmilk supply (must be done in conjunction with breast pumping) and has relatively few side effects. As well, herbs, such as Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle - used together, may help increase milk supply. While the breastfeeding literature-states that there is no proof that these herbs work, anecdotally many moms find they do work, so it is worth noting. Again, I re-iterate, probably the best thing you can do when you are having difficulties with breastfeeding, is get help fast from Lactation Consultants!

OFTENTHE MOTHER’S BREAST MILK SUPPLY is low simply because the baby is not properly latched and is only sucking on the nipple. This will cause cracks, pain and definitely will lead to low milk supply. Correct the mother’s technique, and voila, the milk is flowing!

health

slug

Eating for

Autism

BY KELLY HARTMAN

utism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects a child for the entirety of –his/her life. Although there are many theories about the cause(s) of this disorder, there has yet to be one conclusive notion that is widely accepted. Research scientist Brent L. Williams explains that over half of the children with autism in his study experience gastrointestinal disturbances which contribute to behavioural issues. This fact is of great significance in terms of the evolving treatment options for children with ASD. Experimenting with different diets may be the best way to discover if your child is affected by what - he is eating. According to Cutting Edge Therapies for Autism 2011-2012 children with autism experience abnormal immune and digestive responses to wheat, soy and milk in relation to those children who do not have autism. An ‘elimination diet’ is a great first step in determining what your child is affected by. I recommend removing one food item from your child’s diet at a time so that it is easy to decipher which item is the cause of the problem. It is important to make sure you are altering your child’s diet under the regulation of a nutritionist or doctor so be sure to consult a healthcare professional before making any changes. It is imperative to recognize the variety of ways that we can treat autism to aid each child in living his/her life to the greatest potential. spring/summer 2013

3 STEPS TO EMOTIONAL

food

EATING

ave you been so busy with work and the kids that you haven’t been eaten healthy? Had such a stressful day you went home and ate a box of cookies or bag of chips? Often times eating has very little to do with your actual hunger and is directly attributed to emotional triggers. Our emotions can have a powerful influence on our actions, especially regarding our eating habits. As a result, many parents use food to self medicate.

THESE ARE THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT WAYS TO STOP EMOTIONAL EATING:

Become aware of your true hunger signals. Establish what emotions are driving you to eat. Learn to stop punishing yourself every time you eat something you are trying to avoid.

Become aware of your true hunger signals First, drink a glass of water before a meal. This will help you see if you are dehydrated and need to hydrate, or if it is true hunger that you’re feeling. It is important to learn only to eat when you are truly hungry. The goal is not to achieve a balance so that you are not stuffed and not starving and eating everything in sight.

PINKANDBLUEMAG.COM

BY NATALIE SHAY PSYCHOTHERAPIST AND STRESS MANAGEMENT COUNSELLOR

Become aware of exactly which emotions drive you to eating Next, notice which emotions you experience at each meal, before and after you eat. Are you bored? Sad? Angry? Lonely? Learn which emotion you are feeling, because often it is hard to tell. When doing this, be honest with yourself while keeping in mind that you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself. Remember, building self-awareness and self-esteem is the first step! Learn to stop punishing yourself every time you eat something that you are trying to avoid. Finally, try to be aware of the negative messages you send to yourself and make a commitment to no longer beat yourself up. The easiest way to start this challenging task is to spend a week writing down your negative thoughts about yourself. Throughout this process, you need to be patient and honest. Research published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity shows that improving body image can enhance the effectiveness of weight-loss programs based on diet and exercise. Positive self-talk is not only good for the soul, butalso is great for the waistline. Each of these exercises should take no more – than 5 minutes. They key is to write down exactly how you are feeling at the moment, without thinking about it or editing yourself. Remember, although food feels like your enemy at times, you have brought it into your life as a coping mechanism. It helped you to get to where you are today. Once you become aware of your actions, you will see how simple it is to break old patterns and free yourself from emotional eating.

justyou for SEX& HOME Spice up your home and your sex life.

home

slug

Oh Joy,

IT’S A BOY BY JODIE ROSEN B.A, DIPL. ID, LEEP AP

hen creating a space for a baby there are numerous challenges. Aside from ensuring the room has all the essentials: change table, glider, soft lighting for nighttime feeds and a crib; the way the room feels is equally important. It is a room that the parents want to feel comfortable in – they will be spending a LOT of time in there in the beginning stages of the baby’s life. But in addition, it is also a room that most want their child to mature into, rather than needing to redecorate in 2 years’ time. In this particular room, the client wanted to have some fun. Playful letters line the ‘feature wall’ of the room – this is the wall you can see from the hallway. It is the central statement and everything else works around it. The paint colours were inspired by a colour forecasting palette – these are colours put out by paint companies yearly – it is a great way to get some interesting colour combinations

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going in your space. The ones seen here are softer choices than a basic primary, but still add great punch which the homeowner loved. The letters were a DIY project, machine cut from an MDF board and painted in the same colours as the stripes on the wall. The addition of the letters acts as both an educational tool for the child, but also keeps the room from getting too serious. The curtains were a true find; they coordinated perfectly with the darkest blue stripe and feature a sketchy, loose way polka, a more mature take on a childlike pattern. The fabric was for a sheer, so a quick visit to the dry cleaner’s seamstress made for an inexpensive solution to getting a sheer to work as a curtain. The base elements of this room will work as the child grows to a toddler, while the babyish accessories can easily be changed out for trucks, cars, sports paraphernalia and whatever else that boys grows up to love!

health

slug

Between the

SHEETS...

et over it! We’re all sexual creatures. There is nothing raunchy about sex! We all love sex… I think… or at least you should love sex and want to engage in the act. Besides feeling fantastic, sex is working in your favour in so many other ways! You think milk does a body good? Ha! SEX DOES A BODY GOOD! Sex is both physical and psychological.

Sex and Sleep

Research shows that oxytocin is released during orgasm which promotes sleep. This might explain the man who’s not so into the cuddle after and who passes out after he’s done his job. We know that sleep is vital to good health and can help with weight loss, mental state and over all well-being.

Sex and Calorie Burn

Sexathon! Go at it, 85 calories per 30 minutes. Get freaky hot and sweaty and increase that number. 42 half-hour sessions will burn 3,570 calories, more than enough to lose a pound!

Immunity Boost

Having sex regularly increases your physical health. Having sex once or twice a week has been linked with higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A or IgA, which can protect you from getting colds and other infections.

Stress Reliever

Enough said here. Sex reduces blood pressure, stress levels and cortisol levels.

BY LESLIE RUBINOFF

Sex for the Heart

If you don’t love the guy or girl you’re with, make sex about your heart. Having sex twice or more a week reduced the risk of fatal heart attack by half for men, compared with those who had sex less than once a month.

Sex and Esteem

You all know about that glow you get after sex? This glow comes from the endorphins released during orgasm. The same endorphins are responsible for making you feel on top of the world.

Sex Makes You Nice!

Getting up close and personal increases levels of the socalled love hormone oxytocin, which helps us bond and build trust. Oxytocin allows us to feel the urge to nurture and to bond. Higher oxytocin has also been linked with a feeling of generosity.

Sex and Pain

When oxytocin surges, endorphins increase, and pain declines. So if you have a headache, backache, stomach ache or even PMS, get between the sheets.

Get freaky, get nasty, enjoy sex! Be safe and smart— Wrap it up boys! spring/summer 2013

family&life

How should you introduce your

CHILDTO FRENCH?

ou’ve heard it a million times. Exposing your child to a second language has numerous benefits for their cognitive development. Start it at an early age and watch them transform into cultured little creatures sporting berets and snacking on Brie and dried figs even before they start SK. Right? Well, not really. But the benefits are many, and there is a lot you can do as a parent to expose your child to French.

Thanks to their young, malleable brains, and genuine, confident openness to new possibilities, children learn a new language very quickly, naturally and effortlessly. Here are a few way to engage your child in learning French. 1. If you speak a bit of French yourself, but even if you

don’t, you can start by getting some bilingual flashcards (colours or animals are first favourites) and start showing them to your child. Don’t worry about your accent or getting

PINKANDBLUEMAG.COM

BY IVANA TREVISAN

it exactly right. Repeat the word a few times, then look for it in real-life contexts (next time you’re playing outside and see a butterfly, say “look, it’s a papillon!”, for example). You may feel silly hearing yourself at first, but you will quickly overcome that.

