Growing up in an Italian family has always meant food, food and more food. It’s a BIG part of our lives and something that we take pride in and we love to share it with those closest to us. From preparing meals, to making homemade sausages and salami as a family, to remembering the days that I used to watch my dad make his own wine, to visits to the Van Dyken farm to pick up bushels of tomatoes for our homemade sauce and veggies for giardiniera (pickled Italian veggies)…it was always about food and good quality food.
Photo By: Lisa Crispo Photography
I remember the days of grade school and opening up my lunch which 99% of the time consisted of a panino with some type of cold cut like mortadella, salami or prosciutto and cheese…stinky cheese. I would get so embarrassed and often got made fun of because my lunches were different from everyone else’s bologna and mustard or peanut butter and jelly on Wonderbread. I remember asking my parents why I couldn’t have lunches like all the other kids and they would go on and on about how happy I should be to have such a great lunch. I just figured it was a grown up thing and they just didn’t understand. My parents weren’t born here, they immigrated to Canada as adults so they obviously had no idea what it was like to go to school here and understand the Canadian culture but as I grew up I realized that wasn’t the case. My parents knew exactly what they were talking about! Entering into adulthood I came to realize that these cured meats and stinky cheeses weren’t anything to make fun of and instead were some of the most popular appetizers you would come across when visiting Italian restaurants. All of a sudden the people who would make fun of my lunches were the same people raving about the amazing imported Italian cheeses and parma prosciutto they just picked up.
My family took pride in the food they would prepare whether it was a big pot of sugo (tomato sauce) and polpette (meatballs) after Sunday mass, a venison stew using the deer my dad got hunting, or something made with their famous porcini mushrooms. They taught us the simple dishes and food were most of the time the best and most tasty. When friends and family would come visit they wouldn’t order in Chinese food but instead would bust out some homemade spicy Calabrese salami, olives, giardiniera, a few different types of cheeses and of course bread…plain and simple!
Plain and simple…that’s pretty much describes me and my cooking skills haha. I am no chef that’s for sure, I prepare simple and easy dishes and it ends there. Recently on my radio show (The Parenting Show on Talk Radio AM640 with executive producer Sandra Carusi) I had the chance to interview my fave chef…the amazing Chuck Hughes. We chatted, shared some laughs and talked about simple food made with quality ingredients which he’s all about. He spoke about life as a dad and a lot of it reminded me of my family, my parents and how I was brought up.
Last weekend I had the chance to catch up with Chuck again at The Big Feastival. We got to hang a bit, my kids got to cook with him in The Little Kitchen, we watched him do a demo in The Big Kitchen and also check him out at the Cooking School. It was awesome to see such an amazing and talented chef in action and as crazy and busy as the weekend was for him he took the time to shake hands, meet fans and pose for pictures.
Life as an entrepreneur, radio host, college instructor, voice actor and Mamma of 3 is CRAZYYYYY, crazy enough that I need these little reminders to bring me back to a different time and place. Reminders to let me know that plain and simple is and can be enough for my family. It’s time to get back to my roots and embrace the Sunday sugo over penne pasta with some veal cutlets and tomato salad…nothing fancy just good!
Thanks for the reminder Chuck and thank you once again for the gifts of your awesome Chuck Hughes products, you are one rockin’ dude both in and out of the kitchen.
“Walk through the door, your worries behind you, your joys are ahead” are the words that will greet you as you walk towards the big yellow door. The yellow door that stands alone in the fields of vibrant purple lavender at the Terre Bleu Lavender Farm in Milton (Ontario).
It isn’t everyday that you can get in your car and take a drive to place that is as magical and fairytale like as Terre Bleu. Imagine pulling up to beautiful gates at the entrance of the farm, the smell of 8 different varieties of lavender to greet you and endless fields of purple. Sounds dreamy doesn’t it? Terre Bleu has been around since 2011 and it all came to be after the Baird family took a trip to Quebec where they visited a lavender farm there. The story has it that this Toronto family was looking for a change and so they packed up their city bags and traded them in for some purple converse running shoes, a few lavender plants (like 10,000), some honey bees and a couple of horses. All I know is that whatever the story is I’m grateful Ian and his wife Isabelle made this lifestyle change and opened up Terre Bleu (an organic working family farm).
