The Business of Being Born

OK everyone, watch this following trailer. It's time for us to shatter myths and take our power back regarding the birthing process. I really encourage you to watch this film and start talking / asking questions:

http://thebusinessofbeingborn.com/trailer.htm

Safe Baby Bottles

I couldn't help but cut & paste this great posting from http://www.yoyomama.ca/ re. safe baby bottles, what with all the frightening info coming out about our fav bottles (Gavin grew up on Gerber bottles). Check out some safer alternatives:

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Safer sipping
History has shown us that you’re always on the lookout for safer sipping options and there are more on the market every day. Sure you know your Sigg cups and your Klean Kanteens, but here’s an update on some new arrivals in the oeuvre – in a whole range of price points.

Why the worry? Recent research has shown the potential dangers of Bisphenol-A, a chemical found in polycarbonate plastic which is a known developmental, neural and reproductive toxicant that can leach into bottle and sippy cup contents.Wee.Go Glass Bottles with Silicone Sleeves ($19.99)Each of these funky glass baby bottles come with a silicone sleeve protecting them from breakage and bumping. The bottle ring and cap are polycarbonate-free and the nipple is latex-free and non-toxic. Available at: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uqX1DdvHPc6ypjTuc5D1AZZTcDzgMfBT0wPgW1-GWKZTFNc0f8EzAoNyR4OGYUVUrQDLzNvKeBpOw4XZaGjw7h5dXFfsthSs29KO-SgULBYCTD4-0BZfpUaxy6sMjOmv6YXurA0F1g1LiFwfexswLQ==
Adiri Natural Nurser Ultimate Baby Bottle ($32.99)This Bisphenol-A and polycarbonate-free nurser has a unique breast-like shape that mimics breastfeeding. We know they’re available at Crocodile and check their site for a list of online and US Retailers: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uqX1DdvHPc4Dj593Pxmh_6X6x6Wt6TWNurxbd1KZcdiWjjQd5OcO8X6RZv-CSAb7RQLCXZepZLHHg0Ue5wt4tqjHj7LGtYNT90rDijiD7ljUFpS6T40AU9DN5yDMMRNNKYnewFWjHl8=

Born Free (from 13.75)Widely available, Born Free offers a range of glass and plastic Bisphenol-A free bottles. They also offer training and drinking cups for older kids. Available at: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uqX1DdvHPc5UrFfystPcwt2hHCzmPsCaKVnDjysTW4CihUUq5Es0crY2Fvyg5wopjhBi90aObALmV_AVrKKfp0WuNqnjsWuL37k6ko9tox8kOfJNrhEqwDkcLvLAfak_eSCKc9aOpiGqwa47FfU1yA==

Green to Grow (from $9.50)We mentioned these well-priced bottles that convert to sippy cups briefly at Christmas time, but we didn’t want to leave them off this list. They’re Bisphenol A, phthalate, lead and PVC-free. Available at: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uqX1DdvHPc4T9qNJI1pi1-v1LCt_goutB3YyZdGMYRTTp1p_KxwbBaylA-9BwDHZ-eep_W7iz3URCoMEpipT9xIOv3EWAFTqxnHyEz7BuZZ4Y1_rwa1-Z1ohP8rJGbh6

Thermobaby Glass Bottles (from $9.50)From France, Thermobaby Glass Bottles come with a silicone nipple. Their website doesn’t have a list of retailers, but we know they’re available at Crocodile and Hip Baby.
thinkbaby Bottles (from $10)thinkbaby’s bottles are free of Bisphenol-A, PVC, lead, phthlates and nitrosamines and they come with a high-grade silicone nipple. Available at:http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uqX1DdvHPc5y6nC55o2KOjAc0hwruXA7YGR82SN2zGMAzzjYGpYgu_ya22Rb4ffLjvySruL1UclRbtGsZhiwSPKh1TrunnTfO_Q7F8GAWi-TBuqZoB_FeBap8WQHeMfFpeu4_rBL2oA=