2. This being an era of smart phones and tablets, there are numerous free French apps out there that your child will love. Do a search using words such as “First French”, “French ABC”, “French toddler”, “French flashcards”. 3. Every morning, on TVO (channel 2) or French channels

12 and 13, you can find many educational shows in French geared towards young children. Don’t worry about your child “not understanding what’s going on”. The pictures, facial expressions and sound effects will help them get the gist of it; the goal is for them to listen to and absorb French.

4. Finally, consider a French nursery, and French Immersion, when the time comes. Continuous, structured exposure to French, precious one-on-one interaction and socialization with teachers and peers are invaluable language learning tools.

health

5TIPS TO g n i t Ea

OUT FOR LESS BY STEFANO POSSAMAI

ating out is widely considered a pricey affair for most people in the city, and often times are reserved for special occasions with family and friends. This doesn’t always have to be the case as there are tons of ways to save. Here are some great tips on how to pay less when eating out. The first tip to eating out for less is to know when businesses and restaurants typically have their low day of the week in terms of overall customers. The low day for the majority of restaurants is Tuesdays and they often use this time to draw customers by having promotions or specials. So in general Tuesdays should be one of the cheaper days of the week if you plan on going out to eat. The second tip to eating out cheaply is to take advantage of city events such as, Summerlicious and Winterlicious. Summerlicious usually happens in July while Winterlicious this year is from January 25th to February 7th. This is one of the biggest money savers on the list and the variety and sheer quantity of participating restaurants is enough to keep even the biggest foodie satisfied in both the winter and summer. Participating restaurants create predefined menus for both lunch and dinner and the savings are typically half of what the regular prices would be. Although the variety may be limited in terms of menu options this is still a great way to save on eating out. Third, try to avoid eating out on Friday and the weekend. Many restaurants take advantage of these - peak business days and increase their pricing accordingly. Typically this is done at all you can eat or buffet style restaurants with the price being 10-15% higher. Other types of restaurants may not have such pricing in place but as a whole it’s better to avoid eating on peak days. The fourth tip to eating for less is to take advantage of restaurants which offer free kids’ meals. Usually, restaurants such as Boston Pizza as well as other wellknown family restaurants offer such promotions on specific days or are available throughout the week. The last tip to eating for less is to take advantage of deal websites like Groupon who regularly offer major discounts to a wide variety of restaurants. Deals are sent to you by email and if a restaurant deal is of interest to you, you could pay a small fee to acquire the deal and others similar to it.

5 TIPS TO EATING CHEAPLY Eating out is often pricy so here are 5 quick tips to saving big when eating out.

1 Eat out on the low day of the week for restaurants which is usually a Tuesday, as restaurants often have promotions on these days to draw in customers.

Take advantage of Toronto events like Summerlicious and Winterlicious which offer cheaper limited menus to some of Toronto’s finest restaurants.

Avoid eating on prime times like Fridays and the weekend as numerous restaurants slightly increase the price to capitalize on the larger amount of customers.

Take advantage of restaurants which offer promotions like kids eat free when an adult entrée is ordered. Usually family restaurants are likely to hold promotions for kids eating free.

5 Take advantage of coupon deal sites like Groupon who routinely offer great deals on a variety of restaurants for a small fee to obtain the coupon.

spring/summer 2013

family&life

“

THE GOOD NEWS IS CONTRIBUTIONS

CPP, EI

TO AND EVEN

WSIB

”

ARE NOT SIGNIFICANT EXPENSES

TAX

NANNY

What is the minimum number of hours per week that a nanny must work to have EI and CPP deductions a requirement?

uestion

Dear Tax4Nanny, I am returning to work part-time in September. I’m currently weighing out my childcare options (and budget) to see what will work best for my family. What is the minimum number of hours per week that a nanny must work to have EI and CPP deductions a requirement? Sincerely, Helen M.

Answer Dear Helen, The quick answer to this question is that there is no real minimum and you must start paying immediately. Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), considers you to be an employer if you employ an individual on a regular basis. CRA would not consider a nanny to be self-employed because you as the employer decide what hours the person is working, what tasks should be performed and even provide the resources to perform the job (the toys, your home, etc). If you rely on the same caregiver each and every week to take care of your chil-

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dren, this would apply to you. If you are considered by CRA to be an employer, then you must submit payroll remittances. This means you need to deduct CPP, EI and tax from your nanny’s pay, and as an employer contribute to CPP and EI on behalf of your caregiver. Also, if you employ a nanny in Ontario for more then 24 hours a week, you need to pay WSIB* (Workplace, Safety and Insurance Board) premiums on top of this. The good news is employer contributions to CPP, EI and even WSIB are not significant expenses. For example, if you were employing a nanny for 20 hours a week and paying the nanny $15 an hour (gross) for a total salary of $300/week, the cost to you for employer CPP and EI is under $25 a week*. In summary, it is better to be conservative and contribute then be sorry later and be subject to interest and penalties. Sincerely, Gila Ossip, CA, MBA www.tax4nanny.ca 647-349-6262 *The calculations and WSIB threshold used in this article are based on Ontario residents. Other provinces may differ slightly.

health

T N E t u o PABR n ur T N E V E R P O T S P STE

BY NATALIE SHAY

It is challenging to make time for yourself when you have kids. We get so lost with work and yes, that includes being a full-time mom, that by the time we get some time to ourselves, we have no energy left to do anything with it.

Think of it this way. When we get on an airplane, we are told that, in case of emergency, we should put our own oxygen mask on before helping our children with theirs. The reason is simple: we have to make sure that we are taking care of ourselves so that we can be the best parents we can be. To do that, we have to remember that we have a responsibility not only to our children, partner, and job, but also to ourselves.

Here are 5 steps to start “putting on your oxygen mask first”. Step 1: Write out 10 things Write out a list of 10 things that you would like to do for yourself. Even if some of those things sound impossible, write them down. You haven’t seen one of your closest friends for over a month? Write it down. You could really use a massage? Write that down too. You’ve been thinking about taking a pottery or creative-writing class? Yes, add it too! Step 2: Look at your list and pick one thing that isn’t too daunting

If you start thinking of all the obstacles preventing you from doing any of the things on your list, you are going to get overwhelmed. So just pick one and move to step 3.

Step 3: Break that one task down into smaller tasks For example, if you want to start working out, don’t research gyms, just go and join a gym, buy workout clothes and work out all in one week. Start off with just one of these tasks over the next week. Step 4: Use your family and friends I know how hard it is to accept help. When I first had my son, I refused to let people help me unless I had an appointment I had to go to, but the more help I got the easier it became to ask for help, and I became a much better mother because of it. Step 5: Two hours a week This project is supposed to add to your well being, not take over your life. Commit to two hours a week for yourself. Book this time in your calendar like you would for any appointment. If you’ve decided to start working out, don’t commit to exercising every day. Start with twice a week for –as little as half an hour at a time and make it a habit. If you’ve decided to make more time for friends, do that once a week for two hours. It will rejuvenate you.

A happier parent = a happier child. Try it, and you’ll notice how much happier everyone is.

Natalie Shay is a Psychotherapist and Stress Management Counsellor. She works with individuals and consults with organizations with respect to topics such as stress management, burn-out prevention, work/life balance and emotional eating. She works with clients to help them overcome ineffective habits and create healthier new ones. Natalie can be reached at natalieshay@gmail.com or (416) 726-5631. For daily tips, follow her on Twitter @destresstoday

spring/summer 2013

i C I H C ECO

R O C É D

BY ERIN LAZER, MBA, CSP—HOME STAGER AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER

PINKANDBLUEMAG.COM

“

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR ANYTHING GREEN, HERE’S A HANDY GUIDE TO BUSINESSES IN CANADA THAT OFFER GREEN PRODUCTS IN EVERY CATEGORY: WWW.GREENINDEX.CA

If the safety of our planet is on your mind, why not help protect it by buying eco-friendly and sustainable products for the home? You can find an eco-friendly option for just about ANYTHING you can think of these days. Here are some great resources and ideas for you to explore:

”

course, when you buy online, it involves shipping, so think of your carbon footprint too! Cedar House fabrics- http://www.etsy.com/listing /105025108/cloud9-simpatico-on-point-golden-organic

PAINT BEDDING, TOWELS, ETC.

