5 Things I love about living in Vancouver, with kids

Photo credit: www.pacificcoastal.com

I totally embrace city life, I think I was born to be a city girl.  I like the convenience of things needed, variety of food options as well as entertainment.  Though, admittedly, Vancity can be a plethora of trends and fads, it is not all that the city has to offer. 

Now that I have kids, one of the number one questions I am asked is "why don't you guys move to the suburbs?" 

I know, bigger homes, bigger yards, and you are paying a lot less for those perks.  But despite all that, I do love having the amenities Van has to offer.

Here are some of the things that are awesome to do with kids here in central, busy, jam-packed Vancouver...in no particular order.

1. Granville Island

Everyone loves Granville Island.  Just walking around is entertaining, with entertainers and lots of boats to look at, and kids love boats and water, complete with mini ferry rides.  Visiting the busy public market is always buzzing and fun, great for lunch.  The kids market is great, lots and lots of games to keep the kiddies entertained, complete with a toy store and a candy store.  Last but not least, they have an awesome play area at False Creek, and in the summer an awesome water park.

2. Kits Beach

Vancouver has a large number of options for beaches, all great.  However, our family favourite is Kits.  We love beach-combing there, where our toddler walks along the water and looks for shells and rocks.  I cruise with the baby along the seawall, and then we take out the hibachi and cook dinner on the large green park area, or have a picnic.  Often, we opt for a nice meal at the Boathouse and overlook the beach also.  Not to mention, love the vendors that stop by.

3. The Vancouver Aquarium

The Aquarium is within Stanley park, and I don't think I can say enough how much kids love it.  At 2 years old, my toddler was fascinated.  It was awesome to see him so intrigued, and he toured the whole aquarium.  Where else can you see a giant turtle and sharks up close and have your kid enjoy pressing their face up against the glass saying "whoa!"  I know for sure there will be many more visits there.  It's a great learning experience, but for real...it's fun!

4. No shortage of parks and playgrounds

I know every city has this, however, I am so lucky to be surrounded by parks at every turn.  We have 3 large parks, complete with playgrounds, summer swimming, track and soccer fields surrounding our neighborhood. And then a little walk away, we have Queen Elizabeth...ample areas to run, picnic, watch ducks.  Every little area of this city has great little places for kids to play, so we venture out and checkout other playgrounds often. Some fun ones include: David Lam, Mount Pleasant Park,  Trout Lake, David Livingston, Wesbrook Village and more.

5. Main Street eats

I love eating, and if you take the stroller down Main Street, you have a tonne of options.  All unique and one-off cafes, sushi joints, tacos, Caribbean, Thai, comfort food or good ol'burger bars, and etc.  I love the variety and it is rare to get sick of the options...well I never have.  I love that I can expose my kids to so many types of eats and eclectic vibes, not to mention, it is always buzzing and happening.  I am always happy strolling with my kiddos down Main.

"What I Have Learned" Series - Featured Mommy: Valerie Singh

Valerie Singh is mommy to two amazingly gorgeous boys, Nashaan (4) and Aryaan (7 months).

Being the only girl in the house means being ok with having a man cave in the house, being the female Spiderman (when all the boys choose Spiderman costumes for Halloween), learning how to make a tent or fort vs. a tea table setting, and having fun playing with cars and trucks.

Valerie knows what it means to be a busy bee and a mom that is there for everyone, creating the perfect home and environment for her sons and husband is a core value.  Valerie has a career as an interior designer/architectural draftsmen, her and her husband are always finding new home projects and revamping their home, home decorating is a passion and hobby.  In addition to that, she has a cake business, Cake Therapy, where she makes delicious and gorgeous custom designed cakes and cupcakes for any occasion.

Valerie does all this, and more, amidst raising 2 boys. This lady surely has a lot on the go and says balance is the main ingredient to make it all work.