And if you missed the green bottle revolution and your kids are older, you’ll want to check out the Safe Sippy ($17.95). Made of non-toxic, non-leaching stainless steel, the Safe Sippy has a thermoplastic rubber sleeve, and a no-leak straw-like spout. Their website also has easy-to-understand info about plastic chemicals and why you want to avoid them. Available at: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uqX1DdvHPc5IKXohM9IuGRcOSlEsUjq2AO6Zd_geeVb1vTB-cdMP0EQV_REvZsg68lgMwnqVxIhFmYB5mSivbzDQwFXzgoeIzVKNsSmAm9wEhRqqpxqNbYWCGwgoeqlWp5JOYCUzGUkW_bIiX73uLg==

New Article

Hi All,

Following is my latest article as featured on http://www.yoyomama.ca/ . Check it out.....but first, check out my new hairdo!!! I finally chopped it off after all these years. I just got sooooo sick and tired of the boring 'ole ponytail. As Rob so loving says: "I'm surprised how good it looks." LOL! Hope you like my latest article and hope to hear some article suggestions / ideas from you soon:

We like to start off each month with tips and ideas from our parenting expert, Jenny Schafer of Evolved Parenting. Her monthly columns are designed to help us over common parenting hurdles. This month Jenny answers a question about positive discipline and invites you to email her with your parenting questions as well.

Dear Evolved Parenting,

What do you mean by positive discipline? I’ve read about “positive reinforcements” and “redirecting” techniques and have tried them with my children but they don’t seem to work. My kids always fall back to their bad behaviors. I’m also concerned that I won’t have the time and energy to use these strategies with all three of my children. Also, one of my children has a cognitive disability. Would these strategies work with her?Sherry, Mother of 3

Dear Sherry,

Positive disciplining techniques are ongoing educational aides used by parents with their children to create a peaceful family environment. Positive disciplining strategies guide children toward a high level of self-discipline, self esteem and empowered choices. It is effective in all sizes of families and encourages autonomy in all of your children, regardless of age or abilities. Strategies such as positive reinforcements, redirecting, problem solving, actively listening to your children and “Time-Aways” are some of the positive disciplining techniques Evolved Parenting teaches. These positive techniques prove how disciplining is something parents do with and for children as opposed to being something done to children. Positive disciplining is not difficult or time consuming. It does take practice to re-train your thinking and your words when disciplining your children, but when done consistently you’ll notice a positive difference in your children and in your overall family environment.

Put it into context by thinking about your own self-discipline. A self-disciplined person takes pride in her/his self (mind, body and spirit). Do you live according to a strong moral code and try your best at everything you do on a daily basis? Your level of self-discipline affects your children’s self-discipline. Displaying confidence and pride in yourself will help to encourage a high level of self-discipline in your children.

So what questions do you have for Jenny? Ask away. Who knows, your topic may end up a feature in a future column from Evolved Parenting. Email Jenny at jenny@evolvedparenting.ca or visit her website for more info.
Jenny Schafer, creator of Evolved Parenting, is a mother, social worker, trained daycare provider and former nanny. For more information visit evolvedparenting.ca.

Happy New Year

Happy 2008 everyone! Here’s hoping you and yours had a great holiday season full of high-calorie foods, family squabbles, and good times with your peeps.

What better way to start the new year than with 2 of my articles on 2 of my favourite websites. Check out my “Relationship Review for the New Year” on westcoastmoms.ca and my “Happy You Year” on yoyomama.ca.


Rob, Gavin and I had a great time in the ‘Loops with our families. It’s always a stretch to see everyone when we’re home since we were both born and raised in Kamloops and have a long list of family and friends to see. This time I didn’t get to see one of my BFF’s (love ya Leilah). I did get to see some of my high school friends and their babies at a mini Kam High reunion. Good times - what a great looking bunch!

I also finally met Baby Julia – the “angel” baby of one of my oldest and dearest friends, Christina Marie.

And of course we spent the majority of time with our families. Our niece and nephew were full of contagious excitement which always makes the holidays that much better. Gavin didn’t really “get it” but was ecstatic to see his big cousins and grandparents again.

And the food. Good lord the food! Thanks to our parents for all their hard work in the kitchen keeping us happy and well fed.

New Years Eve was spent at home fixing the leak and subsequent ceiling damaged we discovered upon our return from the ‘Loops. Poor Rob has been working non-stop since we pulled into our driveway. Apparently it was a slow leak that finally left its mark. Bad timing for us, but we realize this is the reality of being a homeowner.