When you’re painting your home, which is a great way to update your décor, consider using an environmentally friendly paint like Benjamin Moore’s Natura™ Waterborne Interior Paint (http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-ca/ for-your-home/paint-products/benjamin-moore-naturawaterborne-interior-paint) . Not only does it carry their “Green Promise” designation, but it is also zero-VOC. You can also try Dulux Lifemaster paint which is also zero-VOC http://www.dulux.ca/en/our-products/paintproducts/interior-paints/dulux-lifemaster.html.

We spend (we hope) at least 8 hours a day in our beds, and ideally our little ones are spending 12, so this is a great place to invest in organic products. Glo Organics or Green Living Organics (www.glo-organic.com) has a great line of products for the bedroom, including adorable products for children and nurseries. Again, Organic Lifestyle in Toronto has great selection and will ship anywhere in Canada. Dream Designs in Vancouver (www.dreamdesigns.ca) also has great selection for everyone including baby.

WALLPAPER FURNITURE

Not only are there thousands of different wallpaper patterns to choose from, but there are also many eco-friendly options as well. Crown Wallpaper carries the CLD PURE Collection (http://www.crownwallpaper.com/residentialwallcoverings-detail.php?id=403). Even Home Depot has great options in their ECO wallpapers collection! (http://www.homedepot.ca/product/eco-aspen-wall-paperash/918264) Crown wallpaper-CLD PURE Collection)

There’s nothing more natural than Naked Furniture (www.nakedfurniture.ca) which you can customize to exactly your style. Everything is made in Canada with environmentally friendly products. You can even take it one step further and buy furniture made from reclaimed wood, at Reclaimed Furniture Direct (www.reclaimedfurnituredirect.com), based in BC.

You can buy fabulous organic and natural fabrics to use for pillows, drapes or bedding. If you live in Toronto, there are a number of places you can find these items, like Organic Lifestyle, (www.organiclifestyle.com), or do a search in your local city. Also, given that the world is one big open market, you can also buy fabric online. A few great websites are www.edenfabrics.com, www.cedarhousefabrics.com. Of

West Elm (www.westelm.com) has a beautiful line of ecofriendly accessories and pillows to adorn your home. When in doubt, one of the best ways to shop eco-friendly is to shop second hand. Buy treasures that have a story behind them, and then create a new one in your own home. Reclaim furniture as your own by buying pieces with potential that need some TLC. It’s amazing what you can do with paint and fresh upholstery. Garage sales and auctions are good options, as are many secondhand or consignment stores. Don’t be afraid to bargain too, the more you save, the more you can put into making these things beautiful again.

DÉCOR AND FABRIC ACCESSORIES

If you are looking for anything green, here’s a handy guide to businesses in Canada that offer green products in every category: www.greenindex.ca

HAPPY STYLING! spring/summer 2013

family& life FAMILY LIFE Personal stories and expert advice to help guide you and your family through lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s triumphs and challenges.

double THE PLEASURE

family&life

PART II

BRINGING HOME BABIES

BY: JAIMEE DIAMOND-MANDELL

So, how do you bring two babies home? Where do you begin? Two individual babies with different personalities and different needs, and who, in my case are different in every way right down to their little cries. 42

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double THE ANXIETY

ur prenatal class was unique in that it catered specifically to couples about to have twins. I loved it. As I mentioned in my previous article, I am an anxious person by nature so this class filled my need for control in a time where I had very little. Reading all the pregnancy books can be great for people having a singleton, but for myself, I was always left wondering, “How does this all differ if I have two babies?” I hung on my teacher’s every word. I took notes and felt pretty good about what was to come. I knew how the C-section would go down, where the babies would go, and what I needed for them in the hospital. I had two car seats, my double stroller, the two cribs, the two buzzy chairs, two mobiles, and the list goes on. I was as prepared as I could be. First time mom…two babies…and…ACTION! I realized very quickly that for all the things that you can prepare for, there are that many more things that you cannot. As a new parent I would have to learn, maybe a little more quickly than I had anticipated, that just when you think you’ve got it figured out, everything changes. While in the recovery room, I was told that an ambulance was coming to take the babies to the NICU at North York General as there was no room for them at our hospital. I had not yet held my babies and they were about to transfer them. My husband had to chase them down so that I could have a moment with my boys. We were separated for the first 4 days. I felt distraught having just gone through the pregnancy ending in a huge surgery and then no babies to show for it. I couldn’t breastfeed them as I had planned. I had to express my milk by hand and send it over to them in plastic syringes. I got through the situation with the help of my family and my husband. He shuttled back and forth between the babies and me, bringing me videos and pictures of them. I spoke with the NICU nurses every day and called at any hour of the night to get an update so that I could fall asleep and know they were okay. They spent three weeks in the NICU and then we were finally able to be a family together at home. So, how do you bring two babies home? Where do you begin? Two individual babies with different personalities and different needs, and who, in my case are different in every way right down to their little cries. After speaking with people who were well versed in the twins department, I knew that first and foremost I had to get them on the same schedule. If I didn’t then I would be feeding a baby and would have a baby awake at all hours of the day. The expression “never wake a sleeping baby” did not exist in my house. Secondly, I had to become comfortable with others handling my babies on a regular basis and not

be timid when it came to expressing how I want things done. As time went on, I realized that if I wanted to keep my sanity, I would have to embrace the chaos and maintain a sense of calm. If I stay calm, there is a better chance of my babies staying calm. This is something that I am still working on. The unpredictability and relentless changes of not one, but two babies is enough to make your head spin. Once I started to discover the things that helped me stay calm, everything else seemed to follow suit. For starters, I had every kind of seat for these babies. It became my saving grace to have as many places to put down a baby as I could fit in my house. My boys didn’t sleep in their cribs for the first 4 months of their lives. We had swings and buzzy chairs on the floor of their bedroom. They were more comfortable in those, so they slept better, and mommy was calm. I have also found it extremely helpful to keep track of everything on a chart. At first, it was a feeding chart to help me track which baby ate from which breast, at what time, and how much formula they had consumed. That chart quickly morphed into a feeding and diaper change chart. It’s not easy to remember who did what and how many times a day. The latest version of my chart includes what each baby had from their bottle, which pureed food they ate, its quantity, how many bowel movements, and what time they go down and wake up from their naps. My friends think I’m crazy to still be tracking these things, but it really helps me to have the visual aid. I’ve been able to pick up on patterns in their eating and sleeping and make changes accordingly. Most importantly, it helps me to feel calmer about the day-to-day goings on. Otherwise the information would stay in my head where it would for sure get lost among all the other thoughts in my “mommy brain”. It is very hard in the beginning to trust in people when they tell you to “trust your instincts” and that “the babies will tell you what they want”. You just want someone to hand you an instruction manual complete with highlighted areas of importance and post it notes flagging the “must read” chapters. Unfortunately, each individual child does not come with said instruction manual. With twins I think the most important thing has been to accept help when it’s offered, and to keep myself as calm as possible. Putting together my bag of tricks to help me achieve this calmness hasn’t been easy, but with much trial and error, I finally feel that I have hit my stride. The funny thing is that I know everything can and will change next week. However, what doesn’t change is my need for calm and how I achieve it.

spring/summer 2013

double THE ANXIETY

If I stay calm, there is a better chance of my babies staying calm. This is something that I am still working on. The unpredictability and relentless changes of not one, but two babies is enough to make your head spin. Once I started to discover the things that helped me stay calm, everything else seemed to follow suit. For starters, I had every kind of seat for these babies. It became my saving grace to have as many places to put down a baby as I could fit in my house. My boys didn’t sleep in their cribs for the first 4 months of their lives. We had swings and buzzy chairs on the floor of their bedroom. They were more comfortable in those, so they slept better, and mommy was calm. I have also found it extremely helpful to keep track of everything on a chart. At first, it was a feeding chart to help me track which baby ate from which breast, at what time, and how much formula they had consumed. That chart quickly morphed into a feeding and diaper change chart. It’s not easy to remember who did what and how many times a day. The latest version of my chart includes what each baby had from their bottle, which pureed food they ate, its quantity, how many bowel movements, and what time they go down and wake up from their naps. My friends think I’m crazy to still be tracking these things, but it really helps me to have the visual aid. I’ve been able to pick up on patterns in their eating and sleeping and make changes accordingly. Most importantly, it helps me to feel calmer about the day-to-day goings on. Otherwise the information would stay in my head where it would for sure get lost among all the other thoughts in my “mommy brain”. It is very hard in the beginning to trust in people when they tell you to “trust your instincts” and that “the babies will tell you what they want”. You just want someone to hand you an instruction manual complete with highlighted areas of importance and post it notes flagging the “must read” chapters. Unfortunately, each individual child does not come with said instruction manual. With twins I think the most important thing has been to accept help when it’s offered, and to keep myself as calm as possible. Putting together my bag of tricks to help me achieve this calmness hasn’t been easy, but with much trial and error, I finally feel that I have hit my stride. The funny thing is that I know everything can and will change next week. However, I don’t change. My need for calm and order makes sure that I never have a dull moment! I am not sure what she means here. Do you think she means to say, “However, I don’t change my need for calm and order and how I achieve it”? or do you think she really wanted to separate the words. They don’t really make much sense the way they are written. ???

