Now we are four » organic/eco

Eco-Amelia

alio — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:36:58 +0000

One of the greatest things that Amelia has learned at le petit gym is how to put things away. The teacher always sings the same song anytime something needs to be put away and it is amazing how all the kids scramble to help. Amelia often asks me to sing the same song at home when she wants to clean up. It reminds me of Mary Poppins and the “Spoonful of Sugar” lyrics — In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.

Amelia also likes to help clean up outside, as witnessed by this little video (in which she’s sporting her new hat from Gram). We’re at a park in Saint-Leonard because we went to test out a Beco Carrier at the only store that seems to carry them in Montreal. They can work for babies and older kids (front or back) so I think it is a worthwhile investment, especially since Amelia still likes to be carried in the Bjorn.

Cooking

alio — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:50:25 +0000

By far the biggest adjustment I have had to make as a parent is meal planning, preparation and cooking. Gone are the days of having bagels, lox and cream cheese after ultimate practice at 9:30 pm. Or a sandwich, or cereal, or whatever is in the cupboard because I don’t feel like cooking. Instead, I actually have to have things on hand to be sure Amelia has plenty of options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And even though she’s a great eater, Amelia doesn’t like to have leftovers for days on end. Come to think of it, neither do I.

I am definitely not a recipe-follower. I’d rather just wing it or have a look at a couple of recipes online for guidance and then have at it. It makes for messy cooking. And plenty of dishes. And I am always running to the store to pick up some ingredient I don’t have on hand. But things usually turn out ok.

One of my only concerns about having a newborn in the house is finding the time to be able to prepare meals. When Amelia was a baby, there definitely didn’t seem to be time to spend hours (or even 30 minutes) cooking dinner, lunch or breakfast. I probably should start planning to make meals on the weekend that would just need to be heated up for weeknight dinners. But, that would require more planning. And shopping lists.

I don’t know if I’m cut out for that.

BPA

alio — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:47:19 +0000

Earlier this year the FDA said it is taking a second look at bisphenol A (BPA), after originally stating that it was safe. Canada is a little bit more strict about BPA exposure, particularly for kids, but is it enough? Here’s an interesting article about sources of BPA and how you can be exposed. It also provides some suggestions for companies that don’t use BPA in their packaging, which I found helpful since we do eat some canned beans.

Trees, please

alio — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:45:27 +0000

Our daughter loves trees. At the park earlier this week, she crawled over to a tree that was about 10 feet away and then spent several minutes standing up and patting the trunk. She also likes lying on her back and looking up at the leaves swaying in the wind. It’s pretty neat to watch her connect with nature, even at such a young age. I hope we are able to foster this love as much as possible.

For those who are curious, her dress is from Imps and Elfs (Dutch company) and her hat is from baby burrito.

Allo, summer?

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:14:03 +0000

I love spring as much as the next person, but we could do with some warmth. We have so many cute summer dresses for Amelia that I fear she may never get to wear if the weather doesn’t warm up. She’s still wearing her winter hat outside when we go for walks and I often also bundle her in a blanket so her legs/feet don’t get chilly.

This weekend Ian bought several kinds of babyproofing items, including some baby gates and a variety of plugs that you put into electrical sockets. I try to avoid shopping at big box baby stores, but there seems to be no one independent baby store in Montreal that has it all. Furthermore, two of my favourites (Rose ou Bleu and Pinkiblue) are in opposite directions from our house and neither has a great “safety” selection. But we did find this place, which Ian said was well stocked. It’s in a pretty random location (Decarie Square) but has everything you need for babyproofing your house, and Ian said the owner is very knowledgeable.

How’d she get so big?

Winner, again!

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:36:02 +0000

An ultimate player I know in Ottawa (who is also an artist who makes her own t-shirts, artwork, and other neat things) and her sister (a great illustrator) got together to offer a giveway of some of their creations. I entered the contest and won! Woohoo! So, Amelia will now be the proud owner of a super cool Animalbetized placemat. Awesome!

Once again Twitter proves to be more useful that I thought it would be.

Sunscreen

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 02:28:50 +0000

As a former lifeguard, and for the past 12 years an ultimate player who spends many, many, many hours outside in the summer under the hot sun, I buy a ton of sunscreen. Until I was pregnant, however, I didn’t really think too much about what actually goes into sunscreen. My main requirements were 1) that it works, 2) that it doesn’t come off within 10 seconds of starting to sweat 3) that it doesn’t stink and 4) that it isn’t too pricey.

Now the question becomes what is actually safe to use on Amelia. Surprisingly, there aren’t a ton of choices out there. Safemama.com recommends only two or three brands for kids but they don’t appear to be readily available in Canada. And you don’t find them at the pharmacy.

Recently I read a review of Azurskin, which claims to have no endocrine disruptors and to be free from other chemicals that most conventional suncreens contain. So, I decided to order some online (since it is not yet available in stores in Canada). I had to contact customer service because the browser I was using wouldn’t let me fill in the form properly. The company contacted me right away, and we ended up having a discussion about several things, including the product itself.

All this to say that I’m looking forward to trying it. Now we just need some sun.

Links for this week

alio — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:31:49 +0000

It has been a while since I posted some interesting links:

1) I have been enjoying reading this fellow “mommy blogger.” She writes with such candor and honesty that I can’t help but admire her. And she’s funny.

2) They have a composting service in Montreal where they will come to your house on a weekly basis to pick up your compost. Unfortunately, they don’t have enough people interested in our burrough to get it going yet. Come on, people, sign up!

3) Cute baby clothes here and here.

4) Send your kid to spy camp? Cool! Why didn’t this exist when I was a child. Or maybe it did, I just didn’t know about it. Can adults go?

5) And, because showing your underwear is not so cool, how about these instead? They’d have been great for when I had to wear a kilt to school every day.

A fun, random assortment of links

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:49:45 +0000

I’ve been storing up links like mad but haven’t had time to post them. Here are a few of my favourites from this week:

1) Stuff White People Like – Warning, this site is hilarious and you will likely waste plenty of time reading the entries. I particularly found #110 (Ultimate) and #99 (Grammar) amusing, but if you fit the “criteria,” you will definitely find entries that most aptly describe/fit your life.

2) Sweet t-shirts from a Montreal company with a focus on Montreal. I love the Orange Julep shirt. I think these would make really great gifts for Montrealers living in exile.

3) An interview with young editors on what makes a manuscript stand out to them, etc.

4) I’m craving these organic lip balms. I can never seem to have enough lip balms, mostly because I always misplace them and have to get new ones. These sound delicious.

5) And, an interesting report on Digital Moms, aptly named Digital Moms (thanks @acroll).

butterflies

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:14:38 +0000

We went to this cute baby store near IKEA last week to use a gift certificate we received. Here is one of Amelia’s outfits.

Shirt Translation: A butterfly is a flower that flies.

Amelia’s Look Translation: Daddy, I can make you do anything I say. Just you wait.