I still remember my first visit to Terre Bleu. I remember feeling like I was transported from reality into one of the many fairytale books I used to read as a child. It was beautiful and serene. Off to one side of the field, sunflowers were being painted by Peter Lewis (an artist who was visiting from St. John’s), while dead on were rows and rows and rows of the most beautiful and bright purple lavender I’ve ever seen. The whole time I kept thinking…OMG I wish the girls were here with me. I toured the complete farm that day and when I got home I told them all about it and made a promise that we would return all together as a family which we just did.
Samantha and Liliana loved it and even Marcus had a great time running around everywhere. From the lavender ice cream, to lavender lemonade, running through the fields to visit the distillery and learn how their most amazing organic lavender essential oil is made, to spending some time with the hard working honey bees that live on the farm at the apiary, to their herb bar, visiting the horses, a walk through yellow bench trail and of course a sprint straight to the big yellow door before visiting the Terre Bleu shop all while live music played off to the side of the main field.
Their little shop is truly amazing! It’s where you can purchase their lavender essential oil (see all the many uses for lavender oil here), lavender honey that their honey bees work so hard on, lavender maple syrup (which is a staple here in the Chic Mamma house for our Sunday pancake breakfast), lavender beeswax candles, lavender shortbread cookies, lavender bug repellant, lavender gouda cheese, new lavender lip balm (I’m currently obsessed with this) and so many more amazing lavender items.
Our day was filled with smiles, laughter and love. Not a worry in the world as those were all left behind and the joys were all ahead!
Heading up the 400 is a drive I take often, but never did I know that in just under 90 minutes I would be arriving at the beautiful future site of The Seasons on Little Lake in Midland, Ontario. Back in January, I was told about a great new community under development – The Seasons on Little Lake. This up and coming development will offer amazing homes in a beautiful community at affordable prices. I remember checking out the website and seeing the renderings and thinking hmmm this is too good to be true!
90 minutes away from the city
a great community perfect for young families
5 minutes from downtown Midland and Georgian Bay
located on Little Lake
featuring a 941 foot boardwalk on 2,300 feet of shoreline
surrounded by natural parkland and green space
summer time fun with boating, fishing and golfing nearby
short car ride away from hitting the slopes in the winter
maintenance included so you don’t have to worry about snow removal and mowing the lawn
10,000 sq.ft. members club with indoor and outdoor pools, fitness facility, tennis centre, recreational area, meeting rooms and more
All of that and more! So you can believe that I jumped at the opportunity when I was invited to see things for myself. At first I was going to go on my own, but after some thought, I decided that it might actually be a great thing to do with the family and so we made a day of it. We were there in no time and met up with Keith at the presentation centre. We were given a personal tour of the presentation centre and also got to head out to the site where they will be breaking ground in the coming weeks. We were able to see the location of the first phase of this 247 acre master planned community featuring up to 1,200 new homes. The location is absolutely stunning and when they say it’s right on Little Lake…it’s RIGHT ON Little Lake.
The more I got to look around and learn about The Seasons on Little Lake the more I was realizing that this could possibly be the next hot community and location for young families looking for a great place to raise their kids. With homes at just over 700 sq.ft. starting in the low $200,000’s to 2,000 sq.ft. at just over $400,000 there is definitely something for everyone. Whether it is a young family looking for a home at an amazing price, maybe someone looking for more of a cottage property, a retiree looking to escape the city life or even someone who is just looking to invest and rent out to one of the local Georgian College students, it’s a great choice. Actually it’s more of a no brainer…with elementary schools, high schools, a college, banks, a hospital and tons of shopping and restaurants, you have everything you need so why not?!
One of the things I was super impressed with besides the price and location (obviously haha) was what I saw in the presentation centre. While chatting with Keith, I commented on how much I loved the space and the finishes only to learn that everything I was seeing was standard and not upgrades…WHAT?!
