As yoga has hit the main stream the variety of classes continue to increase. Even recreation facilities have started to offer the large variety of classes that you would have only found at a yoga studio in the years before.  You may be looking to start yoga but hesitant as you don’t know what class to register for.  Or, you may be a yoga enthusiast but would like to try something new.  I have outlined here for you various yoga styles that you will now find at most places that offer yoga. Keep in mind this is just what I would call a basic list, and classes offered continue to grow!  If you are unsure what the class involves don’t hesitate to contact the facility or instructor and make sure the class is exactly what you are looking for. It’s important that you enjoy the class style, instructor and atmosphere.

Hatha-  Hatha comes from the sanskrit meaning of “ha” = sun and “tha” = moon. This branch of yoga works towards balancing these two yin and yang elements. Hatha yoga involves prananyama (breathing) techniques, asana (posture) practice, and relaxation techniques (including meditation) to bring forth tranquility within your mind, body and spirit.

Power-  Power yoga is a strong style class that uses yoga asana (usually those that are also taught in a Hatha class) to build strength, stamina and endurance.  I would recommend this class to those who have participated in a Hatha class and are looking for a class that will build strength and endurance, or for those who are physically active already and looking to add yoga to their lifestyle. This class may also be offered in a “hot” format, meaning it is done in a heated room.

Vinyasa- Vinyasa yoga is a flowing class, using yoga asana to continually move from one movement to the next movement with each breath.  This class builds cardiovascular endurance as well as strength while building flexibility.  This class may also be offered in a “hot” format, meaning it is done in a heated room.

Yin- Yin yoga stretches the deep connective tissue within the body and is done by holding yoga asanas for 3-5 minutes in duration.  Yin yoga focuses on the legs, hips and spine.  This class is a great compliment to many of the yang styles of yoga (ie: power) and our typical yang lifestyles.

Bikram- Bikram is a serious of 26 yoga asanas completed two times in succession.  This yoga sequence is actually copyrighted and only Bikram certified instructors are able to teach the yoga asanas in this specific sequence.  Bikram is completed in a room that is 104 F.

Kundalini- Kundalini yoga is taught according to Yogi Bhajan as a practice that brings movement and the breath together in specific yoga sets that have greater effects when linked together than on their own as individual yoga asanas.  Kundalini yoga also incorporates mantras and meditation.
Styles of classes will vary from facility to facility and yoga styles are continuing to increase in variety.  Looking to build strength and endurance and increase flexibility of deep connective tissue? Find a Yin/Yang class that will do a bit of both!  Class combos, such as Yin/Yang, are also becoming more in demand.

Try several different styles and find out for yourself what style, or styles, you most enjoy.

Namaste,

Amanda

I was almost 29 when I put my eldest daughter in Kindergarten. She was 5.  I wanted her to have a bit of a challenge, so I chose French Immersion.  You see, she’d taught herself to read when she was 4 ½ and she was bored in the day care she attended with her little sister.

Day care was a necessity for me – and an expensive one.  As a single mother who worked nights, I had to enrol my girls in day care so I could sleep while the sun was out.  Our “nanny” was home at night while I worked, but attended college during the day. 

The Kindergarten experience was initially hard on both my daughter and me.  I promised her I’d stay with her until she felt comfortable (and am still not a proponent of the sink-or-swim approach to starting school).  Of course, neither the school staff in general, nor the classroom teacher in particular, greeted my plan with enthusiasm.  I was told that parents generally leave their kids at the door.  I retorted that I had made a promise to my daughter and wasn’t going to break it. 

After helping my darling find her cubby (while the teacher tried to meet the demands of all the chirping nestlings at once), I slipped the antique silver bracelet my grandmother had given me on my 17^th birthday onto my daughter’s little wrist.  As I re-assured my little one that she could just think of us being together whenever she touched the bracelet, I wondered if I would ever see it again.

Children milled around us and moved past us.  Some shyly eyed the others, some bolder sorts waded into conversation, a few ventured into the teacher’s shadow, already jockeying for position as the favourite.  When Madame called for circle, I explained to my daughter that I would stay for a few minutes more and kneeled several deferential feet behind the sanctum. 

When she seemed a little more comfortable a few minutes later, I took my leave.  No tears.

Well, she didn’t cry.  On the way home, our nanny – who had come with us to the school, but who had waited for me in the courtyard – handed me Kleenex.  Then she took hold of my arm and quite firmly pulled me in the direction of home when I said I just had to go back to get my daughter.

I got through the morning more easily than I expected.