2007 was a great year for Rob and I and we look forward to the many opportunities 2008 will bring to our family. Here’s wishing all of you the best in this new year.

A Word on Jamie Lynn

We’ve all heard by now that Jamie Lynn Spears, younger sister of Britney is pregnant at the age of 16. To me, anyone who spouts anything but compassion and deep empathy for these 2 girls is out of line. I’ve read all of the offensive words to describe a ‘naughty’ female when discussing these 2 girls. This is outrageous to me. These two girls have been exploited to sell themselves as sexy and appealing. For crying out loud, Britney was in beauty pageants as a young girl!! Corporate America pushed these 2 girls to become these sexy and alluring images of ‘perfection’. The minute they ‘cross a line’ in their personal life, they are suddenly sluts and whores. Where is that line? Who creates this line? There’s a plethora of pictures of Britney in her teens giving the lusty eyes with her midrift showing. Was she a slut then? Or did her record executives tell her to do this because she was “pretty” and “likeable?” Or these executive nothing better than high-powered, high-class pimps?!

Neither of these girls went to high school like the rest of us. They didn’t undergo the embarrassment, rights of passage and awkwardness that the rest of us shlumps had to go through as teenagers. Neither of them were ever told “no” or to simmer down when we got a little big-headed. They were encouraged to be conceited and flaunt what their mama’s gave them. Why doesn’t everyone “get” this?!

In turn, both these girls internalized this sexual allure that they hold over the opposite sex as powerful and as their identity. Is it really that shocking that both of them have found themselves in dire situations thanks to horny, young goldiggers before even reaching their mid twenties?! Were these sleazy record executives looking out for their spiritual and emotional well-being while taking those pictures of their navels and lusty eyes?

I’m not interested in mother-blaming. Too easy and way too insulting. However, I do strongly question who is reaching out and helping these 2 girls. There seems to be a lack of direction and perspective. Why was Jamie Lynn living with her boyfriend at the age of 16? This seems like an awfully mature life decision at the tender age of 16, regardless of how “mature” someone might seem. Why isn’t Britney doing everything in her power to get those boys back? Stop the insanity, someone!

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that these 2 girls were raised under the Hollywood umbrella of make-believe. I beg the obvious, yet not-commonly-asked question: Where are the corporate suits that exploited these 2 girls to become an image of sexual-prowess-perfection now (‘perfection’ according to the western world, that is)? Is it any surprise that the people that pushed her to sing "I'm a slave for you" are now the one's beating her down? This isn’t just about ‘bad’ parenting…..where are their supports now? And if I hear one more person calling either of these girls a slut, I will lose it!

BON JOVI

As many of you are aware, I attended the greatest concert on earth on Saturday, December 15th……BON JOVI!!!!! Anyone that knows me knows that I’m Jonny’s biggest fan. Ever since going to Bon Jovi’s “Lay your Hands on me” tour on May 11th, 1989, I’ve been hooked. Since then, I’ve been sure to request “Livin’ on a Prayer” at any dance or house party I’ve ever attended. Rob just “loves” this about me.

I know what you’re thinking: “sweet jebus, that Jenny is one cool cat for loving Bon Jovi so much.” I couldn’t’ agree more with those sentiments and I thank you for your positive thoughts. For others, such as my dear husband who thinks my admiration for all-that-is-Jon is not only “pathetic” but also “embarrassing,” I say to you: frankly I feel sorry for you that you don’t ‘get it.’

But alas, onto brighter subjects: the concert on Saturday night. To begin this colossal event, me and 3 of my gals partook in some pre-JBJ-partying. I’ve know these gals for most of my life and they’ve been integral and supportive of my lifelong obsession.

Joanne and I met at the tender age of 5 in Kindergarten. JoBo and I experienced numerous sleep-over parties, copious Fudge Cookies tummy-aches, and of course zillions of Bon Jovi air bands in our basements. Lisa and I met in our early teens – I was unaware of her JBJ obsession until more recently. Needless to say, I was delighted to discover this ‘little’ know fact about her and have grown deeper in my respect for this gorgeous woman. And Azure-Dee and I met way back in the days of working at The Bay in our hometown of Kamloops. Az and I went on to become fast friends and we quickly formed “The Fab 4” with 2 other Bon Jovi-loving-gals. Az and I went on many ‘o road trips with Bon Jovi blaring (usually “New Jersey” being our fav album).