So if you’re looking to make a move, looking for something different than the city life, you need to check this place out. I won’t lie I would LOVE to have one of the smaller units as my Chic Mamma headquarters…how awesome would that be 😉 haha. You have everything you need nearby like you would in the city but the serene setting by the lake like you’re at the cottage. PLUS one very important bonus to all this…you’re in Midland…home of the best Buttertart Festival which we totally checked out.
That moment when you potty train your child and the angels come down from heaven singing “ALLELUIA” but wait what do you mean that doesn’t always mean dry nights?
If you have older children you know exactly what I’m talking about and ifyou’re a parent who’s not at that stage yet you’re going to want to stick with me here.
Many parents when they start potty training their children automatically assume that it also means dry and accident free nights but I’m hear to tell that, that’s not always the case.
Recently on my radio show (The Parenting Show on Talk Radio AM640) we had child/family therapist and author Michele Kambolis join us as a guest for Better Sleep Month (May) and we talked about potty training, nighttime wetting and dry nights aka GoodNites®. I had no idea that being potty trained didn’t automatically mean dry nights. You see, I was pretty lucky with my oldest (Samantha) because it was never an issue with her. The minute she was potty trained also meant dry nights for her, I never had to worry about nighttime wetting.
You see, while all children and parents experience and eventually overcome potty training, some children also experience nighttime wetting at some point in their childhood. For some, nighttime wetting occurs later on in their childhood, while others may experience this earlier on and in some cases right after they’ve completed potty training, which makes it difficult for a parent to identify. If you want to get technical the proper medical condition is called Nocturnal Enuresis and it impacts more than 15% of 4 to 12 year old’s. It’s the involuntary loss of urine while sleeping after the age at which bladder control usually occurs. What causes this you ask? Well it’s primarily driven by development delays in bladder function so eventually it is outgrown.
With that said, my daughter Liliana (now 4 years old) was potty trained at 3 years old, however unlike her big sister her nights are not so dry and so we depend on products like Pull-Ups® to help us manage nighttime wetting at these early stages. During our show, Michele Kambolis stressed how important it is to identify nighttime wetting early on and ensure kids are using products designed to support nighttime wetting. By putting them in a bedwetting product like GoodNites® Bedtime Pants, we’re sending the message that nighttime wetting is a completely different stage from potty training (which they have already achieved), and it’s not their fault. The Bedtime Pants also offer increased nighttime capacity intake to ensure they are comfortable and dry all night long. Waking up dry may have positive effects on our little one’s self-esteem while easing the stress.
One of the early signs of nighttime wetting is when young children are dry during the day, but wake up most nights with wet bed sheets and PJ’s. It’s a common misconception that bedwetting for younger children is simply a continuation of potty training, leading kids and parents to wonder if they missed a step in their potty training process. While we as parents celebrate the milestone of successfully potty training our little ones, nighttime dryness is a completely different process and something that cannot be trained, it must be outgrown. Don’t stress thought because it’s very normal and a common part of growing up.
FACTS:
1 out of 6 children are affected by nighttime wetting
Nighttime wetting is more common in boys
Nighttime wetting is hereditary…there is a 77% chance that a child will wet the bed if both parents did as a child
Nighttime wetting goes away in time. Just as children develop fine motor skills and language skills at different rates, they develop bladder control on their one schedules, as well
After chatting with Michele I am now equipped with the knowledge, tips and advice I need to tackle nighttime wetting. We’ll be approaching things a little differently with having a “non-reaction” reaction which you can hear all about in the podcast and I’ll also be looking into taking the next step with using products like the new extra-small GoodNites® Bedtime Pant which are specifically designed for younger children transitioning from potty training to increase comfort.
Click here to listen to the full podcast with Michele Kambolis where we discuss all this and more in detail and get yourself ready for drier GoodNites®so everyone can start to sleep better!
Also don’t forget to tune into The Parenting Show on Talk Radio AM640 or listen live at 640Toronto.com every Sunday at 7pm EST for more on topics like this one.
Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by GoodNites® but the opinions expressed are my own.