spring/summer 2013

City Scapes and

SUMMER

BY: RUSSELL COLE

his Summer you can get away to these exciting warm destinations, which typically have deals to make it easier on the wallet:

Chicago

For those of you who like the arts/entertainment and have always wanted to experience a true deep dish pizza (or go back for seconds!), Chicago is the place for you. Chicago is a city to explore and is easiest for families with older children to enjoy, as there can be quite a bit of walking. There are several sites to see in including Millennium Park, a scenic walk where you will come across outdoor performers or even a live show at the amphitheatre. Michigan Avenue (aka: The Magnificent Mile) is another great walk, where you will find beds of colourful Tulips on fresh city streets, lined with happening and trendy shops and restaurants. The walk is about 20 minutes per street side and is a great way to see the people of Chicago and get a feel for the soul of the city. After a half day or so of walking, be sure to regain some energy by sitting down at Giordano’s to enjoy an authentic Deep Dish Pizza experience. The Chicago Deep Dish is more of a lasagne surrounded by a buttery, chewy crust and filled with your favourite toppings and smothered by hot melting mozzarella. Depending on if you’re up to it that same night or the next day, another favourite activity for the family

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Breeze

would be to catch a baseball game at Wrigley Field. Home to the Chicago Cubs, the sports ground is known for its ivy lined homerun fence and boasts one of the shortest distances from home plate in the league, making your kid’s fantasy of catching that homerun ball all the more possible.

Vancouver

For those of you who like mountains, the ocean, long drives and adventurous activities, Vancouver and surrounding area is the place for you. Vancouver is naturally a humid climate that sees many cloudy days, which makes the fall/winter and spring months damp and cold. For this reason, it is best to visit during the summer. Temperatures average around 25 degrees Centigrade between the months of June and August, which will help you keep comfortable during activities like hiking the Grouse Grind, kayaking at Solana Beach or lounging on a patio for some fresh caught pacific sockeye salmon sashimi. In the evening time, be sure to make a stopover at Gas Town, a small sector of the downtown core that has been preserved to remind you of the real history of the city. Brick laid roads lined with luminescent glowing gas lamps lightly touching storefronts set this scene for a picturesque night of romance. Another great spot for the whole family to check out is Granville Island. Just a quick cab ride from the city, Granville Island is home to some

of the best varieties of salmon jerky at the farmers market (I recommend the spicy candied jerky) and has some great activities for kids of all ages. Watching native totem pole carving, catching a free outdoor Shakespeare performance at Performance Work’s outdoor stage, feeding the ducks or playing under the sprinkling fire hydrants at the island’s water park (there’s even a separate area for tots) are just a few notables.

San Diego

With one of the best Zoos in North America, a beautiful coast line of relaxed and fun adventure, San Diego is a destination that combines nature and beauty with soft city landscapes that can keep you entertained for days. San Diego’s city core is not very large and sits directly next to the coastline making what some may think of as a very hot climate during the summer months, actually very temperate and breezy. Between June and August, the highs can get anywhere around the low thirties and the lows down under 20 degrees centigrade. Taking a tour of the city on a bicycle can be a great way to see it all, however, if you are travelling with small children, - then renting a car and making stops could be the best course of action. Both work great, as you will find that each area you can visit within and around San Diego is easily walk-able. With the kids, it would be best to get over to the zoo where you will find 4000 rare and endangered animals, including a Giant Panda or two! After the zoo, you can visit any one of the free public beaches to plot out your stake of sand and put your feet up while your kids build a giant sandcastle by your side or fly a kite in the winds from the breezy ocean. Once night hits, the Gaslamp Quarter is a great place to take a walk and stop in at your choice of any one of the excellent diners in the district, ranging from mid to

high end cuisine. A great spot for the family would be, Fred’s Mexican Cafe, located at 1165 Garnet Ave, where you can enjoy their famous and authentic “Killer Fish Tacos” along with your favourite pint from the bar’s great selection of beers. Also, before leaving the quarter, be sure to stop over at Tim Cantor’s art studio just around the corner at 527 4th Ave, where you will be enamoured by the tranquility of the art and poetry within Tim’s works.

spring/summer 2013

hendy’s Swim Centre, in business since Shendy’s new facility is a state-of-the-art, 6,000 1992, is a swim centre facility that provides qual- square foot space, fully equipped with a 22 metre ity swim instruction and certification courses to salt-water pool maintained at a comfortable 85 swimmers of all ages and levels. degrees Fahrenheit. The pool is easily accessible and has an eight foot deep end and a three foot With ever-growing evidence about the many shallow end. Shendy’s has full change room and physical and mental health benefits of swimming, showering facilities and a multi-purpose room for Shendy’s is well positioned to enter its next 20 on-land certification classes. years providing excellent service to a new generaShendy’s takes great pride in providing its clients with high caliber swim instructors as well tion of swimmers between infant and seniors. as those utilizing staff with specialized training. The staff is extremely accommodating and provides constant supervision. Class sizes are kept to a minimum with a low student/instructor ratio. The facility is completely nut-free and offers free Wi-Fi to parents while they can comfortably sit and view their children during classes. Conveniently located in the Leslie Street and York Mills Road area, Shendy’s provides free parking and has programming available to meet its client’s hectic schedules.

Registration for Summer and Fall 2013 will be open in May. You can enroll online at www.shendys.com or by calling

416-576-7946.

Various methods of payment are available.

family&life

Pint-Sized

artists BY RENEE KAIMAN

BY RENEE KAIMAN

I bought small canvases from the dollar store. Put the kiddies in high chairs and put dollops of the paint onto the canvas for them to explore. Sure, they both put some in their mouths, but their results were phenomenal!

here is something freeing and wonderful about fingerpainting. There are no rules, no boundaries and the masterpieces that are being made are in the artists’ mind and on their fingertips! Anyone, no matter what their age or abilities, can fingerpaint. Some might need some help, but it’s really such a fun experience.

My daughter and I invited a friend and her son over to fingerpaint. I made edible paint from scratch as they are both likely to eat it.

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN DO IT AT HOME YOURSELF. YOU WILL NEED:

Mix all the ingredients into the pot on the stove over medium-low heat. You will need to continually whisk the mixture for 10-15 minutes. It will seem that you are mixing a milk-like mixture forever, but have patience because it will change!

After about 10-15 minutes your mixture will suddenly congeal and become gel-like. Once that happens remove it from the heat immediately.

3 4 5

I spooned my mixture into 5 different plastic containers.

While hot, mix the food colouring into each container.

This is what all 5 colours looked like after adding the food colouring. Wait until the paint cools before you use it. You can store the finger paint for about 3 days in the containers.

1/2 cup cornstarch 3 tbsp of sugar 1/2 tsp of salt 2 cups of cold water food colouring whisk pot

spring/summer 2013

littlebig steps STAGES & AGES Be prepared for your childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s every step with important facts and guidance for every phase of their childhood.

fashion&products

FOR 5 g APPS

iven the growing trend of tablets as well as countless applications found within the App Store and Google Play store, there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a better time to check out these 5 applications which your babies will love.

Drawing Pad ($1.99) A great application which allows your child to draw pictures with crayons, markers, and a number of other utensils. Also allows you to save your babyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s artwork and share through email and social media.

Toy Story Read Along (free) A good free application which offers an interactive reading experience along with movie clips, games and colouring pages featured around the Toy story theme.

TODDLERS BY STEFANO POSSAMAI

3. Sound Touch ($4.99) This application offers an easy to use and fun way for babies to learn sounds from different animals to musical instruments and vehicles. 4.

5-in-1 Matching Pack HD *KIDS LOVE* ft. Cars & Animals ($2.99) This application is a great matching application for your babies which will help teach them about country flags, cars and animals while training their memory skills.

