playdate

All Aboard the Crazy Train! We're Talking about Postpartum Depression

I never thought depression would happen to me. I naively thought that depression affects those who have something traumatic happen in their lives. I will admit that was completely uneducated as to how depression affects us. That was until it affected me.

When my maternal grandfather passed away in 1997 my family was devastated. Not only did we lose someone we loved immensely but we lost the glue that held our fragile family together. Over the past ten years that side of my family had deteriorated to virtually non-existent. No visits, not even Christmas or Birthday cards. Essentially my mother cut herself off from her family - justly I believe - which percolated down the line leaving my brother and I without contact with our extended family on the maternal side.

When all this began, I unintentionally found out that my mother had sought out professional help by ways of Prozac. She, seemingly embarrassed, brushed it off as nothing. I didn't see it as nothing; instead it was the embarrassed part that stuck with me. I began to worry about her because OMG! My mother is medicated. She's losing her shit!  was the mentality of depression.

The social stigma of depression classified my mom as a nut job.

Continue reading "All Aboard the Crazy Train! We're Talking about Postpartum Depression" »

I never thought depression would happen to me. I naively thought that depression affects those who have something traumatic happen in their lives. I will admit that was completely uneducated as to how depression affects us. That was until it affected me.

When my maternal grandfather passed away in 1997 my family was devastated. Not only did we lose someone we loved immensely but we lost the glue that held our fragile family together. Over the past ten years that side of my family had deteriorated to virtually non-existent. No visits, not even Christmas or Birthday cards. Essentially my mother cut herself off from her family - justly I believe - which percolated down the line leaving my brother and I without contact with our extended family on the maternal side.

When all this began, I unintentionally found out that my mother had sought out professional help by ways of Prozac. She, seemingly embarrassed, brushed it off as nothing. I didn't see it as nothing; instead it was the embarrassed part that stuck with me. I began to worry about her because OMG! My mother is medicated. She's losing her shit!  was the mentality of depression.

The social stigma of depression classified my mom as a nut job.

Continue reading "All Aboard the Crazy Train! We're Talking about Postpartum Depression" »

Stand Up Proud with Your Boobs Held High!

Have you been over to BlogHersAct Canada lately?  The lovely Sam is covering our new Family Health initiative at BHAC and if you haven't read Stand Up Proud with Your Boobs Held High! yet, you are missing out on the most recent breastfeeding controversy to hit the blogwaves:

Being a nursing mother is one of the most challenging things I've done. Scratch that. It IS the most challenging thing I've done.

Oh, sure! Really hard! I bet you're thinking.

But if you've ever been in a situation where you're surrounding by prying, judgmental eyes because you're child is throwing a tantrum, then you have a minute idea. Compound that by having to raise your shirt, position your body and baby hoping to avoid exposure of your truly offensive breasts (sarcasm, yes) because someone may be offended by boobs. You'd think that lady had just shoved a fish under her blanket.

Continue reading "Stand Up Proud with Your Boobs Held High!" »

Debbie Phelps: Mom of the Olympics

Debbie Phelps is a mother, like any other, who has sacrificed for her children. She has spent countless hours pool side with her children Whitney, Hillary and Michael – all three, very active in swimming. Being a single parent proved difficult, but fiercely independent Debbie was able to keep up with their schedules with help from other swim moms and close friends which have developed into a tightly knit family.

With strong faith and a great support system she’s been very successful in many aspects of her life.

While Michael’s older sister, Whitney, was considered a ‘shoe-in’ as an Olympic athlete, Debbie says, “I never envisioned Michael to be of Olympic calibre”, but his coach, Bill Bowman, thought Michael had a “God given talent” and at the age of 11, Michael began being groomed into an Olympian.

Continue reading "Debbie Phelps: Mom of the Olympics" »

Debbie Phelps is a mother, like any other, who has sacrificed for her children. She has spent countless hours pool side with her children Whitney, Hillary and Michael – all three, very active in swimming. Being a single parent proved difficult, but fiercely independent Debbie was able to keep up with their schedules with help from other swim moms and close friends which have developed into a tightly knit family.

With strong faith and a great support system she’s been very successful in many aspects of her life.

While Michael’s older sister, Whitney, was considered a ‘shoe-in’ as an Olympic athlete, Debbie says, “I never envisioned Michael to be of Olympic calibre”, but his coach, Bill Bowman, thought Michael had a “God given talent” and at the age of 11, Michael began being groomed into an Olympian.

Dine Out, Eat Local

The movement for eating local is gaining momentum in the hospitality industry, which is great news for us here at BlogHers ACT Canada, where July's focus is on eating locally. 