Did you always know you wanted to be a mom?
Yes.  I always loved playing with kids and could see myself playing with my own one day.  To tell you the truth, I always liked to play house, classroom and make-believe kids games.  As I got older, and my siblings stopped playing those games with me, I was excited to do that with my own kids.

What would you say is your biggest learning(s) since being a mom?
Patience.  Seriously, patience.  Sometimes I don't always have it, it can be hard, but I try.  I don't want to be yelling all the time.  So I decided to pay more attention when I am calmer...which helps.  Also, I learned that sometimes I just have to let them do what they got to do...kids are kids and need to learn things on their own too.

What, if anything, was the hardest thing about transitioning to mommyhood?
Time management.  Running a house, and doing it all...while also baking cakes and running a business.  Not any one thing can't get done, so you have to find a way to balance everything you have going on and make it work.  So I have to manage my time well and prioritize...I have a schedule on days I am busy, and make sure that my kids do too, and make a list of the most important things for the day.  This helps a lot, and some days are smoother than others, but being a mom and wanting to do things I love means just making it work.

What is your favourite thing to do with your children?
Play!!!!  I love playing kids games and this never gets old.  I love building tents at night with my 4 year old, and his imagination; I love we have that to share.  And my baby, I love making Ary laugh, he has the cutest laugh.

Is there any item or anything in general you would say is a must-have for parents?  and why?
Natural Teething Drops, I used Camilia, they are the best.  I never felt I was giving them too much medication, but it works like a charm.
Good Ol' Sophie.  That giraffe really is a hit with the kids, they love it.  It is a splurge, but they really really love it, and that is one toy you will not lose.

What advice would you give to new moms?
It's really simple - just enjoy every stage because they grow so fast!


Valerie isn't just playing house, she's living it daily and enjoying every moment.  She can be found cooking, baking or decorating year round.  To contact her about her amazing cakes please email caketherapy2013@gmail.com

Valerie and her boys: Hubby: Neil, Sons: Nashaan and Aryaan

Blueberry Banana French Toast

I love making French Toast.  It's simple, it's easy, everyone loves it, and it's not as unhealthy as one may think, if you make it yourself.

Here is my recipe, which I promise is super easy, that you will find you have enough time to make it even on a weekday.

My family eats this up.  I do not add syrup, I am completely weary of too much sugars in the morning, and try to avoid it as much as possible.  I also try to sneak in fruits as much as possible and try recipes that include them (total bonus).  With this recipe, because of the cinnamon and bananas, and the touch of sugar (if wanted) on the crust...I don't think you will miss syrup either. 

I make it with whole wheat toast...yes I do.  And no, it does not compromise the taste.

Check it out, your little ones will eat it up!

Ingredients:

Bananas

Blueberries

Whole wheat bread

Cinnamon

Sugar (optional)

Eggs

Skim milk

Instructions:

In a flat dish, mix up eggs and skim milk, equal parts.  I use 3 eggs, and it makes about 5 pieces of toast.  Mix up well.  

Take a half banana, mash very well (until liquidy), and add to egg mixture.  If it is lumpy, it is fine.

In a small saucer, mix a blend of cinnamon and sugar, 3 parts cinnamon and 1 part sugar.  However, if you want to you can eliminate the sugar altogether.

Warm a non-stick skillet to med-high heat.

Dip the bread fully in the egg/milk mixture.  Once coated, dip the edges in the cinnamon mixture.

Add the dipped bread to the skillet.  While on skillet, add blueberries (insert directly into bread while wet).

Cook the bread until dry and nicely browned on both sides.

While still hot, spread a light amount of non-hydrogenated margarine, sprinkle with cinnamon and top with sliced bananas.

Voila!

9 Month Sleep Regression and Why It's a Toughie

Oh sleep, where are you?  Please find my baby girl and me!

Oh sleep, why does my baby hate you...please make her love you again!

Oh sleep, just sleep...please pretty please...sleep come back...sleep!

