Show and Tell for All Ages! Maker Faire Ottawa

My husband is a maker - he makes things, All The Time. If he's not in his shop crafting something beautiful out of wood, he's carving vegetables and fruits into characters for the kids or inventing elaborate sprinkler systems for the gardens.

Eco Sprinkler System: hooked up to three rain barrels, which connect to all four of our vegetable gardens

But my husband only revealed his crafty brilliance to me when we moved into our first home.

Prior to that, we had been living in small apartments, with zero space for hobbies. We were stepping on each other's toes just to get to the bathroom. So although my hubby WANTED to build and make things, he had no space for the tools necessary to do so.

Waldorf Curvy Boards, which have become a popular Christmas gift!

On a tour of the home we ended up buying, the deal was sealed when my husband discovered a giant workshop in the basement. Since moving in, the number of tools in his shop has doubled, and the lack of storage space in my home has been halved. Once in a while I threaten to turn the workshop into a yoga studio, but I never make good on my threat. There's no way I could take away my husband's space for creative expression!

An island for the kitchen, big enough to house all of my gadgets!

And it seems my oldest is following in Daddy's footsteps. She loves joining hubby in his shop, and will happily pound nails into wood. She is really interested in figuring out how things work, and my husband is just as interested in teaching her!

Do you have makers in your family? If you do, you will want to check the Maker Faire, coming to Ottawa in November.

Maker Faire is the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth—a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker Movement.  It’s a place where people show what they are making, and share what they are learning. It's a Science Fair for the whole community! Or what I like to call "Show and Tell for Adults" :) Because hands up if you miss making something that you can show off to your peers!

Makers range from tech enthusiasts to crafters to homesteaders to scientists to garage tinkerers.  They are of all ages and backgrounds. The aim of Maker Faire is to entertain, inform, connect and grow this community. My husband will definitely be attending with my daughter in tow!

When & Where: October 15th and 16th at Aberdeen Pavilion in Ottawa.

Learn more here
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What do you love to make?

Disclosure: in exchange for this blog post, my family will receive a pass to attend the Maker Faire. All opinions are my own :)

Potty Training Options

By Katie

Potty training: a phrase that inspires hope in parents of babies in diapers, and shudders of horror in seasoned veterans who have lived through it. 

I am absolutely not an expert on potty training techniques, but I proudly count myself among one of the survivors. My daughter was not easy to train. She is extremely stubborn (wonder where she gets that from?) and had to make up her own mind about when she was ready.  No matter how many articles/books/blogs we read on the topic, or how many gummy worms we offered with guilt, she only started using the toilet when she was darn good and ready. 

I can, however, show you how cloth diapers and training pants can make the learning process a lot easier and cheaper whether you have cloth diapered or not. 

Daytime training

Training pants, whether disposable or cloth, have a simple function. They are easy for potty learners to take on and off when nature calls while protecting the floor from a good soaking if accidents do occur. They also allow little bums to feel wet if an accident does happen, which helps them learn.

If potty training is on your horizon, take a cruise down the diaper aisle in the grocery store and take a look at prices on disposable training pants. Pretty costly, eh? Especially if your child ends up wearing them for an extended amount of time. While the investment in cloth may seem like a high up front cost, it will actually end up being more economical, even if your kid learns like a super star!

Cloth training pants fulfill the exact same functions, with several added bonuses. 

1)    They can be used for more than one child
2)    You can sell them afterwards (and since they haven’t been used long, they keep their value well)
3)    Patterns and styles make kids actually want to wear them! 
4)    More comfortable than disposables (imagine wearing crunchy underpants)
5)    All of the environmental benefits of cloth diapers (less garbage, less resources used)

Cloth trainers are really easy to use. To wash, just flip them inside out and wash them with your other laundry (as long as you don’t use fabric softeners ). In case of a poo accident, flip the majority of the solids into the toilet and give it a rinse before putting in the laundry. 