AlphaBaby ($0.99) This application offers a unique and interactive experience for your babies by showing them shapes and numbers and having the option to add your own voice to the letter and shapes that appear. spring/summer 2013

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health

Baby

Movement

Guidelines BY JENNA GREENSPOON

Activity will help to maintain a healthy body weight, improve movement skills, increase fitness, build healthy hearts, develop self-confidence and improve learning and attention - and it’s fun!

e have all seen the “Participaction” advertisements aimed at getting our kids moving. This new campaign raises the question of when we should get our kids moving as well as how much we they should be doing to keep them healthy. It now seems that we cannot start early enough. We hear the statistic, that obesity in Canadian school children is at tremendously high levels and physical fitness is decreasing. We talk the talk but do not walk the walk, literally. According to a new report published by Dr. Mark Tremblay, director of Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research and his colleagues, obesity levels are high even in the early years from birth through to the age of 4. We know that active kids are less likely to be obese with exercise also supporting a number of other health benefits. I happen to be a JK teacher and a new mother of a nine-month old baby boy. I recognize that what he sees us do will impact what he does. I also know that it is important that we set the template for healthy eating. Two sets of guidelines are being published. The first set of guidelines is directed towards physical activity which is outlined in age groups shown below: • Infants – physically active several times daily • Toddlers and preschoolers – accumulate 180 minutes of physical activity per day • 5 years of age – at least 60 minutes of energetic play As an infant (less than 1 year), that means having tummy time, playing and rolling on the floor, crawling and reaching. Toddlers should do any activity that gets them moving from climbing stairs to playing outside to crawling and walking, running or dancing.

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Activity will help to maintain a healthy body weight, improve movement skills, increase fitness, build healthy hearts, develop self-confidence and improve learning and attention and its fun! The second set of guidelines is directed towards sedentary behavior which aims to minimize time that infants and toddlers are sedentary: • Under 2 years – NO screen time (e.g., TV, computer, electronic games) • Children 2–4 years – screen time under one hour per day (less is better) What this means is that we should limit the use of playpens and infant seats when children are awake, stop during a long car trip for playtime, set clear limits about screen time with no TV and computer in the bedrooms and get your kids outdoors. In a conversation I had with Dr. Tremblay, he points out that with exercise we see benefits in cardiac and metabolic profiles, such as benefits to cholesterol and sugar. In addition, we see improvement in cognitive skills and motor skills, lower levels of fat, improved psychosocial skills and better social indicators. While the physical activity guidelines may seem familiar, Dr. Tremblay pointed out the equal importance of addressing sedentary behavior. Your children might meet the goals of physical activity, but if they then come home and do nothing but sit, we are failing on the sedentary guidelines. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour are different parts of the health equation -, and both need to be met. While it may seem shocking that we need guidelines in children under the age of 4, they do reinforce that it is never too early to focus on healthy lifestyle and eating.

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health

Dealing With

Epilepsy t BY: ERIN REINBLATT

here is one thing that no one tells you about being a parent that no matter what happens, no matter how hard it gets, the feeling of success and reward will always come. I learned this lesson just recently when my younger son, then 18 months old, was diagnosed with epilepsy. It’s a fairly common (1 in 100 people have it) yet scary condition. The first few months after his diagnosis were the hardest hours of my life. I was trying to protect my baby from falling and hurting himself up to 25 times a day; while helping my 4 year old understand what was happening to his brother; while assuring the grandparents that he will be okay; while explaining the situation to my friends; and so on... It got to the point where the joy I typically got from having fun with my kids was replaced with dread. What if he had a seizure and I wasn’t there to catch or cuddle him? How could I explain to his grandparents that I wasn’t comfortable with them babysitting? Then something happened; I got used to the situation and things got easier. The questions from friends and family

stopped. My older son got used to his brother having seizures and eventually the medication got the seizures under control. Within a matter of days our life started getting back to “normal” and I started having fun with my kids again. That’s when it hit me as long as you make it through relatively unscathed, you succeeded in your job as a parent.

I learned this lesson just recently when my younger son, then 18 months old, was diagnosed with epilepsy. It’s a fairly common (1 in 100 people have it) yet scary condition.

spring/summer 2013

little big steps

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IS YOUR

TEEN

tween

STRESSED?

emember what it was like when we were growing up? Looking back I had lots of stresses in my life. True, no mortgage, children or full time job, but life still seemed very stressful. The pressures of fitting in, looking good, being athletic and smart and fun – these are stressful times! What do adolescence worry about? Large studies show that over 50% of youth worry about homework and school, family members and their social life (friends, relationships and sex), on a daily basis. Many of these kids don’t feel comfortable sharing these stresses with their parents; they may feel silly, embarrassed, or shy or they may not want to burden you (they know how much stress we are dealing with too!). Sometimes stress can build up before they know it and may leave them feeling overwhelmed.

IF YOUR CHILD IS STRESSED THEY MAY: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Act more argumentative or aggressive Act impatiently Be sleepier than usual (or sleep less) Eat more or less Be more forgetful Be distracted Be more sensitive Get sick more often Complain of frequent headaches or stomach aches 10. Have a change in their school performance, or 11. Be less interested in previously enjoyed activities

BY: DR. DINA KULIK

Keep in mind that some of these features are also common in kids that are suffering from depression, an all-toocommon malady in this age group. If you are concerned for your child’s mental health, please tell your doctor.

HOW TO DEAL

Here are some tips to reduce stress (parents, these will help you too!) 1. Learn how too many activities affect your child. Sometimes doing a little less will relieve a ton of stress. 2. Kids should be moderately or vigorously active at least 60 minutes a day – many kids (and most adults) don’t get close to this. 3. Ensure they get plenty of rest and eat well. They’ll be able to handle stress better when it does come up. 4. Encourage your child to discuss problems with a friend or family member and ask for help when needed. 5. Encourage them to take a time out when they feel overwhelmed. A few minutes away from the problem can help. 6. Teach them to breathe deeply or meditate. In our rushed world few of us take a few quiet moments for our self, which can be so helpful.

spring/summer 2013

family&life

MODERN FAMILY

Modern Issues of Gay Parenting BY DR. EVAN GOLDSTEIN

he other Sunday, Andy and I had taken the kids out for a much needed morning stroll and I kept noticing Sebastian in a serious gaze — staring at Andy, then rotating his head slowly towards me. He would repeat this action for quite some time — I could have sworn he was thinking, “Wow — I have two dads! My brother and I are so lucky.” Our modern family is living in this mecca of a city called New York City, where anything and everything goes and for the most part is acceptable. We know that outside this amazing and fortunate bubble, lies a world that may not be as understanding. As there is amazing change for equality now and on the horizon, education on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender subject matter, as a whole, is paramount, specifically when it pertains to parenting.

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family&life

The modern family consists of individuals — of human beings that wake up every morning to better their family and themselves

wo themes — with enormous myths surrounding them — pertain to gay parenting and the children’s outcome in this specific environment. We will attempt to dissect the former; the modern issues of gay parenting. People have serious concern for refuting the norm — to deviate from the status quo creates fear. As in the movie “A Single Man” by Tom Ford, the lead character George, played so eloquently by Collin Firth, lectures on the condition of minorities stating “a minority is only thought of as one, when it constitutes some kind of threat to the majority. A real threat or an imagined one and there in lies the fear. That fear is why the minority is persecuted; you see there always is a cause, the cause is fear…minorities are just people.” In the 2010 United States Census, approximately 600,000 same-sex couples lived in the United States, that being nationally about 1 percent. Out of the 600,000, 20% or so reported having children. Despite the significant presence, there continues to be several major concerns about gay parenting. These include the notion of homosexuality as being a mental illness, gay parents having less maternal instinct than the heterosexual counterpart, and the gay lifestyle leaving little time for developing relationships with their children. Recent studies and consensus statements in leading academic societies document the below refuting the above. Homosexuality is not a psychological disorder and there is no reliable evidence that homosexual orientation per se impairs psychological functioning. Beliefs that lesbian and gay adults are not fit parents have no empirical foundation, with gay parenting not differing in their approaches to child rearing than the society norm. Members of gay and lesbian couples with children have been found to divide the work involved in childcare evenly, and to be satisfied with their relationships with their partners. There is no scientific basis

for concluding that gay parents are unfit on the basis of their sexual orientation. On the contrary, results of research suggest that lesbian and gay parents are as likely as heterosexual parents to provide supportive and healthy environments for their children. Our roles — mine, Andy’s and our nanny — fits all the roles and then some, in terms of providing the most nurturing environment for our children. In simple terms, we have evolved to take different tasks that just need to be done. And we do it to the best of our ability with love and pride. Boy can I change a mean diaper, but forget about me in the kitchen. Andy’s the Rachel Ray type — not that he’s a women — he could just as well be Mario Batalle. I just made the reference since he whips up a meal in thirty minutes or less. Remember, we both are full time professionals. The modern family consists of individuals — of human beings that wake up every morning to better their family and themselves, and believe me, any parent — regardless of sex and orientation — knows the pride you feel when your child just smiles. That’s priceless and is not defined by anything more than that. This minority of being gay that George talks about — Andy, me and all same-sex parents — are pleading for all the same rights and acceptance. Culture has made so many amazing strides to redefine the norm. It is through education that we can continue this progress. Television shows like “The New Normal” and “Modern Family” through comedic measures, build fictional characters that people can associate with. And it is with great honour that I can allow you a glimpse into our family, just wanting to be viewed as loving parents. Loving parents trying to redefine the norm. I am about to get off the train in East Hampton and experience that smile — to all the parents, enjoy! spring/summer 2013