So the 4 of us met at JoBo’s for some serious pre-partying. Jo and I arranged a hearty meal for all of us (after all, we were sure to be on our feet all night long and we’d certainly need some sustenance for such a huge evening out). Lisa brought the booze and Az brought the mix. After a couple hours of eating, drinking, dancing to Jonny and reminiscing on our favourite Bon Jovi memories (Jo, what were those make-shift “Livin’ on a Prayer” lyrics again?), we headed to GM Place where we could openly and without shame celebrate in our love for the geniousity that is Jon Bon Jovi.

Unfortunately, none of us were willing to risk our cameras, thus, we don’t have any good pictures inside the garage. All the same, photos could not fully describe the thrill of our night. Once inside, we quickly rushed to the t-shirts / Jonny paraphernalia table. I was disappointed not to find any vintage t’s (I was hoping for a “Slippery When Wet” ¾ sleeve number). Once we made our was to our excellent seats, my disappointment quickly faded. Thanks to Lisa for scoring us such sweet seats! Our hearts immediately went out to those around us as they clearly had no idea what they were in for with us screaming-crazies sitting beside them.

Headly opened. Bleh! Not that he was bad, but he was no Jon Bon Jovi if you know what I mean! We purchased our over-priced alcoholic beverages and settled into our seats before Jon & the boys took the stage. Tico first appeared. At that point, me and the gals just about lost our minds. I believe you’ve all seen footage of screaming girls at Elivs Presley, The Beatles, New Kids on the Block concerts and whatnot. Well, that was basically us. I’m sure our close by neighbours were thrilled. That other dude came on, then Ritchie and the crowd went wild. THEN JONNY my friends. Good God, then Jonny! Sweet Jesus, that man is still so incredibly hot. Ok, what did he open with…..“Lost Highway” me thinks. Then, “Shot Through the Heart” and us gals were well on our way to insanity. We stood and danced the entire show, screamed out every word to every song and kept smiling and hugging each other. It was THE ultimate girls night out, lemme tell ya.

Jon sang all the classics from “Livin’ on a Prayer” to “Born to be my Baby” to “Raise your Hands” to “Runaway.” Need I go on and make you all insanely jealous?! What an amazing night out. Thanks Jonny for all the memories.....we can’t wait for you to return to Vancouver!!! I’m sure all of you are burning to buy tickets with us 4 lunatics for the next show.

Happy Holidays

Greetings All,

After reading my articles, many of you have encouraged me to blog my thoughts. So I thought I’d start my new blog with a Christmas letter to let you know what we’ve been up to all year:

Rob and I moved into our first house this July in North Vancouver. It’s been a work in progress ever since. Rob and his dad worked like mad-men 2 weeks straight to make our home move-in-able. Some of their hard work includes sanding & finishing the original hardwood floor, installing cork flooring in our kitchen & bathroom, painting all the walls & cupboards & installing baseboards. It truly is a remarkable before & after / makeover story.

And then there was the backyard! Rob, Nonno (his dad), Rob’s brother Ercole and my brother Jeff removed the greenhouse, 3 gardens, dug holes to hide all the concrete and planted grass in our backyard. Did I also mention the fence they built in a day? Truly, we’ve been blessed with a great 4 bedroom home, large yard and amazing family help. There is still much work required (it’s 40 yrs old), and we seem to be plugging away every weekend at a new project.

Gavin’s 1st nap in our new home was not fun, however he’s since settled in nicely and loves all the extra room for running around.

Many of our house projects have revolved around setting up my home-based business. In our downstairs, I run a non-licensed family daycare, caring for 3 toddlers on any given day (yes, Gavin counts as 1 of these 3). We’ve had to update our electrical & plumbing to bring our space up to code. Keep your fingers crossed for me as we’ve experienced many roadblocks in our attempts to become licensed. (Please pause for a WTF moment: isn’t there a childcare crisis in our country?! Don’t you think the powers-that-be should be bending over backwards to accommodate a highly motivated person like myself who is opening up spots for children and families in need of childcare?!?)

