In her over 15 years working with children, Jennifer realized that as the “first touch” a child would have with any formalized sport system, she was in a unique position. “If I made the experience positive and challenging- and if I focused on broad movement skills instead of specific sport skills – kids started excelling very quickly and were motivated to continue.” She also found that if she made the experience dull and negative, children became unmotivated. Some of the kids would stay in gymnastics – even reach nation team levels – but most would go on to explore other sports. But Jennifer also saw that even kids who didn’t go into competitive sports continued to think of themselves as “athletes”: “Parents reported that they were happy and confident to try new sport programs, climb at the playground and hike with their family.”

Jump Gymnastics’ approach to gymnastics is simple: teach physical literacy rather than gymnastics. “We use developmental gymnastics to teach children physical literacy,” says Jennifer, who believes that Jump’s innovative program gives children ages six months to eight years old the tools they need to be active for their whole lives – regardless of what sports interest them as they get older.

That’s a relief for parents like me who would rather focus on exposing my young daughters to the fun of physical activity rather than trying to make them the next Nadia Komaneci.

And it seems I’m not the only one who likes this philosophy. Opened for business in September 2008, today Jump Gymnastics has 425 children enrolled in its weekly classes and about 500 children go through its facility each week. The gym is so popular that Jennifer plans on opening a second facility before the end of next year.

Although Jump’s focus might not immediately sound like it’s right for “serious” gymnasts, Jennifer and her staff have a gold medal approach when it comes to Jump Gymnastics’s program. All of its teachers exceed industry certification standards and have the knowledge to address your child’s individual development needs. Jump Gymnastics is also the first facility to design its whole curriculum based on Canadian Sport for Life’s Long Term Athlete Development program, designed to support children in being active their whole life.

Looking at trying to register my own kids, I will say that I’m challenged by the schedule organization. Having a two-year-old  and five-year-old mean that I can’t have them in a time slot where they can both go at the same time – or at even one right after each other. Oh well, a schedule can’t please everyone. So registration in a Jump Gymnastics program for my kids may need to wait until after Christmas.

Being a busy mom, Jennifer has also designed Jump Gymnastics to be a welcoming spot for families – especially kids. The best parts of the facility are designed for people under four feet tall. But even if you’re part of the adult set, you’ll still be able to enjoy Jump Gymnastic’s parents lounge and have peace of mind that any days you miss can be made up at another time. But most comforting is that she also knows to trust a parent’s instinct, who know their kids’ interests, fears and strengths.

In addition to the Jump Gymnastics’ core program, the facility offers special services, like a Friday night date night where parents can drop of their kids for three hours as well as birthday party services.

Be sure to register your kids early – especially if you need to coordinate the schedules of more than one child of different ages. Prime spots fill fast.

Jump Gymnastics

101-837 Beatty St., Vancouver, BC | 604.568.9690
www.jumpgymnastics.ca | Twitter: @JumpGym | Facebook

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So when Hopscotch Kids Water Colors Nail Polish debuted in Canada a few weeks ago, my ears perked up. What? The same look as nail polish except without the toxic chemicals?

Hopscotch Kids Water Colors is a water-based nail polish that’s free of enough chemicals to make me consider swapping it in for my own nail polish. When I read the list of chemicals (toluene, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde, acetone, heavy metals), I am horrified that I ever put conventional nail polish on my daughter.

Not only that, but the founders of Hopscotch Kids are confident that they have the most safe nail polish on the market. Their product is non-toxic, hypoallergenic, eco-friendly and 100% biodegradable.

I love the whimsical names of the colours, inspired by games played by young children: “Heads Up, Seven Up”, “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear”, and “Red Rover, Red Rover”, to name a few. My kids especially love wearing the green on their toes.

I admit that I’ve applied the polish to my kids a couple of times and still haven’t used the recommended steps, which include using the buffing pad – I’m impatient and my kids are the same. I’d be curious to know how much better it would be. But for those of you who are short on time, Hopscotch Kids Water Colors dry exceptionally fast, especially since only one coat is required – perfect for kids who are eager to get moving and touch the polish.

I don’t really mind it if they muck up the polish. Applying the polish again is so easy and even if it looks a bit patchy – so what? They’re just kids.

Hopscotch Kids Water Colors Nail Polish sells for $12.99 at Raspberry Kids.

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As usual, we arrived on the early side – just after 5:00 – of dinner service. Only a few tables of this huge dining room are occupied and like any young family, we appreciated that we get seated immediately.