There are a lot of restaurants making use of local, in-season crops in preparation of daily specials and regular seasonal menu items.  Like me, you may be wondering how to find these restaurants. 

Continue reading "Dine out, eat local." »

The movement for eating local is gaining momentum in the hospitality industry, which is great news for us here at BlogHers ACT Canada, where July's focus is on eating locally. 

There are a lot of restaurants making use of local, in-season crops in preparation of daily specials and regular seasonal menu items.  Like me, you may be wondering how to find these restaurants. 

Friday is for Family

Have you been over to BlogHers Act Canada recently?  This month challenge is Eat Locally!  Check out the most recent results over in BHAC:

This week was a great week for us in terms of eating locally.  Since eating locally is our challenge this month here at BlogHers ACT Canada, we are pretty proud!  We took advantage of two awesome ways to eat locally, the farmer's market and a pick-your-own-produce farm.

Continue reading "More local eating! Farmer's markets and pick-your-own." »

And of course there is always something being said over at Binkywood:

AutoShare vs. Zipcar: Solutions for Going Carless in the City

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of visiting with a friend who lives in the city.  She made it out to the suburbs for a visit with another friend. She didn't take the GO-train.  She didn't have to take a bus.  She didn't show some leg and hitch a ride.  And...she doesn't own a car.

How did she get here, then?

Continue reading "AutoShare vs. Zipcar: Solutions for Going Carless in the City" »

June's Challenge: Reducing the Auto Footprint!

It's not enough that as conscientious and responsible members of society, we should be focusing on reducing our carbon footprint.  Now, just as the summer vacation season gets under way, the season of road trips and weekends away, started off by hopping onto the highway to get to the cottage or camp site (not to mention extra stops to the liquor and beer store), BlogHers ACT Canada has the guts to tell you that you should also be reducing your auto footprint.  We've got some nerve, don't we?

Continue reading "June's Challenge: Reducing the Auto Footprint!" »

It's not enough that as conscientious and responsible members of society, we should be focusing on reducing our carbon footprint.  Now, just as the summer vacation season gets under way, the season of road trips and weekends away, started off by hopping onto the highway to get to the cottage or camp site (not to mention extra stops to the liquor and beer store), BlogHers ACT Canada has the guts to tell you that you should also be reducing your auto footprint.  We've got some nerve, don't we?

Composting for Beginners

Each morning you throw out a coffee filter and a handful of used coffee grinds.

Your weekend breakfast feast of bacon and eggs leaves behind a pile of broken eggshells.

The kids have an apple for a snack, but leave the core for you to pick up.

I’ve got news for you:  those coffee grinds, egg shells and apple cores are packed full of nutrients that will make awesome food for your garden if you change your habits.  Rather than throwing your kitchen scraps into the garbage, start a compost pile!

This month our focus is on greener gardening, and composting is arguably the simplest way to green up your gardening habits.

Continue reading "Composting for Beginners" »

Introducing May's Challenge: Greener Gardening!

Do you have a garden or grow plants? Do you use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides in your garden?  Do you buy lots of plants every season that are sold in plastic pots?  Do you grow food?

These are the kinds of questions we’ll be looking at this month here at BlogHers ACT Canada.  I have to admit, I’m kind of pumped!  This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. There are entire weblogs that focus on these topics entirely, and there are some I visit quite frequently, and will recommend to you.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Continue reading "Introducing May's Challenge: Greener Gardening!" »

Do you have a garden or grow plants? Do you use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides in your garden?  Do you buy lots of plants every season that are sold in plastic pots?  Do you grow food?

These are the kinds of questions we’ll be looking at this month here at BlogHers ACT Canada.  I have to admit, I’m kind of pumped!  This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. There are entire weblogs that focus on these topics entirely, and there are some I visit quite frequently, and will recommend to you.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Continue reading "Introducing May's Challenge: Greener Gardening!" »

David Suzuki's Nature Challenge for Kids

If you’ve ever taken a moment to look carefully at the sidebar here at BlogHers ACT Canada, you’ll notice we’ve prominently placed a button in the upper right-hand corner.  The button features David Suzuki, environmental scientist, activist and one of Canada’s top ten favourite Canadians.

Continue reading "David Suzuki's Nature Challenge for Kids" »

If you’ve ever taken a moment to look carefully at the sidebar here at BlogHers ACT Canada, you’ll notice we’ve prominently placed a button in the upper right-hand corner.  The button features David Suzuki, environmental scientist, activist and one of Canada’s top ten favourite Canadians.