From a young age I always knew that I wanted to work in radio and when I was 16, I made it happened! Over the years I worked at a number of radio stations (on-air and behind the scenes in promotions and marketing) and for a while I was out of the industry. 3 months ago, that all changed. I was given an opportunity that I just couldn’t say no to and so I returned to my old stomping ground at Corus Radio Toronto as the host of the NEW and much needed show on Talk Radio AM640…The Parenting Show (thanks to executive producer Sandra Carusi).
We all know that being a parent isn’t easy…it’s scary, it’s exciting, it’s overwhelming, it’s crazy but it’s definitely not easy! As the saying goes “it takes a village to raise a child” and The Parenting Show is exactly that village that they speak about. It’s your hub for all things parenting covering topics and issues for parents and parents-to-be, from getting geared up for parenthood, dealing with newborns, toddlers, tweens, teens to getting them ready for adulthood. Whatever stage you find yourself at, we’ve got you covered. It’s our way to give you the inside look on what parenting is all about with real life experiences, stories and guests. It for parents like US and I’m sure you’ll love it!
So give it a listen and be sure to join us every Sunday at 7pm EST (right before Inside Jokes with Sandra Carusi) on Talk Radio AM640 for a parenting show like no other you’ve heard before! We’ll laugh, we’ll cry and we’ll get real!
This past Wednesday was Pink Shirt Day; a day when we proudly wear pink shirts in honour and support of anti-bullying. Bullying is a major issue and sadly it’s not getting any better which is why we need to create awareness and ban together to put an end to it.
Did you know that…
Canada has the 9th highest rate of bullying in the 13-years-olds category on a scale of 35 countries
At least 1 in 3 adolescent students in Canada have reported being bullied recently
Among adult Canadians, 38% of males and 30% of females reported having experienced occasional or frequent bullying during their school years
47% of Canadian parents report having a child victim of bullying
Any participation in bullying increases risk of suicidal ideas in youth
The rate of discrimination experienced among students who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans-identified, Two-Spirited, Queer or Questioning (LGBTQ) is three times higher than heterosexual youth
Girls are more likely to be bullied on the internet than boys
7% of adult internet users in Canada, age 18 years and older, self-reported having been a victim of cyber-bullying at some point in their life
The most common form of cyber-bullying involves receiving threatening or aggressive e-mails or instant messages and has been reported by 73% of victims
Those are just a few of the many scary stats that are out there. Bullying is real and doesn’t discriminate against age, sex, religion, sexual preference, or race. I hear cases of it at Samantha’s school with kids as young as 4 years old, with my nieces and nephews who are tweens and teens and hell, just a few years back I was a target amongst a group of online moms through social media. It’s name calling, it’s shoving and pushing, teasing, spreading rumours and lies, attacking and making fun of people in person and on social media. It’s sending threatening texts and emails and sadly the list doesn’t end there.
Something needs to be done to put an end to this all and the answer starts with YOU!
Wednesday evening I had the honour of being invited to attend the very first Pink Shirt Day concert at Vaughan Mills Mall from our friends at GIRL TALK Empowerment. It was simply fantastic! The vibe and energy was amazing and positive! They had a “Kindness Never Goes Out Of Style” pop up shop set up where people were able to go in and purchase a pink tee, take some fun pics and leave an inspiring message on their pink wall. The concert was the main event and rightfully so! Hosted by GIRL TALK Empowerment founder Katie Zepperi and featuring a Q&A session with YouTube star Meg DeAngelis and music from Ryland James and Tyler Shaw. Each of the young stars shared stories, experiences and positive messages with the crowd. Their message to be kind, to treat others as you would want to be treated and to stand up against bullying whether you are the victim or a witness, was something that hit close to home for many of the people who were there. It was exactly what these young people as well as the adults there needed to hear.
Bullying needs to end here and now! No more of this crap and no more of standing by and watching it happen! WE need to do something about it and WE need to start now! We as parents need to teach our kids right from wrong and lead by example because they are watching and learning from us. Our kids are listening to the words we are speaking and more importantly are watching our actions so we can’t just talk the talk, we actually need to walk the walk. If we say one thing but do the other what message our we sending our children?