That is my nightly mantra, lately.  It has taken me by surprise and hit me like a tonne of bricks.  Which is ironic, given this is my second run.  However, I just forgot, frankly, about the dreaded, every daunting, 9 month sleep regression.  Which, in my opinion, is much worse than the 4 month one.

Around the 4 month mark, typically babies regress to waking up as they did as newborns, every 2-3 hours at best.  It is a hard one, because after the 3 month mark, one gets adjusted to sleeping a bit more, and establish a routine/schedule. Then you get thrown a curve ball...the schedule goes out the window.  This makes the 4 month one extremely tough, because you are almost back at square one.

However, that passes, and you will sleep, a bit, again.  You then re-establish a schedule/routine...your baby is sleeping longer hours.  Your baby starts solids, is fuller longer, and things are going swimmingly.  They start playing, and exploring and growing at lightning speed.  It's awesome, purely awesome.  You make play dates, go to mommy and me classes again, and you feel like you have more energy.  Some days you wake, saying "wow I just slept 6 hours straight, I feel great." You even have stopped taking naps yourself, and use nap time as your own personal errand time or "me" time.

Then things change.  At night.  Drastically.

That is where I am at, I am waking up, what feels to be all the time...allllllll the tiiiiiiiiime.  At first, I was puzzled, thinking why is this happening.  She feeds well, she's not hungry, she's not wet...yes she is teething, but she doesn't appear to be in discomfort...why?  

Then I read my baby books and resources again, and also jogged down memory lane.

It is highly normal for your 8 to 10 month old to go through another sleep regression.  Sleep regressions occur at growth spurts, or periods of high development.  It is not that they are being bad sleepers, per say, it is just that your baby is going through the biggest brain development period to date.  

This is the time frame, in which, they learn to do things such as:

-sitting on own

-crawling

-pulling themselves up

-furniture walking

-saying some simple words

-making associations with what you say (i.e. clap your hands, say bye bye, etc.)

All this happens so rapidly.  It's astonishing to see in the day, but your baby's brain is literally firing up and it's hard for them to know to "shut down".  You may even catch them at night, when not crying, trying out some of their learned skills.  I once caught baby girl trying to pull herself up in her crib...at about 3am!

While it is frustrating at night,  it is very normal and it too shall pass.

I think the 9 month regression is also tougher because it, in my case, lasts a bit longer.  This is also the stage where most babies experience separation anxiety. They are weary of not seeing you or knowing if you are right there with them.  They are nervous being alone and just never realized it before that they are not physically attached to you.

Of course every baby is different,  but I have seen this full force.  

On the one hand, I love how much my child is learning and growing.  On the other, momma really wants to sleep again.   

If you find you are in the same boat, here are some tips to make it through:

-give your baby lots of cuddles, day or night, it will calm them but will also remind you how loving these monsters are

-reinstate daytime naps for yourself...just do it

-try using essential oils, a calming blend, in diffusers or on your wrists, when you need to feel relaxed

-if available to you, ask your partner to give you encouragement in the middle of the night when you get up or switch off on tending to baby 

-sleeping in depends totally on if you have another child, so some days ask a babysitter or family to help in the morning so you can catch up on sleep...because chances are baby is sleeping a little later into the morning

Good luck!

Top 5 Things my Toddler Says

Kids talk a lot, and when they are not screaming, it is pretty darn cute!

I hear new things from Caiden daily, some just crack me up.  Because he is two, he still has a baby voice, so his speech contains those sweet and oh-so-cute nuances of not saying something quite right. 

Though hard to narrow down,  and this list evolves almost weekly, here are my fave Caiden quotes at this time.  I am sure I will revise this again in the future.

1. Yee-Haw!
He started saying this after watching Toy Story.  Though it is losing it's rotation in his daily vocab, it is still a fan favourite.

