Pinky Blue

It has to be one of the coolest baby & kids stores in Richmond and it's a Lulu Ladies & Babies Powered by Stroller Strides FAVOURITE!

Pinky Blue Children's Boutique can be found tucking into The Blundell Centre Shopping Mall at the corner of Blundell and No. 2 Road in Richmond.

The owner of this hip shopping destination is Vanessa Uribe, a Richmond mom of two girls. Vanessa and her staff work tirelessly to search for great gifts, useful gadgets and clothes that are to die for.

From clothes, accessories and footwear to feeding, bath & gear for mom, you will find it all and more at Pinky Blue. They have a wonderful section of natural and organic products too! We all know how difficult it can be for new moms to actually get out to the store sometimes, by the time you pack up the gear, pack up the baby and get out the door, well... you know how it goes. To alleviate the stress of this, you can just click on over to Pinky Blue and shop with their user-friendly website.

If you haven't ever had the opportunity to shop at Pinky Blue, make sure you stop in and find out what you have been missing. Tell Vanessa the Lulu Moms say hello!

Heart Healthy Fish & Chips

We really are so lucky to live in Richmond, either in or a short drive from Steveston, BC - hands down, home to some of the best fish & chip restaurants on the planet.

As much as it would be nice to frequent these restaurants, we know that eating anything deep fried too often is not a good heart healthy choice.

Dietitians of Canada: Women's Health and Nutrition position paper suggests consuming two to three fish meals per week, along with a low-fat diet, for heart health. Although all fish aren't high in omega-3s, they still can contribute important amounts of these fatty acids if they're eaten regularly.

With this recommendation in mind and this recipe in hand, you can still have your regular fix of fish & chips, by just revisiting the preparation method to make it a healthier choice.

To Prepare the Fish:

1. fish fillet (any type - halibut, cod, salmon are all great choices and easily found at the grocery store).
2. flour
3. egg (lightly scrambled you can use white only if you wish)
4. bread coating (you can use Corn Flake crumbs, breadcrumbs, finely chopped nuts, even a packaged Shake & Bake coating)

Mix together the bread coating with salt & pepper to taste. Dip fish fillets into the flour, shake well to remove excess, then into egg, and finally into the bread coating mixture until evenly coated. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment. Cook 12-15 minutes until cooked through and golden.

To prepare the Chips:

1. Potatoes, Yams or Sweet Potatoes - or a combination thereof.
2. Olive Oil

Scrub and slice potatoes, yams or sweet potatoes into wedges. Toss lightly with olive oil. Arrange wedges in single layer, sprinkle with salt. Cook 45 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp.

So we you get your next craving for fish & chips, remember to give this a try, your heart and your waistline will thank you.

In good health,

Susan

Cute as a Button

With the holidays just around the corner you will need some fun & easy crafts to keep the kiddos busy while they are on Christmas break from school. This one came to me via the Krafty Kids Korner at Not Just Moms.

This particular craft is great this time of year because it's quick & easy and makes a wonderful little home-made gift for friends & relatives.

How to make it: Take heavy card stock or cardboard and cut it into a picture frame or better yet, use popsicle craft sticks or purchase a inexpensive wooden frame from Ikea, The $1 Store or Michael's (they are usually only $1 or $2). Let the kids color or paint it. Then they can glue on the buttons. When finished write "Cute as a Button" on it and then add a cute picture of your child.

Lulu Ladies & Babies Powered by Stroller Strides hosts lots of fun & unique craft playdates where the moms can get together, have a coffee & chat while they make a fun keepsake craft. If you are not already a member, make sure you check us out, just click on the link above.

Here Comes the Rain Again

Submitted by: Anne-Louise Parry, Stroller Strides Richmond Franchisee.

As I sit here looking outside at the dark grey that fills the sky I can only think that the slow season is upon us. Everybody and their dog will use rain as an excuse for not going outside, not walking the dog to not going to Stroller Strides class.

The truth is, we live on the West coast and it is a guarantee that it will rain - but don’t let the world stop. Coincidentally, the diet goes by the wayside this time of year. It usually begins the day after Halloween, especially since most of us bought a few extra bags just in case which ended up not being used and slowly they have been disappearing. Some of those small candies have over 50 calories per package.

Now the season of holiday parties are upon us and more excuses to why we can’t stay on track at this very stressful time of the year. If you know me then you know that I’m going to say; it all comes down to choice. You can choose to let yourself go and wait to get back on board in January with the rest of the world or you can stay consistent. Come to Stroller Strides regularly. It is the best thing that you can do for yourself and for your baby. Besides the hormone release, increase in energy, weight loss, increase strength and stamina, it is a great way to spend time with your baby. All those mom and baby art, music and dance classes are wonderful, don't get me wrong, but you probably spend more time getting ready to go to the class than the class itself. Most mom and baby classes have a structured routine that doesn't encourage adult conversation. At Stroller Strides we encourage it. The more you can talk the further we can walk.

Back to the rain. I love the rain. Since it is on those days that I get the best workouts and you really feel a sense of accomplishment that you can celebrate with a coffee afterwards. Do we want our children to be afraid of the rain? No way! Let them run in the puddles and enjoy this time of year, you need to have a shower after class anyway so give yourself a head start and come get wet with us 4 days a week at Steveston, Terra Nova and South Arm.