Not so, my daughter

The children weren’t supposed to speak in English (my babe knew no French) and my daughter thought the teacher was mean to her (be careful, parents, of annoying the teacher(s) with whom your children are going to spend time).

About ¾ of the way through the school year, we moved to Saskatchewan where my daughter fared much better.  Partly, I think, because everyone was speaking English, and partly, I know, because the teacher was warm and generous to my little one’s needs in the late-year transition.  Grade one entry was smooth and we were both relaxed. 

My youngest was a much more independent soul, and took to the Kindergarten experience like Huck Finn took to water.  A great ride.  Grade one for her was just another adventure – and mom was not needed, thank you very much.  “I’ll walk with my sister,” she said, oblivious to the tears welling in my eyes.

Now of course, they’re both finished school and living independent lives – and though the decisions I made around school enrolment didn’t ruin them for life, they bear revisiting.

1.  Kindergarten was not mandatory, but I didn’t know that.  Given my economic situation, I made the right decision to enrol my eldest in school at the age of 5.  It saved me day care fees – money we needed in the household.

1. French Immersion was not the right choice for my daughter -at least French Immersion with that teacher.  I’ll never know which aspect was most difficult for her.  I knew that she wasn’t as happy as she could have been.  But, going back to point 1, I didn’t know I had options.  In truth, I didn’t think to even ask. 

1. Staying with my eldest daughter until she settled into her Kindergarten class was as right as was not walking my youngest to grade one.  I respected what my children needed. One, comfort.  The other, autonomy. 

1. I cried when both kids went to school.  Once, for my eldest – because she seemed a little overwhelmed by it all.  The second time for me – because my baby didn’t need me. 

I’m 52 years old now and have granddaughters almost Kindergarten age.  All around me, I hear – and read mothers’ concerns about Ontario’s new all day-kindergarten policy.  I know my daughter and step daughter will soon be facing this decision, and if they ask my advice, I know what I’ll say:

“Your daughter is developing well and normally. If you can afford to keep your child home, do it.  The gains made by attending school early are of most significant impact to those children who come from under-resourced families – and those gains fall away by grade three.”

I’d say, “Your time with your children is so short – no matter how long some days (and nights) might seem.  Keep them close to you as long as it works for you both.” 

I’d say, “You give your child lots of opportunities to interact with peers and the community and you know she is already well socialized.  You are teaching her to speak up for herself; you are teaching her about healthy food choices; you are teaching her to share.  She doesn’t need to go to Kindergarten for that.”

I’d say, “Your little one still gets tired and a little weepy mid-day.  Think about where she is going to feel most comfortable when that time comes: at home, with you or someone who loves her, or in a classroom of 20-odd other children.”

I’d say, “You know your daughter best. If Kindergarten is right for her, let her go.  Just remember, you have choices. You can enrol her in public education, and you can un-enrol her.  You can find a good local Montessori if you can afford that.  This is your family’s decision – and there are a lot of things to consider before you make your choice.”

I’d say. “No matter what you choose, you will second-guess yourself.”

 I’d say – and this to my own daughter only, “I’m sorry I left you in Immersion.  I’m sorry I failed to ask if I had choices.  I’m sorry I wasn’t more pro-active on your behalf.”

And I’d hope she’d finally give me back my bracelet.

We know that your kids are already for class thanks to Best Tools For Schools, but Moms, make sure to take this opportunity to save some cash for yourself too.

Many items are available at great prices right now.  Just because you’re not going Back to Class or Setting Up a Dorm doesn’t mean you can’t use these cost savers for your own home.  Here’s a list of items that you should stock up on while the prices are low

Printer paper

Writing utensils

Printer Ink

Laptops

Storage containers

Closet organizers

Waste paper baskets

Bath Mats

Shower Curtains

Bedding

Desks

Calculators

Alarm clocks

Thermos

Re-useable Waterbottles

Wire folding clothes dryers

Dish sets

Use the cash you saved for one of those cute purse-like lunch sacs & you’ll be heading back with SO MUCH CLASS!

Kids are natural detectives, always asking questions, trying to find out why or how something works. I think that’s what makes Doyle and Fossey, Science Detectives so appealing.

Fifth graders Drake Doyle and Nell Fossey work together as science detectives, solving mysteries in their neighbourhood and for their friends. In Sterling Publishing’s The Case of the Crooked Carnival  (age 9-12), written by Michele Torrey and illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman, Drake and Nell solve cases involving ghosts haunting a house, aliens taking over the wetlands, a crokked carnival game and a wobbly bridge.