Simpatico has undergone a renovation just this past May and they’ve done a terrific job. They’ve kept their old chairs and the worn floor, but the overall look, with its friendly blue gingham table-cloths, is clean, fresh and updated – a modern bistro.

Because it’s hot outside, my kids are dying for something to drink. All the way to the restaurant, my younger daughter was asking for chocolate milk and when we arrive, we’re disappointed to discover that the restaurant doesn’t carry it. No matter – the kids settle in for an apple and orange juice instead.

We order a plate of hummus even before we have a chance to look at the menu. It comes fairly quickly and my kids are kept busy swirling their pitas into the yummy dip.

If like in this case there are no kid-specific meals, my husband and I tend to share dishes with our kids since they aren’t big eaters. He orders a medium pizza – half cheese and half capricolo. I opt for a large souvlaki dinner with chicken breast. My kids are surprisingly only lukewarm on the pizza, but they love my meal, which comes with a large helping of Greek salad, a generous skewer of chicken, two potatoes, rice and a healthy dollop of tzatziki – everything that makes a kid-friendly meal. My kids enjoy munching on the cucumbers, and the chicken is a terrific hit. We have more than enough pizza to box up and bring home for a snack later in the evening.

The bathrooms don’t have change tables, but they are clean. There are a couple of chairs in the bathroom (possibly for storage reasons?) that came in handy for helping my two-year-old wash and dry her hands.

There are plenty of high-chairs but no booster seats for older children. My husband did mention that he spotted some ancient seats that bolted onto the table but also looked like they were about 30 years old.

Service overall was neither friendly or unfriendly. I did think that our hummus appetizer, once done, should have been cleared, and there was no inquiry about whether or not we wanted more water or beverages. It also didn’t occur to our server that I would be sharing my meal with more than just one of my kids so she only brought one extra plate.

Two dinners, a beer, two juices, a pop and an order of hummus cost $64 with tip.

Simpatico Ristorante

2222 W 4th Ave, Vancouver (Kitsilano)

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I had picked them up just after 3:00. Made earlier that day, the picnic bags are available in the cold section of the store and attractively packaged in green Whole Foods reusable bags. Since your choice might not be readily available, the Whole Foods prepared foods staff recommended calling ahead and asking them to set your bags aside for you to pick up. We chose the crunchy chicken menu as well as the quesadillas.

First off, I apologize or not having taken any photos of the picnics. We were, well, starving and eager to get into the pool, so we tore into the meals before I had a chance to snap a few photos.

First impressions: the meals themselves are huge. Two people can easily share one bag of food, which comes with a main dish, starter, dessert and beverage. Three portions would have been ample for our family, which has two kids under five.

Be sure to pack utensils, plates and napkins with your meals. For some reason, I had assumed that the meals would have been packaged in a way to make it easy to just open and eat; but things like macaroni salad obviously require a fork and if you’re not sharing with people who are close to you, you’ll also need plates to dish it onto.

It may have been the excitement of jumping of the pool or my choice of menu items, but my kids had mixed responses to the food. They loved the taco chips and were happy with the crispy chicken once the spicy coating was removed. My younger pasta-loving child enjoyed the macaroni salad and both were curious about the chicken quesadillas. I was surprised that they weren’t more enthusiastic about the juice. And of course, the chocolate chip cookies were a huge success.

Going to the pool on Friday evenings has become a Friday night ritual for us. We tend to order fries and burgers from the concession stand, but when I compare the prices (the Whole Foods meal costs $10 less), the variety of menu options and the healthy nature of the meals themselves, it’s no contest: the Whole Foods meal wins hands down. It just requires a tiny bit planning and foresight – a small price if you’re hell bent on not making dinner.

It’s not too late to enter our Whole Foods Fireworks Picnic Menu giveaway!

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Checking out the Celebration of Light with the family? Here’s your chance to cross making dinner off your list: enter to win a special picnic dinner for eight courtesy of Whole Foods valued at $72. Whole Foods has created a healthy family-friendly menu designed specifically to enjoy before watching the fireworks and available at $9 per person. With this much food, you can bring your family and the grandparents and a couple of cousins too!

But even if you’re not planning on going to the fireworks, these meals are a great option for packing for any picnic. I’ve got kids under five who can’t stay up for the fireworks, so tonight we’re hitting the outdoor pool and will be munching on a couple of these choices. Stay tuned for a review.

Although not all Whole Foods locations have these menu options (Cambie and Park Royal most definitely will), here’s what you can expect.