And how many do you need? Recommendations vary widely from between 3-15 pairs, but I would recommend starting with 3-5 and seeing how it goes. You may have to buy more if your little one is having more frequent accidents, but you might be pleasantly surprised.  Hopefully your kiddo will progressively have fewer and fewer accidents as potty training continues as well. 

Night Time Potty Training

Learning to stay dry during the night can be a challenge for kids, even those who breeze through day time training. Many kids still have occasional bed wetting incidents well after they have been using the toilet on their own.  Disposable diapers marketed for night time use for older kids are (again) quite expensive, and the thought of using them nightly to prevent accidents can be daunting to your wallet. 

Again, cloth can save the day (or night)! If you are just using diapers at night, having a couple of cloth diapers with enough absorbency for a heavy wetter makes perfect sense. They will quickly pay for themselves, both financially and in preventing the lovely task of changing pj’s and sheets in the middle of the night. Some training pants allow you to add extra absorbency in case of larger accidents overnight, but if your kiddo is often waking up wet, I would return to diapers for nighttime, as most trainers (cloth and disposables) aren’t designed to hold a full toddler pee.

Some kids will need to wear diapers overnight even after they are successfully using the toilet during the day. This can get tricky when kids have grown out of the largest diaper sizes. Cloth to the rescue! There are cloth diapers that are specifically designed for older kids. Applecheeks Size 3 covers are sized to fit children from 30-65+ pounds. They are an awesome overnight solution, and can be worn until your wee one consistently wakes up dry, at which point you can all do a gigantic happy dance all together! 

Potty training can definitely strain your patience, but it doesn’t need to strain your wallet. Even if you haven’t cloth diapered yet, using cloth for potty training still makes financial and environmental sense.  Good luck – you will survive!

Bumbini Cloth Diaper Company has tons of cloth diaper options, including reusable training pants.  We also specialize in helping parents with cloth, no matter what stage they are beginning at. fa6b418ab8e52acda7e33366bf8064bc06213622b8b0714125

Scared of bugs? Think outside the box!

I visited Thailand in 2003, a wayward university student looking for overseas adventures. The beaches were beautiful, but we spent most of our time in the North, visiting universities and learning about the culture and economy of Thailand. Many small towns in the north had daily markets, filled with local fruits and vegetables, handmade wares, and....bug stalls. Not like, "hey, come check out some beautiful bugs in these terrariums," but more like, "git yer roasted bugs! Piping hot!!"

The entire stall was dedicated to dead bug snacks. All carefully displayed in cardboard boxes. 

Well, being 23 and slightly crazy, I ordered a paper bag full of some kind of roasted worm (I think they were meal worms), and I polished them off like I would a bag of chips. And they did taste like chips!

Fast forward some (erm...many) years, and eating bugs doesn't appeal to me so much. But the new Bugs Outside the Box exhibit at the Museum of Nature  wants you to experience bugs on a whole new level. A life size level!!

The exhibit opened on October 23rd and features sixteen larger-than-life models of exotic insects, as well as live insects, videos, games and....yes, even some bugs to taste!

After taking the time to experience the whole exhibit, I wondered - would my kids even enter this room?

I'm not sure when and why it happened, but at some point, both my kids became frightened of bugs and spiders (fun fact - spiders are not bugs! They have eight legs and insects have six legs and three main body parts.) I chatted with one of the scientists at the Museum of Nature, and got some great tips for helping children to overcome their fear of insects

Tips for Helping Children Overcome Their Fear of Bugs

• Children learn through play. Attempt to engage them in "bug play." The exhibit features a spot where kids can "roll like a dung beetle," dress up in a bug eye mask, lift "weights" like a beetle does, and hop like a grasshopper (as pictured below) 

Can you hop as far as a grasshopper?