So I decided to share a few tips with you Mammas and Papas because let’s face it, everything starts at home so if we can get it right, then it will help lead our kids in the right direction.
Show respect to one another in and outside of the home
Be kind because kindness is contagious
Be aware of your words and actions especially in front of your children
When you see someone being bullied DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT and lend a helping hand
In a world where people feel entitled and it’s easy to hide behind cell phones, computer screens and social media accounts, it’s important to spread the message of kindness and love rather than one of hurt and hate. Remember it just takes YOU to make a difference and if each one of us commits to that, than think of what we can accomplish together in this fight against bullying.
Special thanks to Katie Zepperi of GIRL TALK Empowerment and Vaughan Mills for putting on this stellar event and inviting me to tag along! Much love to everyone and wishing you all a fab and oh so CHIC day xoxo.
Let me start by saying that I love my kids more than life itself. They are my life, my world, my everything! Now what I’m about to say may come as a shock to maybe 1 or 2 of you but to the majority, I’m probably preaching to the choir. People may judge…well fuck who am I kidding, of course they will because it’s the norm these days but it’s a good thing that I don’t give a shit because I’m gonna say it anyways.
I need a day, just 1 day, a fuckin day to myself, for ME, with no one around! No kids, no husband, NO ONE! As Mammas we carry these kids around for 40 weeks which is 10 months not 9 (who ever came up with the 9 month shit was probably a man), deliver them either vaginally or via c-section and let’s be honest here…neither tickle or are a walk in the park, then the minute they are born, we are with them pretty much 24/7. Our lives change gears, it’s now all about them not us, it’s about making sacrifices and doing what we need to do to make sure they are happy and most of all healthy. We go through breastfeeding or trying to and again painful as fuck in the beginning and draining like no man could ever imagine. We worry about them every waking hour and even when we sleep. At night, the slightest change in their breath (which we an hear from down the hall and 3 rooms away) has us jumping out of bed and running to their side to make sure they are ok. We pick them up when they fall, kiss their boo boo’s and do our best to raise them with a good head on their shoulders. When they are sick we want them to feel better and it kills us inside knowing that sometimes shit is beyond our control and there isn’t much we can do besides hold their hands and give them tons of hugs, kisses and let them know that Mamma is right there with them. It’s a pretty hard job being a Mamma, it’s a selfless job! It’s a job that doesn’t come with pay, vacation days or sick days! Sick days? What the fuck are sick days?! Sick days don’t exist for us. We do however get rewarded in many other ways…through hugs and kisses and the I love you’s that are said in their little voices and of course seeing their faces light up and smiles that appear when we are the first thing that they see in the morning.
Now with all of that said I’m tried, I’m exhausted and I’m not saying I don’t wanna be a Mamma anymore. I’m just saying I need a day off. A day where I can go pee by myself without my entourage, a day where I can make and eat the meals I make (warm) without little people pulling at my legs or fighting in the background. A day where I can go without getting pee’d on, shit on, barfed on or have their snot and dirty mouths rubbed all over me. A day where I can sleep in, take a shower without rushing, pick up that book I bought months ago that I haven’t been able to crack open yet…a day where I don’t have to run and hide in the bathroom just so I can have 3 minutes of peace and quiet (which by the way doesn’t work cuz the little shits always find you).
The pressures and day to day shit that we Mammas feel is pretty insane and men (well with the exception of the few who are home raising their kids) have NO FUCKIN’ CLUE what it’s like. It doesn’t matter if you are a stay at home Mamma, work from home Mamma (like me), or career Mamma, everything falls on us. The kids get sick at daycare or school we’re the first ones there. Doctor appointments…it’s us, extra curricular activities…yup, us too. We’re usually the ones preparing meals too and although it may not be anything fancy it’s food and it’s warm and they’re fed. My house is a mess. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going and worst of all, us Mammas are made to feel guilty (gotta love the Mamma guilt) for wanting some solo time.
Tomorrow is December 1st and while all the Mammas are getting ready for the holiday season I’m here prepping for my class tomorrow, grading assignments and of course getting distracted with facebook. To be honest I didn’t even realize that tomorrow is the 1st of the month, UNTILLLL I scrolled through my facebook newsfeed.