Whole Foods Market Special Fireworks Picnic Menu

Baguette Box

• Choice of Caprese, Curried Chicken and Basil, Black Forest Ham or Hummus and Grilled Vegetable
• Spinach and Strawberry Salad
• 365 Italian Soda
• Two Bite Brownies or Cookies

Crunchy Chicken Box

• Crunchy Baked Chicken
• Choice of (two) Picnic Potato Salad, Macaroni Salad, Tailgate Coleslaw or Cabbage Crunch
• 365 Italian Soda
• Two Bite Brownies or Cookies

Vegetarian Box

• Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes
• Tofu Skewers with Miso BBQ Glaze
• Spinach Orzo Pasta
• Caprese Salad
• Baguette
• 365 Italian Soda
• Two Bite Brownies or Cookies

Fiesta Box

• Choice of (two) Quesadillas: Grilled Chicken & Peppers, Grilled Vegetables & Cheese or Smoked Mozzarella & Spinach
• Chips and Salsa
• Agua Fresca
• Two Bite Brownies or Cookies

How to Enter

To enter, simply enter a comment on our Facebook page letting us know which menu option you like best (don’t worry, you can still make a final choice if you win!), as well as who you’ll be bringing with you to the fireworks. For an extra entry, you can also enter a comment on this article on VancouverMom.ca. Picnic will be available for pick-up the afternoon/evening before the final fireworks event on Saturday, July 31.

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1. Whole Foods Fireworks Picnic Menu Review
2. Whole Foods: Fabulous Find For Vancouver Moms
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Below, I walk you through my initial start-up package of cloth diapers, including all the accessories. Special thanks to Karen Randall of New and Green Baby for all her assistance and helpful info! Broken down into three videos for easy viewing.

Part 1: All-In-One Diapers

Part 2: Pocket Diapers

Part 3: Cloth Diapering Accessories

Key Information Covered

• Overview of all-in-one diapers, pocket diapers and a special hybrid named tini-fit.
• General maintenance and accessories, including detergent, cloth wipes and diaper pail liner

Would love your feedback!

Image provided courtesy of New and Green Baby.

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Our Requirements

Although Whistler is known for its lakes, trails and outdoor beauty, being 36 weeks pregnant left me a bit limited. Knowing that we’d be calling in early nights to put our kids down for bed, our hotel and specifically our room were the most important things since we’d be spending lots of time there. We opted for one of the Pan Pacific locations since we’d stayed at the Vancouver location a few years ago when our second daughter was a baby and enjoyed it.

Tips for Booking

When booking, I recommend calling the hotel directly. Reservations was able to give us some inside information on both of the Whistler Pan Pacific hotels- the pool at Pan Pacific Mountainside was not open and Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre was nearby, plus a continental breakfast and valet parking would be included. The price given to us was also better than anything we had searched online.

Kid-Friendly Amenities

By far the most exciting part of the hotel for my kids was the pool, although not the most ideal space for young children who can’t swim. Intended for adults wanting to get in a few laps, the pool is small and there was no spot for wee ones to just wade in. Be sure to bring water gear.

The hotel doesn’t provide room service (not sure if this is common at Whistler); guests instead can order from a list of take-out or delivery restaurants – not the most convenient option when you’ve got two kids in your room.

Hotel Amenities

We had a terrific northern view of the mountains, along with a perfect line-of-sight for watching some of the village activity.

Our room came with a fabulous, well appointed in-suite kitchen that had basically everything that any chef would want. The room even came with a table that doubled as a desk and dining table, where you could add a leaf and comfortably seat four.

For parents, the spa is a bit on the smaller size and offers just the classic services. Unlike the spectacular Spa Utopia at Vancouver Pan Pacific, this spa has only a few treatment rooms. My pedicure was terrific, but missing the foot soak tubs that you would expect at this price point.

The continental breakfast is as expected: hard-boiled eggs, toast, danishes, cold cuts. They did have cool cups with lids and straws for the kids. Get there early as it gets busy mid-morning.

Around the Hotel

Be sure to take a stroll through the villages while you visit. There seemed to be lots happening between live shows and street performers. The North Village has a really neat playground near the Starbucks, complete with a mountain-inspired climbing structure.

Within a five-minute walk is a recently built Blackcomb Base Adventure Zone. My four-year-old was able to go on three rides, including the Kiss the Sky Bungy Trampoline; my younger one had some fun in the bouncy castle. All in all, I recommend avoiding this section unless you have older kids or want to splurge big on something to kill a couple hours of time.