In each case Drake and Nell use scientific techniques to solve the mystery: they investigate and ask questions (they always seem to have a notebook on hand and a pencil tucked behind their ear), create an hypothesis, observe and record their results and make their conclusions. Although the idea of a fiction book for kids with science weaved throughout appealed to the parent in me, I wasn’t sure my kids would buy it. But a few pages in all 3 of my kids, well the 6 and 8-year old, were hooked. I must admit I was surprised at how attentive even my 3-year old was when we read the book together.

The Case of the Crooked Carnival contains four mini mysteries. They aren’t related or connected so you can read anyone of them in any order. With the whole mystery contained in only a few chapters, they made great reads for an afternoon or just before bed. I loved reading the chapters in one of the mysteries except the last one and leave that for the next days. My kids would be clamouring to read the final chapter.

Although I felt the characters of Drake and Nell to be a little unrealistic, my kids either didn’t notice or didn’t care. My kids loved how Drake and Nell used deductive reasoning and sound investigative techniques to solve the mysteries, on their own. Adult roles were rare and more background information than anything. I was pleasantly surprised that my kids knew some of the scientific terms already from school, especially my 6-year old. You could see how proud he felt knowing these things and explaining them to the rest of us in his own way.

Along with the mysteries, the back of the book also contained Activities and Experiments for Super-Scientists. It talked about creating your own lab and the Scientific Method and how to use it. It also included some experiments the kids could do themselves, though the one with the battery would need parent supervision. The experiments included were based on things Drake and Nell actually did to solve the mysteries in the book. My kids especially loved the secret code portion.

There are currently 4 other books available in the Doyle and Fossey, Science Detectives series: The Case of the Gasping Garbage, The Case of the Graveyard Ghost, The Case of the Mossy Lake Monster, and The Case of the Barfly Birthday. Plus there’s a new book due out this September: The Case of the Terrible T.Rex . I think my kids will be keeping their eyes peeled for that one.

The Case of the Crooked Carnival

A Doyle and Fossey, Science Detectives series

written by Michele Torrey, illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman

published by Sterling Publishing

age 9-12

I recently took a vacation with my man out to Calgary.  Which always proves to be difficult when planning meals.  While we stayed with family and just bought groceries with them, we took off for a couple of days to Banff/Lake Louise/Columbia Icefields.  If you’ve ever driven from Banff to the Columbia Icefields, you know that there is a total of ONE store with food the entire way there.  And it’s a fast food/extremely expensive gift shop-but-we-sell-big-salted-pretzels-and-hot-dogs kind of store.

When a slice of pizza costs more than an entree at the restaurant, you just don’t know what to get.  So we survived on the worst junk food for the entire day – chips, protein bars, and water & juices (which all cost about 3 times as much as any normal store).  Upon getting to the Columbia Icefields, we basically sprinted to their cafeteria to buy a sandwich, which really wasn’t any better than the bag of chips with the processed deli meat and thick butter spread on it (yuck!!!!)  To my amazement, they had a container of fresh fruit!  So plop that on our tray I did!  Then after paying for the once again expensive food, we realized that our container of fruit cost $7.50!!  This travelling on the go with minimal stores was not smart on our part.  $40 in just pure junk.

For the remainder of the week, we stuck to packing our lunch in the car, which sometimes, is just the smartest and healthiest way to eating on the go.  I’d much rather have spent that $40 on some grocery store “Meals to Go” chicken and salads and taken it with us, but we didn’t know what we were in for.  Lesson learned.  Be prepared and do your research before leaving on a trip!

Now, back to healthy eating for this gal.  I’m sure that my bathroom scale is very angry with me!

I am forever getting lost in a path of website links which inevitably lead me somewhere or to something I was just not expecting.  Fortunately, this journey is often a positive experience unless of course I venture so off course and become distracted for several hours or days and lose focus on the task at hand.  This is of course how my blog research started and luckily ended with fascination, awe, good information and an on-line purchase!

I had been planning a post to share the numerous websites and blogs which focus and feature information on school lunches.  I started out with a fave www.fedupwithschoollunch.blogspot.com which chronicles Mrs Q’s commitment to eating the not always appetizing or healthy daily school lunch provided in her school.  Mrs. Q  is a wonderful voice for school lunch reform in the USA and has an amazing blogroll list of “Big Players in School Lunch Reform” plus some amazing links to parent blogs etc.  If you enjoyed Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution and are interested in the larger picture of food and nutrition reform you will enjoy her blog.

