Wow… has it been one year already? Last November, I was introduced to Kepler Academy through blogging, and now here I am, one year in as their Marketing Manager, busily planning for our downtown open house this Saturday. What a crazy and wonderful year it has been — and what an incredible team I’m proud to be a part of. You’re the best thing about Kepler! (Side note, please come and enjoy the fun on Saturday. There will be fresh cinnamon buns, a hands-on space activity brought by the Telus World of Science, digging for an actual real meteor in a sensory bin, building a rocket ship with loo ..read more

Photos herein credit of Photographer Nancy Critchley. Used with permission.  Like many of you, Julie Charchun is a new Edmonton Mom. Julie is the proud mama to her baby boy, Arrow, who is just over 1-year-old. Julie’s partner Harold supports her family at home, currently splitting parental leave. Their 6-year-old lab, Chilkoot, is their furry fourth family member. Together, Julie and Harold and Chili are navigating new parenthood. Something else about Julie — she’s Mayor Don Iveson’s Chief of Staff. I managed to grab an interview with her. She’s got a powerful perspective when it comes to ..read more

The Winspear Centre is widely known for the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, but did you know they offer a weekday symphonic music program for babies and their moms, dads and caregivers? It’s called Music Box Babies — a very unique program in Edmonton, wonderful for one-on-one bonding with infants and toddlers. If you love music and want to expose your wee babies to the symphony early, register right away for their upcoming sessions, starting in January 2019. It’s perfect for new moms on maternity leave, dads on parental leave, and stay-at-home parents, with Tuesday and Wednesday morning class ..read more

Can you believe it’s almost September, my friends? I’m taking a moment to reflect on one of the most awesome weekends of my summer — when my mom and I went on a mini getaway with Breathe, Women’s Retreats. Over the weekend of August 10 to 12, we went on the “Summer Retreat” and slept in a tipi out by Pigeon Lake. It counted as glam-camping but was so epic. We did yoga (when we wanted) and ate incredible catered meals outdoors, sat around a huge bonfire, showered outside in a glorious outdoor shower, paddle boarded (ok, I was too chicken) and ate a ton of dessert. Oh, and drank a ton of cof ..read more

How many of you would be willing to put together a meal for a total stranger and her family? Especially if that stranger was an incredible woman and fellow Edmonton mama, mother to a beautiful 2.5 year old little boy, and just gave birth to her second baby boy 8 weeks ago… … and, who also suffered a perineal hematoma after her second birth… … and on top of that, just had to have an emergency appendix removal… … and — at the same time — she and her family also had to MOVE homes. As in, pack up their whole lives, the whole nine yards. With a newborn, a toddler, in between a painful perineal ..read more

Mamas, you’ve probably been wondering why I haven’t been posting much lately… It’s because I’ve been busy. Focusing on myself!  In particular, I’ve been shedding some weight, thanks to help from that lovely lady in the photo above — Laura Poburan. In early March, I started at 186 pounds, not feeling myself. Now, my last weigh-in was 167.5 pounds, and I can’t explain how happy it makes me feel to see the scale go down. To add, it’s been an inside job, building more positivity and confidence into my life. That’s what I’ve been up to. I’m in the process of losing all my post-breastfeeding wei ..read more

This post is sponsored by Ericksen Infiniti Edmonton. In exchange for this post, I’ve received compensation and a beautiful QX60 SUV to test drive for a few weeks. As always, my opinions are genuine and fully my own. Legit, Moms — I absolutely loved driving the QX60 Infiniti SUV. This week, I sadly have to hand the keys of my demo back to Ericksen Infiniti. I’ve been driving it daily for almost five weeks, and this little beauty has everything I need in a vehicle. It’s perfect for a family of 3, and even better for a family of 4 or 5, too. It rocks — I’m a busy working mama who can’t wast ..read more

This post was sponsored by Buy Buy Baby, as part of their grand opening in West Edmonton Mall. In exchange for this post, I have received compensation, and as always, all opinions are genuine and are my own. Edmonton and area Mamas — it’s finally here! Buy Buy Baby is now open at West Edmonton Mall, and they’re stepping up to help new mothers and their families navigate the world of new mommy-hood. Buy Buy Baby is Making Life Easier for New Moms If you’re pregnant, nesting, decking out your nursery or want to create a baby registry, you should ask Buy Buy Baby’s experts for help. They’ve ..read more

Heather Dube is one of Edmonton’s unsung yet highly talented local artists — she designs, draws, paints, sketches, write books, and illustrates portraits. Her work oozes with originality and creativity — it’s her gift. She also happens to be the mama of two busy boys under three, who faced difficult c-section births and postpartum anxiety, barely making it through months of breastfeeding and sleepless nights. Yet, it seems that this new motherhood experience has catapulted her into her most creative self. Heather’s daily works have been lighting up my otherwise dreary, negative Facebook fe ..read more

This is a guest post by Kinia Romanowska, communications professional and mother to a lively, happy little boy. Kinia moved to Edmonton from Montreal in 2014 and is impressed with the many opportunities to connect with wonderful people in her community. #MakeitYEG Support for professional moms in Edmonton is here! Have you found yourself missing the stimulating conversations and interactions provided by your job while on maternity or parental leave? You’re not alone. Even though you love every precious moment spent with your adorable addition to the family, it’s normal to miss intellectual ..read more