Ok seriously, am I the only Mamma out there that doesn’t buy her kids advent calendars or have the elves already in position and with a “HEY, I’M BACK!” note for the kids? I’m looking around my house and I don’t even have one single Christmas item out, let alone the Christmas Tree set up. I do have the Christmas lights outside but let’s get real that was THE HUSBAND’s doing not mine.
Does this make me a bad Mamma? Should I stop typing to go find the elves, write a note and call THE HUSBAND to stop at Shoppers on the way home from hockey to grab whatever advent calendars he can find? Is this what the kick off to the holiday season has become? Advent calendars…chocolates, toys or books? Elves…boy or girl or both? What about Elf clothes? Do we dress them up? Which outfit? And OMG how should we position them? Is all this shit really going to make a difference? Sure it’s fun, we have Elves too but do I go all ape shit crazy over them and follow a pinterest calendar to have them in cool and different positions each day? No, not really. There are days where I even forget to move the stupid things. Yes, OMG I admitted it…write me a ticket haha.
So, tell me am I a bad Mamma for being so chill about this stuff and just taking it easy and or is it perfectly fine? Please tell me I’m not alone 😉 lol.
The weight loss industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. The reason for this is because people are being misguided. Most people who are overweight agree with the following statement. “When I am sad or stressed, I eat a lot. When I am happy, I eat well.” Why then are people so focused on FOOD when it comes to weight loss? It has been my experience and reality that addressing the underlying emotions that influence food choices is most essential.
Let’s discuss some of the reasons why you are not losing weight and keeping it off.
1. You don’t do a good job at nourishing your emotions. It’s not completely your fault. You may have been raised in a family where your emotional needs were not met. From a young age, you might have realized that when you were sad or anxious, no one was there to comfort you or listen to you and so you turned to food. This pattern of emotional eating to help you cope with your emotions stays with you and the habit strengthens as you get older. Unless you make the connection and tend to your emotional needs in other ways, you may always struggle with excess weight.
2. You are too stressed out. Most people I see in my office are overwhelmed with life. They work full time jobs, try to juggle family, friends, relationships, everyday stresses etc. People today fill their days with a “to-do” list that only superwoman can accomplish. What are you accomplishing if you are stressed, unhappy and overweight? When you set out to lose weight and change your habits, you need to make yourself a priority. It involves you freeing up time for yourself and saying “NO” to the things that get in your way.
3. You lack self-love. “How can I love myself when I have a lot of fat on my hips and belly?” says my patient. “Why not? You are more than your flesh”, I say. Once you learn to love yourself unconditionally (that means no matter your size), you can begin the healing process. Here is the reality, only good can come from self-love. It is a process that takes time and some hand holding, but when you have love for yourself, all your decisions reflect that love. For example; a woman who loves herself will not stuff her face with chocolate and ice cream. A woman who loves herself will want to move her body, address her emotions and eat healthier food. Alternatively, a person who hates themselves is more likely to have negative thoughts and negative emotions which lead to poor eating habits. Make sense? Why wouldn’t you choose love?
4. You think FOOD is the problem. Food is part of the problem. More importantly, it is your relationship with food that is the problem. Food is quick, easy and accessible, especially under stressful times. It seems way easier to eat pizza and chips than to express your emotions to a friend. It might be easier in the short run, but very damaging in the long run. You don’t need another fancy diet plan that tells you to avoid gluten and wheat and dairy (unless of course you have an allergy to them). You need to assess the relationship you have with food first and fix it.
5. You keep looking outside yourself for help. So many people are looking for quick fixes, drugs, diet pills, diet plans, personal trainers, nutritionist, doctors, to “fix” them. Asking for help is great, but a lot of people don’t fully understand that they hold all the answers to their problems. I want you to feel empowered in your weight loss journey. I want you to understand that healing starts when you look within yourself to address your feelings, wants and needs. One size does not fit all when it comes to losing weight. You hold the key to your weight loss success. I just help you unlock your potential.