Dusting Off SOME OLD

For the Toddler: Where is Baby’s Belly Button? A lift-the-flap BY KAREN KATZ

Truth of the matter is my daughter has been having this book read to her since the week she was born, but recently I found her at 14 months sitting on the couch curled up like Mommy does giggling as she lifted each flap on her own. This is such a cute little book that engages children’s imaginations and can lead into real life interaction “I found the baby’s feet in the book where are your feet?” Be prepared for this to become a well-loved and well-worn book!

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FRIENDS BY ELIZABETH ZAHORCHAK-CHAMBERS

For the Early Learners: Love You Forever BY ROBERT MUNSCH

Though Robert Munsch thoroughly disgusted me when I saw him talk to High School students a few years ago, I cannot deny my on-going love for his book Love You Forever. The themes in this book are timeless and can be related to by everyone. Our children love the lyrics that are repeated throughout the book, they don’t even care if you read the story word for word as long as you always sing “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, As long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.”

As we search for reading material for our family our goal this time is to look at our own book shelves and dust off some of our favourites that we have come to love, but may tend to forget every once and a while.

For Beginning Readers: The Monster at the end of this Book BY JON STONE

All my kids LOVE this book. It does not hurt when you try to imitate Grover’s voice the start of the story, even if your imitations are awful! This story is Grover freaking out because of the title; he is scared of the “monster”. The kids love how Grover is talking to the reader, begging you not to turn the page and reacts when you do. No matter how many times you read this story, they ask for it repeatedly and love when Grover realizes HE is the loveable monster at the end!

For the PreTeen and Teen: PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS BOOK ONE: THE LIGHTNING THIEF BY RICK RIORDAN

Truth first, we broke the cardinal rule here and watched the movie first. Hey it was on YTV and the PVR was set to record, what can a Mom do?! After a decent movie (with the nice surprise appearance of Pierce Brosnan) we were intrigued enough to get a copy of the book. There are a variety of changes from the book to the movie, so reading the book is an experience on its own. The book is captivating and a decent read for this age group. I admit in this day in age I like the idea that dyslexia might be caused by having your demi-god brain hardwired for Ancient Greek and your ADHD part of your survival tools as a natural born hero. These are not obstacles but strengths. How many children out there would like to see it as such?! It is an underrated movie and underrated book in our opinion. We are looking forward to reading the next book and watching the next movie due out in Summer of 2013.

A Book for All Ages: The Mysteries of Harris Burdick BY CHRIS VAN ALLSBURG

In my decade of teaching, there has been one book that I found invaluable at getting kids of any age to get creative. The Mysteries of Harris Burdick is about storytelling here, not story reading. Let me explain the concept of the book first. The introduction explains that a children’s book publisher once had a man named Harris Burdick come in to see him with fourteen drawings, story titles and captions. He left them for the publisher to look at but never returned. So the mystery remains, as does fourteen story starters. The pictures are captivating and the titles inspire you to think what they may be about. Some can get a bit dark but even the young ones seem to have fun with it. My particular favourite is a picture of two children on the water’s edge skipping stones. The title of the story is “A Strange Day in July”, the caption goes ‘he threw with all his might, but the third stone came skipping back’. So now, take it from there…..

For the Adults: Book One – Mom’s Book: OldFashioned Fun for the Family PUT OUT BY PARRAGON PUBLISHING.

This book contains a little bit of everything. There are Fairy Tales (“Cinderella” to “The Princess and the Pea” to “The Three Billy Goats Gruff”), Poetry (by Lewis Carroll, Robert Louis Stevenson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to name a few), Nursery Rhymes (from Hush-a-Bye, Baby to Sing a Song of Sixpence), Songs, Finger Games, Activities (Bubble solution and blowers, indoor gardening, play-dough farm and more) and of course recipes (from Baked Potatoes with Broccoli & Cheese to Turkey Meatloaf Muffins). This is a beautiful hardcovered book that can find a place in any home.

spring/summer 2013

feature

I Babies BY STEPHEN GOSEWICH

are not

have two amazing, intelligent and compassionate daughters; aged 15 and 11. They are challenging, inspiring, caring and it astounds me every day that I am half responsible for their very existence. They are growing up to be good people and responsible citizens of the world. I often feel incredible pride when they accomplish something or someone gives them an unsolicited compliment for something that they have done or something they have said. I give myself an occasional

Accessories Moms buy all the latest and greatest stuff for their baby because they have to â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to stay competitive with the other moms in the neighborhood and because all the websites and blogs they follow say they must if they want to have the hippest and coolest dressed kid on the block.

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pat on the back when I receive these kinds of compliments as well. (I pat my wife on the back, too!)

It takes commitment, patience and unconditional love to nurture children into responsible human beings. The job isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t easy and it never ends. I think about my own relationship with my parents and

think once a parent, always a parent. I look around at the new moms in my little corner of the world and I often laugh to myself. Since I have been dropping my 11 year old off at school each morning, I have a chance to take in all the sights and sounds of the schoolyard. Some moms are schlepping their whole clan with them; including babes in arms and newborns. Some even bring their nannies along (don’t get me started). They show off their little babies like they are trophies. They spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on clothing for their little babies; dressing them up to satisfy their own parental egos… not because their kid really needs to wear this stuff or appreciates the frivolous and extravagant ensembles they get shoved into.

“

WHEN A BABY ENTERS YOUR WORLD, LIFE CHANGES…BIG TIME! I KNOW THAT MANY NEW PARENTS ARE EXCITED AND OVERJOYED WITH THE BIRTH OF THEIR CHILD.

These babies are like fashion accessories. New moms buy all the latest and greatest stuff for their baby because they have to stay competitive with the other moms in the neighborhood and because all the websites and blogs they follow say they must if they want to have the hippest and coolest dressed kid on the block. It’s almost as if they are looking at their new edition as a novelty; treating their child as a play-thing to dress up and play with. I often want to go over to enlighten them about what the future holds if they continue with this kind of behaviour. I want to tell them about what life will be like as their children grow up, begin to talk, (and talk back) ,and begin to form ideas for themselves about who they are, what they want and how they want to act. As your kids grow up, you will look back longingly for the days of the 2 a.m. feeding or the times when they poop their diaper and you have run out of supplies in your hundred-dollar baby bag.

attempt to feed them carrots or other highly stainable food and for the time you will need to clean it all up. You will miss the crying because they are hungry or don’t quite want to go to bed yet and you have to give them a dose of tough love (old school it was called “Ferberizing”).

Parents who are in the honeymoon period of their new relationship with their child will soon wake up and realize that this is a lifelong commitment and it’s bloody tough. It requires 24 hours of work. Worry about their physical and mental health is just the tip of the iceberg. Wait until you begin worrying about things like social acceptance, having to explain the concept of death, the concept of sex, the human anatomy, homework, failure, teaching the concept of perseverance, love, lust, alcohol, drugs…the list goes on. I can only go this far because this is as far as I have reached in my own journey as a parent with my two kids.