• If live bugs freak them out, get kids interested in dead bugs. The Science Corner in the museum's Animalium gallery (also on the 4th floor) encourages kids to become "bug scientists." They can learn how to pin insects and practice their skills at drawing them as well. 
• Start small with the easy-to-love bugs - my kids seem fine with butterflies and dragonflies. Not so much with beetles or stick-like bugs!
• Try to encourage your child to relate to bugs by explaining that bugs have families too! The display of stick bugs in the Animalium has giant "grandpa" bugs, and even teeny "baby" bugs. Kids love learning about families, even insect families!
• And finally - try to be a good role model. Your children learn by example, so you screaming and running away from a bug that lands on you probably doesn't help ;)

Are your kids afraid of bugs? Will you be taking them to the Bugs Outside the Box exhibit?

One of the beautiful bug sculptures on display

Tips for Winter Babywearing

by Desiree Beattie

Now that the warmer days are behind us, it’s time for coats, mitts hats and boots. If you’re a teeny baby, extra protection is necessary for those wickedly cold winter days. What’s warmer than snuggling up to another human body?

Babywearing can be a great option for keeping your little one warm during winter outings, but many parents are confused by all the options. Is purchasing a $500 babywearing coat necessary? Should my baby be under my coat or over my coat? Should they wear a snowsuit, even when they’re inside the coat? And what carrier is best?

Check out this 1970's Snuggly that I got from my MIL! I would recommend that you find something more updated that puts your child in the correct M position

Let’s simplify babywearing for winter!

1.    No, you don’t need a $500 coat. BUT, if you really wanted that coat, and thought you would get years of use out of it (the insert can be removed and turned into a regular coat once you’re done babywearing), then it might be worth it to you.
2.    Remember the #1 rule of babywearing – baby’s head needs to be visable and kissable from your vantage point. If they are too low (and snuggled down inside your coat), they are not getting enough oxygen.
3.    You can wear baby inside OR outside your coat. Go to Value Village and score a large coat that will cover your baby, or have someone sew an insert into the coat you already own. But remember the visible and kissable rule!
4.    If baby is outside your coat, yes, they will need their infant snow suit and a nice warm hat. You be the judge as to how cold they are inside the coat – some coats are large and drafty, whereas other coats are tight and snug. A quick check behind the baby’s neck will let you know whether they are too warm – a sweaty neck is a definite sign they have too many layers on.
5.    Using a carrier that is adjustable such as a ringsling can make for a quick and easy outing, as it simply slips over both baby and your bulky winter gear with no fuss or modifications.  It even has the added bonus of being an extra blanket layer for both you and your little and of course is easy to have on hand as it can be slipped into even a small bag for transport.  

Do a few practice runs around your neighbourhood to start. The worst thing would be to head out on a big outing, and realize that your baby is too cold. Once you get the temperature right, you’re set for hours of fun outside!

And remember to always be cautious when choosing the activity to do with your baby. Hiking through a forest can be difficult if you can’t see the ground in front of you, and skating while babywearing is not recommended (although I have known women who are very comfortable on skates and have no qualms doing this while babywearing). You be the judge of what works and doesn’t work.

Just don’t let your winter baby keep you inside!

Congrats to Desiree, owner of Little Luv Slings – the winner of three months of free advertising on the blog! Little Luv Slings offers a wide variety of ringsling styles, including woven and double layers, in many different fun and fashionable prints. Find them online and on Facebook.

Mommy needs a drink

Search Google for the term "mommy drinks" and you'll get over 4 million hits, mostly linking to humorous books and blogs. Searching "daddy drinks" yields even more results. And if you run in social media circles with other parents, you've no doubt engaged in humorous banter related to drinking - memes, emojis and hashtags fill the ethernet.

When I or my friends post parenting fails and disasters on Facebook, we're met with sympathy and advice. And of course, encouragement to go grab ourselves a much needed drink. I've been known to post one simple comment in response to a friend's plea for help with lice, children-turned vomit comets, sick dogs, and flooded basements: "wine."

