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MLS-Button-TwoThis is one of those cool new-mom things that are popping up these days.  What a great idea?! Things that make complete sense and you wish were around when you were pregnant (*sheesh*)!  The Baby Bump Consignment sale is happening this Saturday.  Modern Mama sponsors these cool ladies putting on the sale at the Orange Hall from 10am to 4.30pm this Saturday July 11.  It’s a one day only thing, lots of gently used, good quality maternity clothing, books and DVDs for sale.  Entry will cost you two bucks. 

Come check it out. (Click for more info … www.babybumpsale.ca)

Do you love to shop?  Appropriate?  Yes, considering most of my blog posts here at Modern Mama Musings feature items available for purchase someplace or another.  But, if you also love mainstream chain stores, shopping for your kids, getting good deals and like insider info, check out my all-new blog Mama Loves Shopping.  It is chalk-full of insider info, links, sales, deals, coupons, contests (are you the family stylist?) and the like.  Click it.

Sonny and Reed Teething Picture

Okay, so this has to be the most unique product I’ve come across since becoming a mother.  I really truly had not heard of or seen such a thing before.  It’s a necklace for mom and a teething toy for baby.  How Coo-ool.  Sonny and Reed sent me one to check out, and although it’s a bit chunky, it’s pretty funky jewelry.  Ivy’s not teething, yet.  But judging from this photo she’s going to love it very soon. 

It comes in black, clear and crystal blue and costs only $29.50 US (Modern Mamas get a discount!),  which is what you’d spend on another equally chunky necklace elsewhere that is definitely NOT safe for precious to drool all over.  This designer teething necklace is made in the USA of non-toxic FDA approved materials and the beeds will not fit through a choke-tube.

Enter code modernmama20 at checkout to receive 20% off your purchase!

Mom Central

laptopDo you want to test out the latest and greatest products to have your voice heard by companies who care about mom-opinions?  Do you want to  join a very cool website for Moms?  Then check-out www.momcentral.com today.  If you sign up to be on the Canadian-Mom testing panel in June, you’ll be entered to win one of five Canon PowerShot cameras!

Mom Central website is loaded with information for moms, it’s like a one-stop online resource.  As founder Stacy DeBroff puts it, “I wanted to create a resource for busy Moms – a place where Moms can trust they’ll find helpful information they need to make their lives easier.”  You’ll find information on everything from toddler toys and baby-proofing to household finances and green living.  

Check it out here at www.momcentral.com.

Don’t forget about Modern Mama’s next event on June 18.  Join parenting expert and author, Dyan Eybergen at the Royal Alberta Museum cafe for a light breakfast for only $15.  ($23 if you would like nanny assistance).  Register NowRegistration ends June 11.

To Be In Pictures has done it again … a fantastic offer only for Modern Mama!   Professional photography in your home.  Contact Jowhanna directly to book your time June 14-19.

May1909 532It would be nice if baby arrived with a manual and a warranty.  You know – the manual that explains what to do in any situation and the warranty to ensure that even if we don’t always do the right thing, the baby will still eventually grow into a confident, happy, and intelligent person.  Nope, no such luck.  For the most part we moms figure it out as we go along and struggle from time to time.  We (okay, at least me) are in denial over our very real impact and influence on their future endeavours, self-esteem … oh and the list goes on.  It’s just so overwhelming when you think about it that way.  So, let’s focus on year-one.  Bonding with baby.  Dyan Eybergen is a parenting expert and author of Out of the Mouths of Babes: Parenting from a Child’s Perspective.  She joins Modern Mama for a morning chat on attaching to baby and bonding during the first twelve months.  

Even though I’ve been through this first year twice before, I can always learn more.  So if you’re a second or third-time mom, contact us to work out childcare for older siblings as well.

This event is only $15 and includes a light breakfast!  (Additional $8 for nannies) For more information, see Modern Mama.

Register now! (Please pass this on to moms of infants)

This event is sponsored by Little Bums, Fingers & Toes photography and Discovery Toys.

photo credit:  Yes,  that is my precious Ivy.

fair trade

coffeeWhat is Fair Trade exactly?  It means that for the items we’re importing from developing countries, we should be paying a fair price for that item.  Most notably, things like coffee, tea, sugar, cocoa, handicrafts and honey.   Read more at Wikipedia.  I went looking for some fair trade tea and coffee, in hopes of enjoying it just as much as my tin of Tim Hortons and my Red Rose.  I was pleasantly surprised by President’s Choice blue label, the flavours are rich and tasty plus the price is always right at the Real Canadian Superstore.  (coffee $5.99 tea $2.99) Check them out next time you need to replenish your caffeine stash at home or office.

NOTE:  Agent Story has lowered her CD price to $16.99!  check her out!

Oh Yeah!

cover_highAgent Story (from Greater Vancouver) has turned her most popular performances into an outstanding collection of stories, rhymes and imaginary play on CD!  What a cool way to do story time with your kids at bedtime, or anytime for that matter.  I promised the girls we could listen to a few tracks as part of our bedtime routine the other night (bath, stories, songs, good-night) and I encountered a lot of crying when I turned it off after 4 tracks.  Ticktock I am a Clock and Oh Yeah were special favourites!

Edmonton Public Libraries will be carrying it in the near future as well! 

Buy the CD - it includes shipping & taxes PLUS an autographed blooper photo of Agent Story!  www.agentstory.net

 

Don’t Miss This:  (these are not Modern Mama events)

Bump Maternity - I’ve Outgrown It Sale this Thursday and Friday.  New & Used.  April 23 5-8pm and April 24 Noon-5pm.  11157 Ellerslie Road SW.

