HRM Parent Blog

The HRM Parent March challenge is to eat a new green veggie every week.  For those of you whose kids aren't eating this one yet, let me introduce you to one of my old faithfuls: Spinach!

 
One of the mildest of the dark leafy greens, this one packs an awesome nutritional punch and is easy to slip into many of your family's go-to recipes.

Here are a few reasons why your family should be eating spinach:

- Spinach is a great source of fiber;

- 100 g of fresh spinach contains about 25% of our daily intake of iron, which is an important trace element required for red blood cell production;

- Spinach is a rich source of anti-oxidants vitamin A & C;

- Spinach also provides loads of vitamin-K;

- This leafy green vegetable also contains good amounts of the B vitamins B6 (pyridoxine), thiamin (B1), riboflavin, folate and niacin;

- 100 g of fresh spinach contains almost half of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that supports immune function;

- Spinach leaves also contain potassium, manganese, magnesium, copper and zinc, and are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids; and

- Regular consumption of spinach helps prevent osteoporosis and iron deficiency anemia.

How do you get your kids to eat spinach?  Easy.  Finely chop it and add it to anything.  I always add about 2 cups of raw, pre-washed organic spinach to our family smoothie in the morning.  I chop it up and add it to stir-fries, soups, and stews, and rarely leave it out of tomato sauces.  You can use it in the place of basil to make a delicious pesto, or as a base to any salad.  I also often saute a cup or two with a little garlic, olive oil and some cherry tomatoes as a side to our eggs in the morning. 

St. Paddy's Day is Saturday!  Here are a couple of simple ways to "green up" your family's breakfast and avoid the artificial food colours:

- Finely chop or puree a cup or so of raw spinach. Add it to your family's scrambled egg mixture for natural "green eggs";

- Combine a banana, two cups of skim milk or milk alternative, a handful of spinach, a couple of ice cubes and a dash of vanilla for a healthy green "shamrock smoothie". Trust me, they'll never know the spinach is in there!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, HRM families, I trust you are all enjoying a wonderful March Break!

Wendy McCallum, LLB, RHN, is passionate about providing busy parents with the tools & support they need to feed their families wholesome food, so everyone can play, learn, and feel better!  She is a mother of two terrific HRM kids, aged 7 &8.  For information and recipe ideas, visit her website.

by Sarah W of HRM Parent

Our guest mom bloggers are enjoying March Break this week and will be back in action next week!

In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to share 5 things I love about being a mother.  Only 5 you say?  Sure, I could come up with a long list of all the little things that I love: their smile, fixing boo-boos, wiping tears, hugs etc but narrowing it down to 5 things was actually pretty hard to do.  The real "down-to-the-core" life-changes that motherhood has given me.  

1. Not to take a line from Jerry Maguire, but motherhood completes me! Ever since I was  young girl I knew I wanted to be a mom and it was well worth the wait for how full it has made my life.

2. The laughs, oh the laughs...around the dining table, in the car, in the bath - kids are just too funny and I love how they make me laugh every single day.

3. How motherhood has changed me as a person…making me more patient, accepting, loving and confident.

4. Feeling loved…the love I have for my children is one thing but the love I feel in return from them is beyond words.

5. The amazing feeling of being a teacher and being taught all in the same moment.

Try it for yourself...what are the 5 things you love most about being a mother?

If you haven't gone away for the break, fear not!, there is plenty going on in the city! These are just some of the events, check our event calendar for the full list! 1. Kids 8+ can check out "The Stars Have No Break" Planetarium Show! Some of the brightest stars visible are 'up' in the constellations of a clear Winter-Spring nightsky: This year, Jupiter and brilliant Venus accompany them. Come and learn where to find these objects and why they shine. A quick tour of other planets is included. 2. The Maritime Museum’s Pirate Adventures features drop in activities each day throughout the break and is open to children of all ages and their families. They encourage children to come dressed as pirates to start their journey to exotic destinations and discover sea-faring traditions while having boat loads of fun to try various activities and crafts. 3. Alderney Landing presents The Lonely Leprechaun by the Maritime Marionettes. A great family show about global warming. 4. Musician Jamie Junger and his daughter Sadie have created Fishin’ for Pickles , a whimsical children’s album available on iTunes & CD Baby. The songs are fun, danceable and educational. He is performing several times over the break at various libraries across the city, check the event calendar for specific dates & times. 5. Who makes the best pizza in Bedford — Tareks, On the Wedge, Pizza Girls, Martha’s or Papa Mario’s? Sample their pies and vote for your favourite at the Bedford Public Library! 6. Little Ray's Reptiles is at the Museum of Natural History every day over the break! 7. Have a budding artist on your hands? You can drop-in and sketch in the AGNS with drawing tips from a well-qualified artist. Drawing boards, pencils and paper will be supplied. No experience is required. Or, you can head to the Spring Garden Road Library on Friday to join artist and illustrator Sydney Smith as he demonstrates different art techniques in this hands-on workshop. Sydney has illustrated a number of children’s books including Mabel Murple by Sheree Fitch and The Dread Crew by Kate Inglis. 8. Been grossed out by Grossology yet? Head on down to the Discovery Centre and prepare to learn more about snot, vomit and farts than you ever wanted to!

There will be a special wrap-up posted on Sunday night full of activities for when the kids are off school next week. These should help tide you over for the weekend and get the break off to a good start! 1. Pizza and a movie! Every Saturday from 6-8:30pm you're invited to join the dedicated staff at the YMCA on South Park St for a fun-filled evening of pool play followed by pizza and an entertaining movie. 2. You prepared and introduced your family dog to your newborn baby; now is the time to prepare your dog (and your family) for the challenges ahead as your baby transitions into toddlerhood. On Saturday, dog trainer Tamara McFarland (Unleashed Pawsabilities) will offer positive, practical, and fun solutions to issues that often arise in families with dogs during children’s early development years. 3. The Museum of Natural History is welcoming some of the world's most exotic animals. Until April 22, 2012, the museum is hosting the Life Under the Canopy - Animals of the Rainforest exhibit. Organized by Little Ray's Reptile Zoo in Ottawa, the exhibit will make its national touring debut in Halifax with 10 live animal habitats displaying a variety of animals that live in the rainforest including tarantulas, snakes, tortoises, amphibians and common marmoset monkeys, one of the world's smallest primates. 4. Happy Birthday Aplaydia! They're wrapping up their 3rd birthday week celebrations with face painting and cake on Saturday!

Many families in HRM are taking this March Break as an opportunity for a family adventure, and family adventures require packing. Gone are the days of cramming a bunch of outfits and toiletries in a bag and skipping off to the airport. Because once you have kids, you realize how much more STUFF you need when you travel. And not just STUFF, but vital stuff, like sunscreen and diapers and nightlights. Now you need to be organized, and thorough.

We've put together this Master Packing List (with capitals!) that we hope contains most things that you might need on your trip; be it to a theme park in Florida, a snowy ski hill in Maine or a grandparents spare room in Winnipeg. Print it out and use it as a guide when you pack to make sure that you haven't missed anything. Or highlight all the things that you will need on your type of trip and then go back through and pack them.

However you use it, we hope that it makes heading off on your Spring Break Adventure feel more like an adventure, and not like a game of "What Did We Forget This Time?!?".