What's interesting is how subtle and sneaky the culture of "mommy drinks" (or Daddy too) can be. How can it be wrong when everybody does it? We make it through each day, patting ourselves on the back for a job well done and declaring "I DESERVE a drink!" 

It's funny, right?

*********************************************************************************************************

Several months ago, I began to ask myself: "when did I start drinking so much?"

I'm sure I drank a lot in my twenties, but it was always related to an event or an outing. University parties, dinners out with friends, or family functions usually meant that I was indulging in something alcoholic. I never recall coming home from school or work and reaching for a bottle of wine. And given that I don't hold my alcohol very well, binge drinking was never an issue for me.

Then the kids came along, and something changed. I was getting broken sleep, dealing with virus upon virus, and trying to manage tight finances. My husband and I both found ourselves reaching for a drink each and every night. The first sip filled me with a sense of calm, and I knew that I'd make it through the evening. I could mentally check out of my whirling mind for a few hours, and attend to the physical needs of my family - feeding dinner, bathing, and bedtime.

There was no reason to feel embarrassed about this habit, because almost every other parent I knew was doing the same. "Guess it's time for a drink," I'd joke, as both kids would descend into hangry puddles on the kitchen floor. I would virtually cheers other moms, or ask "is it #wineoclock yet?" over social media. The responses were encouraging..."it's ALWAYS #wineoclock!" they cried.

Although my drinking never became a "problem" (I could stop after one or two, and it certainly didn't interfere with my day-to-day life), little signs that my crutch wasn't doing it for me anymore began to show themselves. I began to have an allergic reaction to red wine, and noticed symptoms of asthma, headaches and skin problems (remember my Mommy Disease post?) I tried switching over to white wine or beer, but I still felt rotten the following morning, even if I'd only had two drinks. 

And suddenly, the one thing that I thought was effective in getting me to "calm down," was leaving me more anxious, tired and short-tempered than I had ever been. Furthermore, drinking is an expensive habit to continue when it's not serving its purpose.

When I finally slowed down, and started to question this habit I had developed, I knew it was time to stop. Let me be clear, though - I didn't stop DRINKING, but I stopped treating each drink as a cure for my messy life. Because we all lead messy lives, don't we?

I had started to use my relatively mundane, first-world problems as a reason to check out. I had become the "tortured Mommy," convinced that parenting was so damn hard that I needed something to get me through it. Well duh, of course parenting is hard!! It's the hardest job in the world. But what would happen if we started to fill our emotional cups, instead of our wine glasses? I suspect many of our "problems" would slowly disappear.

And here's the other thing: I don't think our world can afford for me to check out. I feel like I have a lot of work to do. I want to raise strong kids who know how to take care of themselves - who don't need to rely on food, alcohol, smoking (or whatever vice you may have) just to "get through." I have so many ideas and hobbies I want to explore, and I can't do it when I'm functioning through a wine haze. A glass of wine in the evening means I'm zoning out for the night.

But listen, I didn't write this post to judge you or judge myself. If you need a night on the couch drinking wine, I will happily support you. In fact, I may toast you occasionally, because there are some nights where "checking out" is necessary for the mind, body and soul. What I will not support is when YOU feel bad about the drinking. I wrote this post to call out the culture of "mommy drinks" and name it for what it is - a cop-out. It's an easy way out of a tough situation.

These days, if you visit my house in the evenings, you will often find me banging away on the keyboard, reading a good book or doing a sun salutation on my yoga mat (ok fine, and watching the Mindy Project.) I still love the occasional glass of wine, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. But instead of nightly drinking, I'm rewarding myself with compassion and time - time to just sit with myself, for better or for worse.

Because Mommy doesn't need a drink.

Misty Pratt is the Community Manager for this here blog. She is mom to two girls, and wife to Tom of All Trades (the man, and not the business.) When she's not working for Kids in the Capital, she can be found managing giant spreadsheets as a health researcher.