2. All aboahd! 
Loves trains, he loves a lot of stuff. But I grin ear to ear when he loads up his little toys into the cart of one of his Thomas the Trains and shouts "All aboahd!"  I will be a little sad once he knows how to say "aboard" correctly.

3. Otay Momma / Dadda
Seriously so cute. All his "ka" sounds are replaced with "ta" sounds.  So Kobe the dog is Tobe, cat is tat and so forth.  But the way he agrees and says "Ottttaaay"....ahhh killer, I mean tiller tuteness.

4.  Sup?
I am not too sure where he learned this, but I am going to guess seeing guys say hi to eachother. He doesn't do it always, but it will randomly come out; and when it does, it causes a few giggles, to say the least, coming from a little man.

5.  Mom check out!
I love watching him get excited to show us anything,  how he kicks a ball, the tower he just built, etc...But I think I love the fact he is telling me to "check it out" that much more.

What are some of your favourites?  Make sure to put them in the memory bank!

Mix and Match Ensembles for Little Girls

Having a little girl allows me to play around with looks, girly of course.  And although it's typical I would dress her in pink, ruffles, tutus and dresses...there are other options that are so cute, that I just cannot get enough of.

I noticed that there are a few key items that are always being updated in Rayna's closet: leggings, colourful tops, cardigans and head accessories.

Love this get-up. Paired a Black and White striped jacket from Carters, white denim pants from Carters with a bright pink peblum top from Children's Place

I love the layering look with tights or leggings, add a jacket or cardigan and you have a nice little number.  It is casual and trendy...and just as girly.  In a miniature version, the outfits work well for any occasion.  I don't tend to stick to what comes packaged together, though those sets are fantastic.  I have a lot of fun mixing up different pieces and creating different outfits entirely.

This look is entirely H&M mix and matchables.  We have a beige textured legging, paired with a dark purple sweater, and just added a white cardigan with gold hearts.  

A lot of dresses come with cardigans, but by all means, play around to create looks to your liking. Of course a little hat, headband or clip is a must-have to complete the outfit.

Cute in a denim dress by Old Navy, white leggings from Children's Place, a dark pink cardigan from Carters, and a wool headband by Vitamins Baby

Dressing girls doesn't have to come with a hefty price-tag, here are some outfits that are simple but fashionable.  I love a lot of things from stores such as Carters, Old Navy, H&M, etc.  All it is is taking simple single pieces, and mixing it up.  

Sporting a 4-button white sweater from Old Navy, pink flower toque from Joe Fresh, and silver polka dot on black leggings from Carters

So mix and match, play around with colours, patterns and head pieces.  Enjoy shopping at regular everyday stores to stay in a budget.  Look for small pieces vs. sticking to the packaged sets or don't be afraid to break those sets free.

You will create different looks and love the outcomes!

Animal print vest from Carters, orange leggings from Old Navy.

Rayna's Portraits by Jana Photography

I searched and found photographers online, who seemed to do lovely baby and maternity photos.  Jana Photography  (comprised of Jafar and Nasim) had a collection that looked like exactly what I wanted.  I loved their gallery,  that and the fact they were located in Burnaby and provided image files, I decided I wanted them to be Rayna's photographers for her 7 month pictures (6 months was in December and too busy).

To me, this age (6 to 9 months) is beyond precious.  They are alert, playful and ever smiling.  That is my Rayna.  She is giggly, cuddly, laughs with her whole face and eyes, and has a delectable nature.  It was so important to capture this.

So I was excited and anxious to do these pictures.

They did an amazing job.  Rayna laughed the entire time,  there were multiple changes,  backdrops and ideas...none any less cute.  When it came time to select photos, I was baffled, so many good ones to choose from.

Jana Photography captured Rayna's very essence, and delivered exactly what I hoped.  I have these as a lifetime keepsake to always remember these tender moments...and reflect on this cutie girl of mine.

If you need baby photos, I highly recommend them.   Please visit 
http://www.jana.photography/ for details.

Check out some of my absolute favourites here...