Bottom Line

Cost is a bit steep but comparable for a hotel of this level: Two nights’ stay in a one-bedroom with kitchen suite, including parking, breakfast and WiFi, costs around $700, plus tax. We probably could have done better in the family-friendly department with more planning and research.

Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre

4299 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, B.C.
www.panpacific.com | (604) 966-5500

Images provided courtesy of Pan Pacific.

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As a school music teacher, I am often asked by families, “What do I ask  a music teacher who I am considering hiring for my children’s lessons?”  Below are the five most important questions that have helped many  families successfully find their best music lessons match!

“What is your music background?”

In other words, does the teacher have formal music school or  post-secondary training?  Some teachers may say that they have a diploma  in music from a recognized college or degree from a university. These can  all great indicators of a strong musician and teacher.

“Can we check two references and see a background check?”

Quality studios or teachers will quickly provide these to you upon  request. Be sure to find out how long students have been with their  teacher and if they are happy with their lessons. Ask them if they have  any concerns with their teacher and what they are. You then have a better  way to see if this is the right teacher for your family. Background checks  are very important as teachers are directly working with children. A  background check is very low cost and should not take any longer than a week or two to get.

“Do you have recitals for your students throughout the year?”

It is important for students to have the opportunity to showcase their  skills. If a student is not comfortable or too shy to perform, the opportunity to sit through a recital of other students can be very motivating. Most music teachers or schools have at least two performance opportunities throughout the year.

“Can we hear a recital?”

Teachers usually encourage potential students and their families to sit through a recital or meet face to face prior to beginning formal lessons.  If you are able to sit through a performance by the teacher or a recital  of their students, you could then ask other parents about the teacher,  policies and anything else you feel is important.

“May I watch the lessons?”

Parents should always be granted access to sit in on any or all of the  lessons whether they are in your home or in a studio. Sitting through  lessons is not only for safety and peace of mind for all parties involved  it also allows parents to learn along with the child and support their  practice efforts.

In an effort to help families find a good private music teacher, Shelley Steele-Gittel, along with her friend Laurie Campbell, founded MusicLessonMatch.com Inc., a free online resource that combines the professional private music teacher’s experience and the perspective of a mom. Shelley is a highly respected and sought after private and school music teacher and enjoys teaching her own little treble maker Violet.

MusiclessonMatch.com Inc is giving a special offer to VancouverMom.ca readers.

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Watch this clip now.

Brands shown in this segment:

• Agoo Apparel (Find out how you can win a $500 shopping spree from Agoo.)
• Pediped Footwear
• Baby Banz bucket hats
• Kushies sunglasses

All products are available in-store or online at Lusso Baby.

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Here’s your chance to win a $500 shopping spree from Agoo Apparel. Adorn one child with a full wardrobe, or pick a few outfits for all your kids – and their cousins too! Scroll down for details!

10 Reasons to You’ll Want to Have Agoo In Your Life

1. Athlete inspired. Agoo is made with fabric and technologies fit for the most active athletes – including your kids.
2. Mom designed. As a busy mom of two, owner and designer JB Owen-Sacalis knows what moms need: clothes for quick diaper changes, clothes that will last and clothes that are functional.
3. Awesome sun protection. Agoo’s clothes have 50+ UV protection.
4. Stain resistant and extremely washable. You can even clean them with a wet wipe if your child spills something on them.
5. Fast drying. Kids can play at the beach, get soaked and be dry in about 30 minutes.
6. Did I say beach? Agoo can double up as swimwear! It’s also resistant chlorine and salt-water.
7. Four-way stretch means that the clothes will move with your kids and still retain its shape.
8. Wick-away fabric to keep your child cool. Even when baby falls asleep in her car seat, Agoo will help keep her from overheating.
9. Terrific base layer. Agoo is perfect for underneath a warmer fleece layer.
10. Agoo is based and designed right here in Vancouver.

Entering is Easy

1. Check out the clothes on AgooKids.com.
2. Visit VancouverMom.ca’s Facebook page and enter a comment, telling us why you like Agoo.
3. For extra entries:
   1. Visit Agoo’s Facebook page and say that you saw this giveaway on VancouverMom.ca.
   2. Tweet this message to your followers (be sure to include @vancouver_mom in your tweet to qualify):
   3. Enter a comment on this article on VancouverMom.ca.

That’s it!

Open only to Canadian residents. Closes on August 2, 2010. Winner will be randomly selected using Random.org.

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