Latin beat for tiny feet

Vancouver's Runners and Booties Fitness has just announced the launch of Salsa Babies. Yes, that's right. Dance your way back to shape with your baby! Put your baby in a baby carrier, and learn the basic steps to basic Latin dances along with other new moms while babies shake maracas.

The Introductory Salsa Babies Class starts Wednesdays, starting Feb. 7, 9:30 - 10:30 am. It's free! The salsa class takes place at Brentwood Town Centre in Burnaby.

Pre-registration required. Call 604-461-7827.

Stylish design takes high chair design to new heights

I love this high chair. By Australian designer Sally Dominguez, this chair, called the Nest, is bright, minimalist, and convertible. Use it as a high chair for your little ones, then convert it to a low chair for kids up to six years of age! Brilliant. Love the tulip base, and the streamlimed curved seat and tray (made of polyethylene) is a snap to clean. Find it at Modern Kid at 45 Water Street in Yaletown, Vancouver. Or find it online at www.modernkid.com. Retails for $725 (I didn't say it was going to be inexpensive!).

Little Sweetheart Ball

Help support Rethink Breast Cancer's Support Saturdays program for new moms with breast cancer and their families by attending the Little Sweetheart Ball. The benefit ball is for parents and their little kids. Finally, a ball for mom, dad and toddler! And it's all for a good cause, too.
Date: Saturday, February 3, 2007 from 1 pm - 4 pm
Location: Heritage Hall in Vancouver, 3102 Main Street
Attire: Whatever you want
Tickets: $35 adults; $5 kids
For more info, or to buy tickets, visit: http://www.rethinkbreastcancer.com/event_tickets_vancouver.html

Sweet deal for Valentine's Day

Capture your relationships (you and your loved ones, whoever they are!) with a FREE photo session at Bopomo Pictures (2631 West Broadway, Vancouver, 604-678-1411) this Valentine's Day, until mid-February. Call to book your appointment.

And you won't have to wait long to see the images – prints are ready the next day!

Saaaaah-WEET!

A princess of a cake

For my daughter Lauren's two-year birthday party, I decided to make a "princess cake." Here is the result of my efforts. It was actually pretty easy. The cake was made of three regular layers that were topped with a dome-shaped layer (baked in a stainless-steel bowl at 275 degrees F for about two hours!). Then I iced the heck out of it. Then my four-year-old son Benjamin sprinkled coloured stars all over it and presto, we had a princess cake. Lauren loved it!

Looking for pregnant women for study on household chemicals

If you're pregnant and interested in learning about how common household chemicals might affect the health of your body, you may be interested in participating in a study conducted by UBC's Centre for Health and Environment Research. They are launching a study aimed at learning how certain chemicals might affect maternal thyroid function, which could in turn affect fetal development.

For more information about the study, visit www.cher.ubc.ca/chirp. Or contact Glenys Webster at 604-827-5454 or chirp.study@ubc.ca.

Sale at Bug-A-Boo

On Sunday, January 28, from 5 - 7 pm, enjoy 25 percent off everything in Bug-A-Boo, 9103 Glover Road, Fort Langley. It's all in celebration of Bug-A-Boo's second anniversary. There will be prizes too!

Casanova kid

I fell for it for at first, but after a while, I caught on to my little boy's charming ways. He's a smooth operator at just four years old. His arsenal of ego-massaging lines, pulled out just before he's about to ask for something he knows he probably won't get or just before a mischief of his is about to be revealed, go like this:

"Mommy, you're so pretty."
"Mommy, I loooooooove you."
"You're my best Mommy ever."
And my favourite, "Mommy, you look like you've lost weight."

Quite the charmer, eh?

Take a picture!

Just before Christmas, I had professional photos taken of my family. And I have to admit, it was the best thing I've ever done. If you want to do something really special, save up for the best photographer you can afford. You won't regret it.

No-yell zone

Recently, another mom of two young kids told me that her New Year's resolution is to yell at her kids less.

In my opinion, it is brave of her to admit that she yells at them. I mean how many of us parents wants to yell at our kids, let alone ADMIT that we do? Until now, I had yet to hear another mom say she yells at her kids once in a while. I'm not saying it's right -- it's a no-brainer that yelling at your kids is not constructive and teaches your kids the wrong things. But I am saying that admitting that you yell at your kids is brave and REAL. And her admission gave me the courage to say I have yelled at my kids (no sleep combined with two kids who have seemingly unlimited temper tantrums seem to push my buttons) too.

So, my New Year's resolution is to not yell at my kids at all. Period. It is now the fourth day of 2007 and I can proudly say I am still yell-free!