”

When a baby enters your world, life changes…big time! I know that many new parents are excited and overjoyed with the birth of their child. I was over the moon when both my daughters were born (I still am… for the record). But make no mistake, accessories they are not. Sometimes they are pains in the butt, taxing your nerves and pushing you to your limits. They are a financial burden and they compromise your ability to chase outside personal pursuits. They often keep you inside when you are dying to go out with friends and have a big glass of wine. But regardless of all of this, I wouldn’t change what I have for the world! Sure, I have no money, sure I have less hair and more grey, sure there are days when I look forward to time on my own or with my wife… but that is parenthood. This is the way it is going to be until the day I die. I love it!

You will yearn for the mess all over the high chair as you

spring/summer 2013

style

guide

Pink & Blue's latest style buzz & shopping guide to the best stores in NYC, Detroit, Toronto, & online stores that you can find nationally. Your go to guide for the most fashionable accessories, shoes, and clothing around.

DETROIT Baby Baby Plus More 153 East Main Street Northville, MI 48167 Phone: 248 347-2229, 248 347-baby Website: babybabymi.com “ Children Wear: Newborn to Size 10 Teen Wear: Sizes 12 to 18 Junior Wear: Sizes Small to Large Maternity Wear: Sizes XS to XL Baby Furniture, Equipment, and Accessories Children’s Toys and Books” Contains many higher priced brands such as Juicy, True Religion, but also brands such as Gymboree and GAP Connie’s Children’s Shop 23200 Greater Mack Avenue St. Clair Shores, MI 48080 (586) 777-8020 Website : Shopconnies.com “Specializing in First Communion Attire, School Uniforms, Shoes, Suits, Flower Girl Dresses, and so much more!” Baby and Me 6718 Orchard Lake Road West Bloomfield Township, MI 48322 (248) 855-3214 “Perfect for all clothes cute and eclectic, Baby and Me is where treehugging moms get the “My Mother (Earth) gets hotter every day” onesies they use to make their babies into eco-billboards. Come here for personalized pillow pets or those adorable, ridiculous hats that make for the world’s cutest baby photos. From

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frilly tutus and lacy legwarmers to Pinco Pallino couture, Baby and Me has everything that little diva needs to shine.” BELLA BELLI 790 N. Old Woodward, Birmingham 248-203-2220 website : www.bellabellimaternity.com In addition to fab maternity fashions, you can shop for the bun in the oven and choose great diaper bags, adorable infant clothes, layette items, baby care products and books for the mom-to-be. This website : http://www.guidetodetroit.com/kids/ kfashion.html has a lot of children’s stores just without their websites. The Purple Bear - 244 E. Maple Road Birmingham, MI 48009, 248-645-0400 “Infant and kidswear along with hip toys, great artwork and books that are keepers. Current trends and customers inform all our buying decisions.” Bec and Sam’s - 146 W. Maple Road Birmingham, MI 48009, 248.593.8650 “Fine playwear for girls up to size 16 and boys up to size 6, featuring a large selection of layette and baby gifts, blankets and room accessories. Also offering special occasion clothing: rompers and accessories, flower girl dresses, communion dresses and Bat Mitzvah dresses!! Great source for fine bedding and furniture for babies and children’s rooms.” Rear Ends - 6905 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI 48322, (248) 626-4333

WRITERS / CONTRIBUTORS TERRI KRAJDEN, ASHLEIGH REZNICK & KSENIA BULGAKO

“Women looking to buy the perfect jeans and T-shirt ensemble will find it at Rear Ends. With such a specific focus, the friendly staff is knowledgeable about the more than 20 brands of pants available. The store takes great pride in its customer service and promises to fit the customer with the right pair. It’s been in business for 30 years, and it shows.” Caruso Caruso – 166 West Maple Road, Birmingham, MI 48009, 248-645-5151 “This is a GRAET place for tees, tanks, cute tops, summer dresses, and of course, JEANS! All premium denim can be found here, there is a massive jeans wall. All the best contemporary affordable designers all in one shop.” Tender- 271 West Maple Road, Birmingham, MI, 48009, 248-258-0212 “ Recognized around town, across the country and throughout the world’s fashion capitals, Tender is a luxury woman’s apparel and accessories boutique.” Sundance Shoes - 6915 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI 48322, 248-737-9059 “Sundance Shoes is a fashion forward woman’s shoe store, specializing in the latest and greatest fashion trends as well as comfort standbys. Also check them out for handbag and accessory needs.” Guys N Gals – 6353 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI 48322, 248-851-1260 “Contemporary store that carries the newest looks in clothing, accessories and gift items for girls, boys, teens and adults.” Zieben-Mare - 32749 Franklin Rd. Franklin, MI 48025, 248-539-8879, www.ziebenmare.com “Lifestyle boutique featuring men and women’s clothing, shoes, jewelry, bags, antiques and other accessories and gift items. Also offering a unique selection of American, European, and Japanese designers.”

shopping guide NEW YORK Half Pint Citizens 55 Washington Street Brooklyn, NY 11201-1073 website : halfpintcitizens.com “Half Pint Citizens is a specialty shop for babies, kids and parents. To simplify your shopping experience, we offer a well-edited assortment of stylish fashions, gear, accessories, toys, and gifts.” Bundle NYC 128 Thompson Street, NYC 10012. Website : Bundlenyc.com Specializing in clothes, toys and gifts and featuring a wide variety of designers as well a “perfect gift concierge” to help you find the perfect gift on their website. ****This website : http://littlebabebigcity. com/nyc-baby-clothing-stores/ has a list of A LOT of NYC stores which don’t have websites as well. Bundle NYC could make for a good article. Watch the video http:// bundlenyc.com/concierge, I think it’s a great idea. I think an interview would be really interesting. *** Crew Cuts - 28 W. 44th Street, 22nd FL New York NY, 10036. 212-302-2828, info@crewcuts.com, www.crewcuts.com Jcrew was smart coming out with a children’s line. It is less preppy than one would think. Fantastic tops and best of all you can shop online and they ship to Canada. Lesters - 1534 2nd Avenue Manhattan, NY 10075, 212-734-9292, www.lesters. com. An absolute MUST when going to NYC. The store itself is fun as it is filled with bright colours and trendy clothes and shoes. They carry a ton of brand names and non-brands too. Z Baby Company - Z’East: 996 Lexington Ave, Corner of 72nd St., New York, NY, 10021, 212-472-BABY Z’West: 100 West 72nd St. at Columbus Ave., New York, NY, 10023, 212-579-BABY http://zbabycompany.com/ This is the shop where all the celebrities go to for their little one’s. They carry a ton of great brand names and warm winter jackets. Make sure to look up the days they are open, because they don’t keep regular hours. Giggle - Upper East Side: 1033 Lexington Avenue (at 74th St.) New York, NY, 10021, 212-249-4249 Upper West Side: 352 Amerstdam Ave. (between 76th & 77th St.) New York, NY, 10024, 212-362-8680 www.giggle.com Cute kids staples and they carry all stuff baby and fun toys. Ralph Lauren - 109 Prince Street, New York, NY, 212-625-1660, www. ralphlauren.com Everyone knows the Ralph Lauren brand, their polos are beyond cute and

they always have the best selection. Bloomingdales - 1000 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 212-705-2000 504 Broadway, New York, NY 212-729-5900 www.bloomingdales.com Head up to the top floor where you will find all the best brands under one roof - junk food, Polo, Sevens, Splendid, Uggs and so much more. Barney’s - 660 Madison Ave. New York, 10065, 212-826-8900, www. barneys.com

TORONTO Mexx Various stores see mexx.com A European company that sells baby and children’s clothes up to size 12, as well as adult clothes, and some maternity in select locations. Get Outside 437 Queen st. West, Toronto Website: http://www.getoutsideshoes.com/ Provides all the miniature versions of shoes mom and dad love ! Jacadi Paris Hazelton Lanes Center, 87 Avenue Rd Website : www.jacadi.us As the name says, a store from Paris that offers clothing, accessory, shoe and home collections for newborns, toddlers and children. Mini Mioche 795 Queen St West Toronto, ON Website : www.minimioche.com “We’re a Canadian made line of basics and layering pieces made of the softest organic cotton”. Ecofriendly clothing designed and made in Toronto. Mala Boutique Inc. - 6A Tippet Road, Toronto, ON, M3H 2V2,416-938-8551, malaboutiqueinc@gmail.com MaLa Boutique is a contemporary children’s and women’s clothing store. Kids clothing sizes range from newborn up to size 16. Great brands like AviatorNation, Chaser, Rowdy Sprouts, Tailgate, Appaman, Joah Love, and more. Greatest part, you can shop for yourself too, they carry some great adult lines. Tulips and Sunflowers -129 Chiltern Hill Rd. Toronto, ON, M6C 3C3 416-6168414, www.tulipsandsunflowers.com Always bringing in new and innovative products sourced from all over the world, Tulips and Sunflowers is a hidden gem. They carry a wide range of products for babies, kids, moms and dads, which are difficult to find elsewhere. You feel like part of an exclusive club going here, as it’s a store in the basement of the owners’ house (very nicely done) and she has great brands like Appaman, American Apparel, Alternative Apparel, Bench,