Once I am finally licensed, I can care for 7 children. I’m assuming 5 will be my limit?! My hours of operation are 7 am – 6 pm, Mon – Fri. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but it’s also incredibly energizing and I’ve come to greatly enjoy this career change. The kids are so great and they each bring such light and energy into our home and our lives every day. It’s been a very welcome change from my former high-stress Social Work job where I worked for 5 years.

Also, I created a parenting course called Evolved Parenting and I’m selling them online via my website. As a result of creating Evolved Parenting, I’ve opened the door to a few freelance writing opportunities. I now write for 2 websites and 1 magazine focusing on topics such as motherhood, parenting, how to balance it all, self-care and so on. Freelance writing has been a life-long dream of mine and I’m thrilled to finally find an outlet (and interest ;) for my thoughts.

Besides his new weekend job of 24/7 handyman / renovator, Rob’s into his 8th year working at Tekmira Pharmaceuticals (formerly INEX). Rob is a Research Scientist for this bio-tech company. Tekmira is a Canadian biopharmaceutical company based in Burnaby developing and commercializing proprietary drugs and drug delivery systems to improve the treatment of cancer and other diseases (yes, I cut and paste this). Rob’s work includes working on liposomes and srna research which encapsulates small molecule drugs, including chemotherapy drugs, and delivers them through the bloodstream to sites of disease. Tekmira trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol TKM. Unfortunately I cannot give more of a well-informed (and intelligent) description of what it is that he actually does. However I can say that Rob has been involved in developing drugs that have gone to clinical trials which have had successful results.

And the light of our lives, our 21 month-old son Gavin, continues to surprise and delight us every day. He’s practically a genius what with his non-stop favourite sentence “I see a car” and his occasional mention of “apple,” “ball,” “bye-bye,” “hi,” and “happy.” True to his Italian roots, he also loves to also say “Mama” quite obsessively throughout the day. He loves to ‘read,’ ‘re-organize’ my cupboards and pretend to be stirring something in his various plastic containers. He started walking shortly after we moved into our house, and he’s been running ever since. After many attempts of getting him on a regular nap and nighttime routine, I’m thrilled to say that he now sleeps like clockwork (for all you sleep-deprived mom’s out there, it does happen). He has a full head of curly hair (Rob will not allow a haircut), and he’s as cute as anything we’ve ever seen. It’s safe to say we’re obsessed with him, yet we’re sure to remember to speak of other things / people when in the company of others so as not to annoy and repel our entire social circle.

Both of our families are doing well. Rob’s parents continue to make the best food known to humankind for all of us. Their colossal garden keeps us well fed throughout the year, and keeps them very busy. My mom and her husband Wally live in a new condo in Kamloops they bought last year together. They enjoy buying all the extras for it and recently enjoyed a cruise through the Panama Canal. Their biggest worry seems to be deciding on their next getaway. Rob’s sister Nadia, husband Doug, and their 2 kids Jaida & Samuel, live in Kamloops. Jaida is now in Grade 1 and Samo is just about in Kindergarten; both are totally adorable and love soccer (it’s a requirement when Italian). Rob’s brother Erc and his wife Carolyn live in Vancouver. They are both doctor’s and are constantly debating a move amidst our crazy real estate market. I’m thrilled to announce that my brother Jeff and his wife Autumn are expecting their first baby in May. Can’t wait for the Schafer cousins!!

Besides our overnight getaway in Vernon for a friends wedding in August, we’ve been slaves to our house renovations and haven’t gone or done anything too exciting. We’re hoping 2008 brings with it a break from the working-on-the-house-every-weekend-realities.

Regardless of our excitement level (or lack thereof), I will continue to blog my thoughts as the months progress. My next entry is sure to entail all the juicy details of my upcoming GNO to the one and only BON JOVI concert on December 15th. Clearly this mammoth event deserves a detailed blog with pictures, descriptions of Jon’s assets, list of vintage songs as well as pre and post party details.

Until then, know that my mind is always ticking, trying to come up with new and exciting topics such as “is it really a good idea to lie to our kids about Santa?” or “where are all the corporate suits that exploited Britney now?” and even some mundane “Hasselhoff or Stallone?”

From our family to yours, Happy Holidays and all the best in 2008!