I had planned to include Mrs Q blog plus some links to companies providing unique and interesting products to package lunches.  Before I got to those sites, I of course had to check Mrs Q’s blogroll and this is exactly where I went off course.  Before I knew it, I had fallen down the rabbit hole into the amazing world of Bento school lunch boxes, and believe me, what I discovered was as fascinating as Alice in Wonderland.  Here is a quick peak.

My first stop was Miranda Bashaw’s Lunch Box Blog.  Her blog has a simple accounting of what she serves in her son’s lunch on a daily basis.  She photographs the lunch and lists exactly what she included.  I also like her tips, recipes and mom talk regarding nutrition, time constraints and daily life with children. 

My next stop was Melissa’s Another Lunch where my eyes got wide and my jaw dropped at what I can only describe as the ART of the bento lunch box.  It was shortly after arriving at Melissa’s beautiful site that I took a quick detour to www.fenigo.com to purchase a set of LapTop Lunch Box systems for my two boys, but more on that later.  Be sure to check her posts explaining what Bento is , How to Choose a Bento Box , Tools of the Trade – Picks.  Her site is internet eye candy, inspiring and just what you need when packing a lunch is the last thing you want to do.  The more I read, the more I realized that Bento lunchboxes are to school lunches what the new scrap booking is to family photo albums. 

Stop number three was Biggie’s Lunch in a Box which had the most comprehensive resources for Bento FAQ’s, recipes, decorative techniques and product reviews.  I particularly liked her post on Bento and the Picky Eater and am hoping to see my eldest son bring home more empty lunch boxes this fall.  Check out her Bento Forum and have a look at the Bento Showroom.

I am not sure I can commit myself to the art form of bento lunches but I love the idea of having a system of containers for lunch components that is littler less, BPA free and visually appealing.  I thought the design would appeal to boys plus be streamlined and not too bulky in a back pack. They can see everything in their lunch so perhaps containers won’t be forgotten or avoided in their lunch bag.  I also purchased an extra set on insert containers so I can prep several days in advance.  I purchased my Lap Top Lunch system from Fenigo which is an on-line store “For Everything for a Litter-Less Lunch”.  It is located in Kitchener, Ontario and started by mompreneur Jana.  They have a large selection of lunch container products and a wonderful resource page with links for information regarding BPA and waste free lunches.

Getting your child to sleep can at times be challenging, especially in the summer when the sun is still shining bright and the older neighbourhood children can be heard outside still playing street hockey or coming back home from an evening play at the park.

Ready to wind down for bed and your kids are not?  Try the yoga techniques below after a nice calming bath, massage with all natural lotion and jumping into clean and comfortable pyjamas.  The following are beneficial to preschool & school aged children.  Enjoy and happy sleeping!

Guided Meditation

Have your child lie down on their back in a comfy place (preferably their bed) and close their eyes.  Share a story with them using a soothing voice.  Maybe a story about becoming a fairy floating in the sky, sitting under a tree doing a quiet activity or becoming a tree that blows in the wind.  Invite your child to visualize the images in their mind.

Not feeling creative? No problem!  There are great guided meditations you can download from iTunes, some even free and wonderful guided meditation books for children available. 

Childs Pose (Balasana)  

image credit: Yoga Journal

Childs pose is a very relaxing posture that turns the senses inwards while relaxation and rejuvenation moves through the mind and body.  This posture calms the mind inviting your child to prepare for a sleepy slumber.

To get into childs pose place your heels under buttocks and move the upper body and forehead to rest on the floor.   Your arms may reach back towards your heels or extending in front of the shoulders.

Legs Up On The Wall (Viparita Karani)

image credit: Yoga Journal

Legs up the wall also calms the mind and rejuvenates tired leg muscles and feet from a busy day of running, playing and having fun!

Have your child lay on their bed or on a cozy blanket on the floor.  Placing their buttocks close to the wall and bringing their legs up to rest on the wall at a 90 degree angle.  Your buttocks should be against the wall.

Warning: parents who participate in the above with their children have been known to fall asleep

Namaste,

Amanda

When it comes time to buy your child a new backpack, there are some important things to consider. If your child had to make the decision on his/her own, the top things they would think of would be the colour and what design or character is on the backpack! However, as a parent there are a few other things that you should take into consideration when choosing that all important backpack. For example, do you know that some contain no no’s such as BPA, Phthalates, PVC and lead? In this post, I have given you my picks for the safest and most eco-friendly backpacks out there. All of them also happen to be quite cute!

