The next Vancouver Island Baby Fair will take place Sept 24 & 25 in Victoria BC and we will be celebrating our 5th anniversary and our seventh fair on the island! (Including our two shows that have taken place in Nanaimo)

At each fair we love to support a local charity that focuses on pregnancy through preschool, just like we do at the Vancouver Island Baby Fair. We fund raise through our very popular photo contest, facepainting and stroller parking. Plus, the charity we work with is provided with loads of exposure prior to, during the weekend of the fair, and after.

So far we have raised more than $11,000 and worked with these amazing charities.

Child Find BC

Success by 6

Nanaimo Child Development Centre

Foster Parent Support Society

Haven Society

Greater Victoria Down Syndrome Society

We are now planning for our Fall fair, Sept 24 & 25 in Victoria at Pearkes Arena and would love to hear your suggestions for a local non-profit charity that is geared to young families. Deadline for suggestions is Friday, February 11, 2011.

Feel free to send me an email, or leave a comment here.

We are so excited to tell you that Toopy and Binoo are bringing their first live tour to Vancouver Island with shows in Victoria, Nanaimo and Duncan in January! Pre-sale tickets will be available for a very limited time, starting Tuesday, Nov. 2nd:

VICTORIA – Jan. 9 at 1pm, MacPherson Playhouse: Buy online.

NANAIMO – Jan. 10 at 6:30pm, Port Theatre:
Buy online.

DUNCAN – Jan. 11 at 6:30pm, Cowichan Theatre: Buy online.

ABOUT THE SHOW:
In a brand new live production, Koba Entertainment brings you the theatrical debut of Canada’s big sensation Toopy and Binoo!

Toopy and Binoo and the Marshmallow Moon brings to life these two fun-loving and adorable characters, whose antics are driven by their out-of-the-world imagination. Their unpredictable adventures inspire children to push their own limits!

You only get to make a first impression once! Preparing for his stage debut, Toopy has to not only find the perfect song to sing, but he also has to find the perfect place to perform it!

As Toopy and his best friend Binoo embark on their most important musical quest ever, they encounter a Blue Cat Blues Band, a Loud Mouth Crooner Fish, some Rock n’ Roll Sheep, a pair of Love Struck Dragons and many other zany characters along the way.

Entertaining and whimsical, Toopy and Binoo and the Marshmallow Moon is a fairy-tale for our times; it incorporates music, theatre, dance, puppetry and innovative multimedia technology to weave a story that will tickle the imagination of the entire family!

About Toopy and Binoo and the Marshmallow Moon
Toopy and Binoo and the Marshmallow Moon is a 90-minute theatrical production by Koba Entertainment. Led by award-winning choreographer, Patti Caplette as writer and director, our creative team includes JUNO Award winner Norman Foote as co-writer and music director; Andrew Beck as scenic designer; Luc Lavergne as video designer; and costume designs from Maydwell Mascotts, Sue Dicks Design, and Anne Armit and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet wardrobe department.

Toopy and Binoo is based on the best-selling children’s books by Dominique Jolin. The characters made their television debut in 2005 and quickly climbed into the hearts of children in hundreds of countries including Treehouse TV (Canada), Tiji (France), Rai Sat (Italy) and Sun TV (India).

Toopy & Binoo is the top-rated program for kids from 2 to 6 years old. Visit the official tour website: www.ToopyandBinooOnTour.com

At the recent Vancouver Island Baby Fair (Sept. 25 & 26, 2010 in Victoria) we were so pleased to offer a free copy of Leah Douglas’ book The Gourmet Pregnancy to the first 40 people to arrive on Sunday morning. Leah sent us this guest post:

“There are two ways to live your life. One as though nothing is a miracle. The other as though everything is a miracle.” ~ Albert Einstein

I wish I could have joined you all at the fantastic Vancouver Island Baby Fair – but my second baby (our new little miracle) arrived on September 10^th, so I needed to stick close to home.  I’ve been focused on a few important things (like taking care of my new baby and active toddler, obviously!), as well as making healthy, easy and delicious meals to keep my own body nourished and energized.

Nearing the end of my second pregnancy, I started reflecting on how focused I have been on eating healthy and diverse foods during pregnancy – and how easy it would be to forget to keep it up with all the positive dietary changes I’ve made.  Lots of other things to do!

But perhaps I can think of my health, my needs, myself as another miracle.  I would want nothing less for my own daughters, if they choose to become moms.  It is a simple shift in thinking, but one that can certainly help me maintain my commitment to nourishing and nurturing foods.

Maintaining a healthy diet during pregnancy is so important, and I tried to eat a wide variety of nutritious foods. Between cravings, food aversions and morning sickness, I made every effort to focus on a balanced diet of protein, fruits and vegetables, calcium-rich dairy products, whole grains and good fats (such as those found in fish, olive oil, avocado and nuts).

The recipes in this book really helped me avoid the stress of eating the “right” foods by focusing on the sensual tastes of sumptuous meals. They’ve all be screened by a medical doctor to ensure they are safe to eat during pregnancy.

For all you beautiful pregnant gals – you may be giving up a lot during these nine special months, so perhaps it’s time to add in some excitement and culinary adventure. I hope the positive and luxurious focus of The Gourmet Pregnancy will help you to feel posh, sexy and connected with your body, baby and partner.

As a bonus, many people believe that exposing baby to lots of foods and flavours in utero is a surefire way to have a child who is open to eating lots of different foods. So why not have some fun with gourmet cooking? Celebrate your pregnant body, pamper your palate and start loving up your kitchen!