Imps and Elfs and tons more! Also, shop for yourself and check out the latest greatest toys. Sign up to get their emails because when they have a sale, they REALLY have a sale. Baby On The Hip - 969 Queen St. E, Toronto, ON M4M 1K2, 416-465-4141 786 College St. Toronto, ON M6G 1C6, 647-427-1484 www.babyonthehip.ca Baby On The Hip ensures their products are based on guidelines of sustainability, non-toxicity, and overall quality. They understand that ecofriendly doesn’t have to exclude style, which is why their products are chosen with style in mind. Hello Sunshine - 5 High Park Ave., Suite 1, Toronto, ON M6P 2R5, 416-7634799, hello@hello-sunshine.com, www. hello-sunshine.com If you’re looking for a creative baby shop, Hello Sunshine is a fun place to shop. They bring you stylish, innovative and functional baby and toddler toys, clothing, accessories, books, diaper bags, gear and more! We’re always looking for new products with style and creativity. Zara - Yorkdale Mall, 3401 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON, 416-640-0471, www.zara.com. When looking for clothes for the whole family, Zara has large selections for baby, kids, women’s and men’s fashions. Clothes, shoes and accessories have a European feel as this is where the store originated. There are a few locations in Toronto, Yorkdale Mall is an example of where age-lines are found. H&M - Various locations, one is at Toronto Eaton Centre, 1 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON, M5G 1Z3, 416-5930064, www.hm.com/ca Always a huge fan of H&M; their clothes are very trendy and they have some great staples. Old Navy - Various locations, one is at 260 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON, 416593-2551, www.oldnavy.ca Cute licensed shirts for the football and hockey fans out there. You can shop online, as well, they always have sale days. Gap Kids - Various locations, one is at 2574 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON, 416440-0187, www.gapcanada.ca They always have great staples for all seasons but word to the wise, EVERYTHING goes on sale within a few weeks! You can shop online as well, but just wait for one of their sale days as they have them very often. Joe Fresh - Various locations, one is at 1880 Eglinton Avenue East Toronto, ON, 416-750-7876, www.joefresh.com Joe Fresh is making a huge dent in the children’s apparel industry - their stuff is very trendy, adorable and best of all SUPER affordable!

spring/summer 2013

“

shopping guide

PINK AND BLUE SHOPPING GUIDE.

YOUR GO TO GUIDE FOR THE MOST FASHIONABLE ACCESSORIES, SHOES, AND CLOTHING AROUND.

NYC, DETROIT, TORONTO, & ONLINE STORES THAT YOU CAN FIND NATIONALLY. TORONTO Sporting Life - 2665 Yonge St. Toronto, ON M4P 2J6, 416-485-1611, www.sportinglife.ca An amazing selection for all things North Face and Columbia for kids. Great for suiting your kids in all-season gear and if you wait long enough, a lot of their stuff goes on sale.

ONLINE HauteLook – A Nordstrom Company Hautelook.com Sign up to get their daily sales. They always have great brand name sale stuff. They ship to Canada, but there are duties which they add to your bill before checkout so there are no surprises. They also do returns! GILT - Giltgroupe.com Brand name sale site that offers daily sales, they ship to Canada as well and have some really cute stuff for great prices. MYHABIT - Myhabit.com A fashion & lifestyle website from Amazon.com

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Zulily - Zulily.com Daily deals for moms, babies and kids American Eagle Outfitters - 77 Kids 77kids.com. American Eagle’s kids brand but rumor says it was sold to Children’s Place. They ship to Canada often have FREE shipping offers. Nordstrom - Nordstroms.com Saks Fifth Avenue - Saks.com Fore!! Axel and Hudson www.foreaxelandhudson.com Golf inspired boys’ apparel and accessories Jet Baby - www.jetbaby.com Great rocker clothes for boys and girls and they have a wicked shoe selection (but it isn’t cheap). The Retro Baby - www.theretrobaby.com Looking for those old school prints like Mighty Mouse and Mr. T? Check out their website - a great find! naartjie kids - www.naartjiekids.com Amazing website with such cute stuff at A-M-A-Z-I-N-G prices. They ship to Canada. Eli’s Lids - www.elislids.com Adorable winter hats for kids (both boys and girls) and they make it very easy to pick a size. Top Brands to Keep Your Eyes On: Appaman (unisex) - http://www.

”

appaman.com/ T2love Girls (girls) - http://t2love2011. gostorego.com/ Aviator Nation (unisex) - http:// aviatornation.com/ Flowers by Zoe (girls) - http://www. facebook.com/pages/Flowers-ByZoe/109168522445530 Trunk (t-shirts unisex) - http://trunkltd. shop.livenation.com/ Rowdy Sprouts (unisex) - http://www. rowdysprout.com/ Chaser (unisex) - http://www. chaserbrand.com/ Seven for Mankind Jeans - (unisex) http://www.7forallmankind.com/ Joe Jeans - (unisex) http://www.joesjeans.com/ Splendid - (unisex) http://www.splendid.com/ Ella Moss - (girls) http://www.ellamoss.com/ Colorfast - (unisex) http://colorfastapparel.com/ Joah Love - (unisex) http://www.joahlove.com/ Tailgate - (unisex) http://www.tailgateclothing.com/

family&life

dental

Emergencies AND KIDS

BY DR. TAL LEWINGER

s a parent, it’s one of the calls you hope never to receive – your child has been injured and suffered dental trauma. What should you do? First, begin by assessing whether your child needs to go to a hospital emergency room as a result of their injuries. If not, contact your dentist immediately. In the meanwhile, apply cold and pressure to the area as needed to deal with any bleeding or swelling in the mouth resulting from the injury. As an aside, it is best to find out what kind of emergency, including after-hours services, your dentist offers at the time that you choose a dentist for your child (and know how to reach the office after hours) so that you are not scrambling to find a dentist to see your child after an injury has occurred. If your child has injured their tongue, gums or lips, do not panic. Often these types of injuries bleed a lot but may look worse than they actually are. Your dentist will advise if stitches, x-rays or other follow-up is necessary. If your child has chipped or broken teeth, it may be possible to reattach the pieces, so bring them with you to the dentist if you can. Be aware that any trauma to baby teeth may result in the teeth discolouring after the accident. Your child may require follow-up to determine if the tooth’s nerve has been damaged. If your child has loosened or knocked out baby teeth, unfortunately, it is unlikely that the dentist will attempt to put them back in (but adult teeth will eventually grow in). Your child should still see the dentist to ensure that no other dental injury has been suffered, as injuries to baby teeth can also affect the development of adult teeth. If your child has knocked out an adult tooth, it may be possible to re-implant the tooth if you can get to your dentist quickly, ideally within two hours. If possible, transport the

WHAT TO DO?

tooth by holding it in its socket in the mouth, or alternatively, in a container with cold milk. Avoid touching the end of the tooth that is usually embedded in the gums. Finally, and most importantly, reassure your child that they will be ok so that they stay calm. Rest assured that their dentist will have them smiling again in no time!

For more information or if you have any questions, contact Dr. Tal Lewinger at www.marketplacedentistry.ca or e-mail at info@marketplacedentistry.ca

spring/summer 2013

Pink & Blue Supports Community Businesses

www.pinkandbluebaby.com Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re excited to share the Pink & Blue Moms Businesses with all of our readers and support their growing businesses.

JILL HOFFMAN SALES ASSOCIATE Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate 3319 Sheridan St. Hollywood, FL, 33021 C 954.270.9913 O 954.963.1600 F 954.874.3497 E HoffiJill@gmail.com

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MEAGHAN MILNE PHOTOGRAPHY Meaghan 905.626.2006 Maternity, newborn, children, family and birth photography meaghanmilnephotography@gmail.com www.meaghanmilnephotography.com www.facebook.com/meaghanmilnephotography