Why am I so passionate about this topic? For many years, I struggled with my weight and was desperately searching for ways to lose it. I tried all sorts of diets and seeked out all kinds of help with no success. When I began to look within, I realized what I needed. It wasn’t pills or strict diets. It was self-love, respect and emotional balance. I started an exploration within myself which involved addressing my emotions, negative thoughts, limiting beliefs, and poor self-image. Through a process, I ultimately created a healthier environment within myself. My outer reality began to reflect my inner loving self. Weight loss happened almost immediately and effortlessly without much concern about food. It truly was a remarkable experience and I can’t begin to tell you how freeing it is. I wish the same for you.
You’re pregnant and counting down till that 40 week mark but for some their little ones decide to come along much sooner. Today is World Prematurity Day, a day dedicated to raise awareness for all the babies who are born prematurely worldwide.
The arrival of your baby is an exciting and joyous time but for parents of premature babies it’s also a worrisome and scary time. These babies are vulnerable, sensitive and need care around the clock. The hospitals and staff have the medicine and machines which are an important part of their treatment but they are discovering just how important and critical the human touch element is when it comes to newborn care and development. Many times the Mammas aren’t able to be there around the clock to provide skin-to-skin hugs and that is why our good friends at Huggies created No Baby Unhugged. This program is an initiative designed to help hospitals ensure that all babies get the hugs they need, even when Mamma can’t be there.
No Baby Unhugged directly supports NICUs in providing premature babies with the hugs they need to thrive. We’ve all heard about the amazing benefits of skin-to-skin which include improved oxygen levels and pain tolerance, stabilized body temperatures, improved sleep, brain development and more. For premature babies, skin-to-skin also positively influences their short-term and long-term development.
(click on image above to view the full document from the Canadian Association of Paediatric Health Centres)
Through this amazing program, Huggies has provided $50,000 in funding to two Canadian hospital, with more planned. So far Huggies has partnered with Cape Breton Regional Hospital in Sydney, Nova Scotia and Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ontario, offering funding to cover hugging chairs and stations, along with dozens of Hugger Volunteers in the neonatal intensive care units to help ensure all babies get the hugs they need. Over 600 babies are admitted to the hospitals each year, where hundreds of hours of care are offered by trained volunteers. Click on the videos below and see for yourself on how these No Babies Unhugged hospitals are making a difference.
My family took pride in the food they would prepare whether it was a big pot of sugo (tomato sauce) and polpette (meatballs) after Sunday mass, a venison stew using the deer my dad got hunting, or something made with their famous porcini mushrooms. They taught us the simple dishes and food were most of the time the best and most tasty. When friends and family would come visit they wouldn’t order in Chinese food but instead would bust out some homemade spicy Calabrese salami, olives, giardiniera, a few different types of cheeses and of course bread…plain and simple!
Life as an entrepreneur, radio host, college instructor, voice actor and Mamma of 3 is CRAZYYYYY, crazy enough that I need these little reminders to bring me back to a different time and place. Reminders to let me know that plain and simple is and can be enough for my family. It’s time to get back to my roots and embrace the Sunday sugo over penne pasta with some veal cutlets and tomato salad…nothing fancy just good!
Samantha and Liliana loved it and even Marcus had a great time running around everywhere. From the lavender ice cream, to lavender lemonade, running through the fields to visit the distillery and learn how their most amazing organic lavender essential oil is made, to spending some time with the hard working honey bees that live on the farm at the apiary, to their herb bar, visiting the horses, a walk through yellow bench trail and of course a sprint straight to the big yellow door before visiting the 
You see, while all children and parents experience and eventually overcome potty training, some children also experience nighttime wetting at some point in their childhood. For some, nighttime wetting occurs later on in their childhood, while others may experience this earlier on and in some cases right after they’ve completed potty training, which makes it difficult for a parent to identify. If you want to get technical the proper medical condition is called Nocturnal Enuresis and it impacts more than 15% of 4 to 12 year old’s. It’s the involuntary loss of urine while sleeping after the age at which bladder control usually occurs. What causes this you ask? Well it’s primarily driven by development delays in bladder function so eventually it is outgrown.