Birth Baby and Family Fair this coming Sunday April 26 at The Royal Inn – 10010 178 Street from 10am to 3pm.

Riverbend’s Original I’ve Outgrown It Sale on Saturday May 2 at the Riverbend Community League from 10am – 1pm.  258 Rhatigan Road East.

berlinI had maternity photos done during this last pregnancy.  Thank you to Little Bums, Fingers and Toes for that.  I enjoyed this immensely and was duly impressed with the portraits of my girls.  Lorena has oodles of experience photographing big bellies in black and white, with just the right light.  She takes her time and we spent an hour and a half in her in-home studio.

With very reasonable prices, a professional web presence (for viewing finished sessions) and flexible schedule, I highly recommend Little Bums for your maternity or baby shoot!

Bump!

bump-logo-250x2501Bump Maternity on Ellerslie Road is closing its doors this coming weekend.  But you’re the benefactor if you get there this week because their entire amazing stock of beautiful maternity wear is all 50% off!  Brands and designers like Maternal America, Olian, and denim like Citizens of Humanity (jeans at 25% off).  They also have nursing bras and pajamas!

www.bump-maternity.com for more info!

March Events!

pureGetting our bodies back, shopping for fun wardrobes (baby’s and our own!), decorating cupcakes (prepping for that first birthday perhaps?) and taking portraits of our precious children are all things we have lined up for March.

Tuesday, March 10 – Lululemon West Edmonton Mall is hosting our intro to Body-Back with Pure Potential Fitness!  Come learn about some post-baby-body myths and get on track to sign up for PURE Training.  Session is FREE but registration is required.  www.modernmama.ca

Sunday March 15 – GAPKids – private shopping and 30% off instore (includes discount at Banana Republic, Gap Adult and Old Navy same-day).  $18 includes nannies, $10 without.  Register at www.modernmama.ca (previous Gap event Sold-Out!)

Sunday March 15 and Monday March 16 – Taking portraits of your little one(s) with professional guidance at To Be In Pictures!  Includes professional instruction, 45 minutes in-studio time and a framed 11×14 with 3-4 of the resulting photos!  $85 Register at www.modernmama.ca

Monday March 23 – decorating and learning with professional tools and yummy icings at Whimsical Cake Studio!  Includes 3-hour class, nannies (for pre-crawling babes), and a dozen cupcakes to take home! $89.  Register at www.modernmama.ca

6000 diaper changes

ivy

Introducing Ivy, my third baby girl!  She arrived (right on schedule, it was a planned c-section) on February 12!  She was 6lbs 6oz and is growing fast.

Now you’re telling me I have to go through another 5,000-7,000 bum changes over the next two years?  Groan.  I was just giddy a couple weeks ago that my 3 year old no longer needs pull-ups at night!  Sheesh.  Yes … we all do, when your adorable little newborn comes out, diaper changes start immediately and well, they don’t stop for years.  Years

So, I did cloth diaper-service (in a different city) with my first daughter, Pampers with my second, and decided to do cloth diaper service again this time.  I chose Happy Nappy Diaper Service, so if you try them out – tell them I sent you!

I realized this week though, that there are going to be times when I doubt my choice, teeter about going exclusively back to Pampers, and maybe just start using Pampers more often than the cloth without realizing it.  I know that Pampers are ‘easier’, I’ve been there, I’ve done both.  Little things like bum changes downstairs instead of up in the nursery next to the diaper pail, diapers in the diaper bag and out at a restaurant, and let’s face it, a Pampers newborn is about 1/4 the size of a cloth fitted (storage, transport, etc.).  So I decided to make myself a little list of reasons to print out and make visible about why I have chosen to go cloth again this time.  So here goes …

1 – It’s better for baby.  Disposable diapers contain things like dyes, sodium polyacrylate crystals and dioxin.  These types of chemicals have been linked to increased diaper rashes at the very mild end of concern all the way up to fertility issues, liver and other organ damage, fever, vomitting, staph infections, and toxic shock syndrome.  There’s more scary stuff out there on this topic if you google any of this.  Ick!

2 – It’s better for the environment.  A disposable diaper sits in a landfill for approximately 450 years and FOUR Million diapers end up in a Canadian landfill DAILY.  They also require huge resources to produce (trees, water, polution).  You may argue that it requires similar resources to clean cloth diapers, but the delivery trucks used by Happy Nappy require less fuel than that of what you’d use to drive to pickup disposables at the grocery store weekly and the water used is much less than even loads done at home.  (Washing your own supply of cloth diapers at home is equal only to about flushing the toilet about 5 times daily for a week, so it’s not a lot.)

3 – If I can stick with cloth for 2 years, she’ll potty train earlier than she would if I switch to Pampers!

I feel I should mention there are other options too – gDiapers offer flushable liners and cotton covers – I tried them for a bit with my second daughter and didn’t enjoy using them for various reasons.  You can purchase a starter kit to try them out at eChildren and Planet Organic.  Seventh Generation (sold at Planet Organic) offers chlorine-free disposable diapers - keeping some of those nasty chemicals out of the diaper.

Modern Mama events will resume shortly!  We’re currently working on a cupcake class, meet a nanny event, bootcamp and more of ‘I want my Body Back’, plus Sephora and more (even a cooking class!)!  Watch here for details!   Watch this week for details on another exclusive Gap 30% off event the weekend of March 15.

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