In Stride,

Anne-Louise

Smilebox

Like most of my mommy friends, I like to talk about the things I like. I always find that most of the items I buy and the services that I use come from recommendation from those around me, my friends.

A post on our Lulu Ladies & Babies Powered by Stroller Strides message board about Holiday cards led me to this wonderful little site called Smilebox. One of the moms in the group has decided this year to use the Internet to send her family & friends a holiday greeting. She posted something about Smilebox so I though I would check it out and I'm so glad I did!

A little about Smilebox:

Smilebox makes scrapbooking fun, easy and free! Share birthdays, holidays, special occasions, vacations, family time and more in our many fabulous designs. Choose from hundreds of digital scrapbooking layouts from leading designers including Making Memories, K & Co. and design by dani. Just add your photos, words, music, even videos, to make an online scrapbook. With Smilebox, free scrapbooking is that easy! Email your online scrapbook to friends and family, or post it to your blog. So make this a year to remember with Smilebox scrapbooks!

In minutes, I whipped up the Smilebox you see above this post. It was very easy and just took me a few clicks. Take a moment to surf on over and check it out.

When it comes to holiday cards for this year, I still plan to send them out the old fashioned way. But in this day and age of busy schedules and going green environmental movement, I believe that this is a great way to let those you care about know that you are thinking of them this holiday season.

Susan

Being Part of The Team

Submitted by: Anne-Louise Parry, Stroller Strides Richmond Franchisee.

Have you ever had aha moment?

What a gift it is, it’s like a rebirth of energy. I’ve just recently returned from a fabulous Stroller Strides convention in San Diego, CA and it superseded all of my expectations. Since Stroller Strides Richmond is only 1 of 2 Stroller Strides franchises in Canada, I sometimes forget that we really do have the support and encouragement of over 300 franchises to the South of us.

My moment came when I realized how great it was to feel included in a group, to be part of the team. I went down to the convention not knowing a sole and in a mere 3 days came back having made many new friends. These women were so supportive and helpful, so full of energy; I wish it could be bottled up. You never know how that look, smile or touch that you give out freely can affect another person. It made me realize how important it is to make eye contact and make a connection with each and every person I meet. It is a contagious gesture, maybe it’s a Canadian thing?

Tomorrow while you are out and about, give it a try. Hopefully it will change your outlook or even better, someone else’s.

In Stride,
Anne-Louise

We Remember

Remembrance Day is a day to commemorate the sacrifices of past and current members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war, specifically since the World War I.

I had the opportunity to sit in on my oldest sons Remembrance Day assembly at school yesterday. It took me back to my elementary school days as I vividly remember the solemness of the Remembrance Day assembly. The children were told not to clap or talk out during the assembly to show their respect to those who have given their lives for us in the name of freedom.

A special person from different facets of the community were asked to come to the front and lay a wreath in honor of those fallen. Tears welled up in my eyes when the elderly gentleman that represented the veterans made his way up the the front on the arm of the Principal of the school. Emotions continued as the RCMP officer, dressed in his full red serge marched up the the front to lay his wreath, he stepped back and saluted, it was very moving.

I explained to my children today the significance of Remembrance Day. My youngest, at 3, doesn't quite understand but my oldest who is 6 does. He knows that it is important to wear a poppy and to take a moment of silence to remember the men and women who fought and who are currently fighting for us to keep our country safe.

Today We Remember.

Susan

Send a Holiday e-Card for a Great Cause

The season of giving is fast approaching. Robeez has come up with an easy way to send your family & friends a holiday greeting and give to those in need at the same time. For each of their holiday e-cards that you send, Robeez will donate $5 product donation up to $250,000 worth of shoes to K.I.D.S. (Kids in Distressed Situations). As a bonus to you, each time you send the e-card, you will be entered to win a shoes & socks set! It's an all-around WIN!

Giving a Kid a Coat

This week marks the end of our Lulu Ladies & Babies Powered by Stroller Strides, Give a Kid a Coat, winter coat drive.

As a group of mothers, we understand the importance of keeping your child warm when the colder weather comes upon us. The thought of a child going without a warm coat is unimaginable to many but it's real and as a group we wanted to do something to help.

We asked that each mom in the group either donate a coat that their child had outgrown or maybe even stop by their local thrift store and purchase a used coat to donate. Our goal was to donate 100 coats, maybe we were a bit ambitious at that but I'm one to believe that any donation, large or small, adds up and is significant. The coats were collected at our Stroller Strides classes or Lulu Ladies & Babies social events. They were delivered to Sleep Country Canada who is spearheading the drive on behalf of The Salvation Army.

Through the Give a Kid a Coat Program, we have helped clothe 40,793 underprivileged Canadian children in the past three years. Drop off a coat in any Sleep Country store, during the fall, and it will be distributed to needy children by the Salvation Army. We work in league with the Salvation Army -- and radio stations in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta -- offering our stores as drop-off locations for clothing.

Giving back to the community is an important part of Lulu Ladies & Babies Powered by Stroller Strides. Jump on over to our Favorite Charities page of our website and see what other things we have done to do our part to make the world just a little bit better.