Little/Big Eco-Packs by Beatrix NY

These backpacks are made from nylon that has been manufactured with recycled plastic water bottles and trimmed with naturally biodegradable canvas. Each pack removes four 16oz. plastic bottles from the environment. How cool is that? They come in three different designs. Beatrix NY also offers backpacks that are not made from recycled water bottle nylon but are 100% free of BPA, PVC, lead and Phthalates.

Where to find in Ontario: Belly Laughs

Crocodile Creek

Crocodile Creek backpacks are PVC, Phthalate, Vinyl free and BPA free and come in 11 designs. Crocodile Creek also offers matching lunch packs.

Where to find in Ontario: Gingerbread Monkeys

Skip Hop Zoo Packs

How cute is that bee?! Skip Hop packs are BPA, PVC and Phthalate free. They come in eight different designs and like the others, you can get the matching lunch bag.

Where to find in Ontario: Hello Sunshine and across Canada at Chapters Online

Since these packs are made from superior materials, they are a bit pricier than mainstream packs. If these don’t fit your budget but you still would like to make the best choice when it come to eco-friendliness and health, make sure that the pack you choose is free from the following: BPA, Phthalates, PVC and Lead.

Image Sources: Canadian Beatrix NY, Crocodile Creek and Skip Hop websites

Image source: D Sharon Pruitt

Have you even thought about Back To School Shopping?
 
Well guess what? In a month that’s where you’re children will be headed.  Better make the list and check it twice!  Here’s some list ideas to make it as painless as possible:
 
1. Contact Best Tools For Schools and see how they can take care of the SUPPLIES list for you
2. Find the right Backpack NOW. Believe me the Hannah Montanna or Iron Man one your child will want will be hard to come by in a few weeks.
3. Lunch Bags also can fall under the same “themed” merchandise as above.  Also consider your child’s lunch schedule.  Would several compartments work better? Will it hold everything you need?
4. Head to your local Dollar Store for plastic containers and ziploc bags before they run out!  Or, check out this post for plastic alternatives.
5. Shoes! Chances are your child will need a pair for both indoor and outdoor.  Make it easier on your child and teacher by making sure they easily go on and stay on.
6. Outdoor gear.  Jackets with hoods are a plus (lessens the need for a separate rain coat). Umbrellas, Sun/Baseball hats are still good items to have on hand at this time of the year.
7. Scheduling Dentist appointments, Haircuts and Eye tests for later on in August will also help you stay ON TRACK before the big Back To School rush happens.
 
Basically anything you usually leave for the last week of August can be done now for the most part.  Don’t run yourself ragged at the end of summer.  Kick back and enjoy it.  Isn’t that what the lazy days of summer are about anyway?

Dragons are big in our house. Okay, not real dragons (though I’m sure my son would be whining to get one if you could get them at the pet store). No I mean the whole idea of dragons. My kids love to play games that involve dragons, draw pictures of dragons, fight dragons in the backyard (with the help of some poor unsuspecting stuffy), they even love reading books about dragons. If the book has a dragon in it anywhere, my kids will want to hear it.

In comes Schoalstic Canada’s new book One Drowsy Dragon  (age 3-5), written and illustrated by Ethan Long. This fun rhyme follows the frustrations of a very tired dragon who is trying to get some sleep but can’t because of the antics of the other dragons in the cave. One dragon is clanging on a cup, two dragons are playing a noisy battle game all the way to ten dragons who are ready to sleep but even that doesn’t help the Drowsy Dragon.

My 3 and 5-year old think this book was hysterical. I’ll never understand a child’s humour. This is a very cute counting book and my kids love the silly antics of the dragons and how they are keeping the one dragon from sleeping. The rhyme is fun and the pictures capture that fun too with their colourful cartoon-like illustrations. The book is great for reinforcing counting and number order; the kids love to count the dragons to make sure they matched the number being talked about. The numbers are written out in text versus being numeric so kids can see another way numbers might appear in a book. I love how the description for the one tired dragon changes as it becomes frustrated and exhausted; it is a great way to expand the kids’ vocabulary.

With the catchy rhyme, minimal words, and helpful illustrations, One Drowsy Dragon is a fun book for beginner readers to enjoy as well. The short copy makes it a fairly quick read (if you’re not spending time counting the dragons in the book) so parents won’t go crazy when their kids ask to hear it over and over…and over again.

I have to thank Nikole from Scholastic Canada for my review copy.

One Drowsy Dragon

written and illustrated by Ethan Long

age 3-5

Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic