The Arts Connection

New mom? Expecting? Mom of an active toodler and preschooler?

Whether you're looking for superior arts related activities or scrambling for daycare, The Arts Connection can solve many of your program needs.

Recipient of the City of Richmond Award of Excellence. The Arts Connection is a privately operated fine arts facility celebrating its 19th season in Steveston. In addition to infant and toddler programs, they offer a wide variety of programs for ages 4 to adult: private music instruction program in most instruments and voice, a dance program including ballet, hip hop, jazz tap and musical theatre and classes in visual and theatre arts.

In their specialized preschool and daycare facilities called Paddington Station, children have the opportunity to experience a class each day in music, drama or dance taught by a teacher specializing in that discipline. They also provide part and full time daycare.

Make sure you use the links above to check out the fine programs that are offered by The Arts Connection.

Supporting the Ban on Cosmetic Pesticides in Richmond

Stroller Strides Richmond and Lulu Ladies & Babies proudly supports a ban on the cosmetic use of pesticides and working towards a Pesticide Free Richmond. Join us in lending your support to The Richmond Pesticide Awareness Coalition.

The Richmond Pesticide Awareness Coalition along with support from The Canadian Cancer Society, invites all concerned parents to attend a free educational forum called Pesticides & Our Children - What are the risks and what can you do? Come out to this forum and learn why The Canadian Cancer Society is concerned about the non-essential use of pesticides so you can make informed choices about the health of your children and the environmental carcinogens they are exposed to. Guest speakers will include Dr. Warren Bell, doctor and founding president of The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and Arzeena Hamir, organic gardener.

The forum will take place on Saturday January 24th, 2009 from 10:30 am -12:00 noon at The Richmond Cultural Centre, located at 7700 Minoru Gate in Richmond. Pre-registration is encouraged as space is limited.

Stroller Strides Richmond Class Photos

We are thrilled with our new Stroller Strides Richmond class photos taken by Leighton Matthews of The Lighthouse Photographic Studios in Steveston.

To join the fun at Stroller Strides Richmond, you can find our class schedule & locations at www.strollerstrides.net/richmondbc.

If you are interested in having photos done by Leighton, you can contact him at contact@lighthousestudio.ca

ParticipACTION

Research shows that "among children and adolescents age two to seventeen, 26% are overweight and another 8% are obese." The New England Journal of Medicine reported that "our children's lifespan could be 2-5 years less than our own." Furthermore, the economic burden of physical inactivity is estimated at $5.3 billion and the burden to the health care system is estimated at $2.1 billion. Canada is facing an inactivity and obesity crisis whose impact on the cost of future chronic disease management is almost unimaginable.

A potential solution is regular physical activity, which is associated with as much as a 30% reduction in all causes of mortality rates. With its partners, ParticipACTION wants to be part of the solution.

Stroller Strides Richmond has submitted a story to ParticipACTION telling at bit about who we are and what we do and the benefits of exercise for new moms and the positive model we are setting for our children. Please take a moment to check out our story submission, positive comments are welcomed and encouraged.

Raspberry Kids - fresh, healthy, fun

Shopping with my 6 and 3 year old is painful experience.

I hate to say this, but it's true. The one good thing that has come from my past experiences shopping with my boys is the love I have developed for online shopping!

I can happily sit at my desk, coffee in hand and anytime of day and easily browse the latest and greatest without junior 1 and 2 whining impatiently, "mom can we go now?". Everything from toys, clothes, electronics, and more. They are all easily accessible with a few clicks of my mouse and a few taps on my keyboard. I have found my shopping heaven.

Enter Raspberrykids.com

Raspberry Kids is a purveyor of fresh, healthy and fun products for the little ones in your life. Whether you are a Mom or Dad to-be, a veteran parent or a savvy gift giver, the Raspberry Kids collection has something for you. We have spent countless hours scouring the world of all things children and are pleased to bring the best of the best of our findings to you. Teething babies will not be the only ones drooling over our product line up.

Find your favorites under tabs such as; wearables, playtime, rub-a-dub, let's eat, gifts to go and just4u! Raspberry Kids offers a wide variety of fresh, healthy & fun products and they strive to continuously add more products to keep them on the forefront of children's clothing, gifts, gear and accessories.

Make sure you take a moment and surf on over to Raspberrykids.com, you'll be happy you did!

In my shopping heaven,

Susan

Snow, snow go away, come on back another day.

I actually think this white stuff is great. Emma, Sofia and I have had a blast playing in the snow. I have been using my muscles to dig our driveway and keep the sidewalks clear and have managed to do this all without putting my back out. However, I really miss my daily workouts with the gang of moms at Stroller Strides. It has taken me years to get to the point in my life that I feel the need to workout daily, but I really do. This snow has put a bit of a hitch to my kind of outdoor workouts. You would think that after teaching 5 classes a week I would relish the break but to be brutally honest, I love it and look forward to getting back to seeing my moms in a few weeks time. I can’t wait to start running again and watching the days grow longer. I have already begun my New Year's resolution of 5 fruits and 5 vegetables a day. So with that said and even though the landscape is stunning I can’t wait to be able to glide smoothly over some pavement in my running shoes. Hope everyone joins me in a healthy and happy new year.

In good health,

Anne-Louise

Lotuswear: Yoga Inspired Active & Casual Wear

If you have been to any Stroller Strides Richmond classes lately, you'll see the instructors and moms decked out in active wear from Lotuswear.

Lotuswear is a locally owned & operated Vancouver company - something you don't see too much of these days. They provide yoga-inspired active wear for women and men. Besides offering a great line of products, Lotuswear believes in business practices that are socially and environmentally conscious.

Lotuswear is all about choice, the spectrum of colour, the design and sustainable fabric are as diverse as the people who buy Lotuswear.

Lotuswear has locations all around the lower mainland, the most convenient for our moms is located at Richmond Centre Mall.

Along with a diverse line of yoga-inspired active wear comes two new lines, Lotuswear Run and Lotuswear Golf. The Lotuswear lines are all about uniqueness and diversity, make sure to use the links and check them out, or better yet, drop by one of their stores and make yourself happy this holiday season with a purchase from them.