Now that this special time has ended for me, I will still delight in small servings of delicious, fabulous food that are truly and genuinely satisfying. I will always take pleasure in preparing and eating fantastic and healthy meals, and in spending time with friends and family.  So I will continue to use these great recipes that my family has come to know and love.

Pregnant or not, so many of The Gourmet Pregnancy recipes are quick, simple, and use fresh, wholesome, and seasonal ingredients.  For Fall, you might want to try the French Fusion Onion Soup (p. 100), the Spiced Caramelized Cauliflower and Candied Curry Pecan Salad (p.110), or the Sautéed Sablefish with Eggplant Caviar (p. 128).  Yum!

The Gourmet Pregnancy is available at Chapters, Indigo, Coles, Borders, and Amazon.com, as well as select local retailers.  You can also check out our website at www.gourmetpregnancy.com for great sample recipes.

What is the best change you made to your diet while pregnant?  Did you keep it up after your baby was born?  Let me know on Twitter (@gourmetprgnancy) or on Facebook. Your suggestion could inspire a recipe in the next edition of The Gourmet Pregnancy, with your name beside it!

Cheers,

Leah Douglas

About a year ago I was honoured to win the prestigious SavvyMom Entrepreneur of the Year award – a national contest put on by the wonderful online publication SavvyMom.ca. What an incredible year it has been!

I have learned so much, and have received such amazing exposure as a business person and for my event, the Vancouver Island Baby Fair.

Now that the 2010 contest is coming to a close this weekend, I want to be sure to once again thank all the amazing friends, clients, colleagues and supporters who helped me win this contest, and who have helped make the Vancouver Island Baby Fair a wonderful event celebrating the growing family.

I’d like to thank all the Vancouver Island Baby Fair exhibitors who supported me, asked their customers to vote for me, hosted events for me at their stores to campaign at and also those who participated at the Baby Fair.

Huge thanks to all my friends, family, Twitter and Facebook friends, and all of the wonderful community on Kids In Victoria. It is because you supported me & believed in me that I was able to win this award and benefit from all the wonderful prizes.

Extra big thanks to Sarah & Minnow at SavvyMom.ca and to all the incredible businesses who provided the prizing – Ann from Clear Concept, Jeanette at Limelite PR, Martha from Canadian Nanny and Veronica from Eighty8 Online. Your wisdom and generosity has benefitted me in such a huge way. I could never thank you enough.

Please take a few minutes to browse through the amazing mom entrepreneurs who are running to become the 2010 SavvyMom Entrepreneur of the Year, and show your support by voting! Voting closes at midnight (EST) on Sunday, Sept. 12.

I can’t wait to find out who wins – as the 2009 winner, I get to mentor the winner over the coming year!

At each of our events, the Vancouver Island Baby Fair partners with a local charity to benefit from fundraising through donations at the stroller parking, face painting, and the photo contest. For the upcoming Victoria fair on September 25 & 26, 2010, we have chosen the Greater Victoria Down Syndrome Society. The following post was contributed by the GVDSS.

By Carol N.

The Greater Victoria Down Syndrome Society is thrilled to be this year’s charity of choice for the Baby Fair!  We are very excited to be able to advocate for our wonderful members, raise awareness about Down syndrome, and share in the joy and excitement of the Baby Fair with all of you!

This year we will have some art cards for sale at the booth.  The purpose of the art cards is to raise awareness about the GVDSS, while at the same time raise money to help support one of our very special programs:  Music Therapy, which is run in collaboration with Dr. Johanne Brodeur at the Victoria Conservatory of Music.

On a Personal Note:  Our Story

When our son Aidan came into our lives, many people said, “God gives these kids to special families.”  I didn’t contradict them, but I did think they had it backwards.  I felt very certain that Aidan would make us live a better life.  Now, four years later, I stand by that notion.

Aidan reminds us not to take life for granted.  He reminds us to celebrate life, give thanks for all that we’ve got, and not to sweat the small stuff.   Our family and friends rally around Aidan.

We celebrate each of his accomplishments – like walking at three years of age; trying to go potty; using sign language to communicate with us; putting words together; learning to drink from a straw; doing fingerplays and action songs; kicking a soccer ball;  cheering for his preschool teacher at circle time; and blowing a kiss to the check-out lady.

Since Aidan’s birth, I’ve had an opportunity to meet a lot of people who have a person with Down syndrome in their life.  I’m reminded that our children are all unique, and all special.  They are not cookie-cut outs of each other – they are as individual as you and me.  In each of those conversations, one thing has been consistent: not one of us would trade our children for anything; we love them just the way they are.

The Vancouver Island Baby Fair is proud to sponsor an upcoming screening of the movie “Babies” this Monday, July 26th at Cinecenta!

The presentation is brought to you by Play Victoria, with support from the Vancouver Island Baby Fair, Tall Tales Books and Mothering Touch Centre.

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Thomas Balmes, Babies simultaneously follows four babies around the world. Joyfully capturing on film the earliest stages of the journey of humanity that are at once unique and universal to us all – from birth to first steps.

Doors open at 6:30pm. The film begins at 7pm – tickets at the door.

There will be a panel discussion after the show and prize giveaways too!

The new CIBC Westshore Banking Centre is returning as an exhibitor to the upcoming Baby Fair. They joined us last year right after they opened their doors to the public, and now they’re celebrating their first birthday.

And this branch knows how to throw a party!!

Come out and celebrate CIBC Westshore Banking Centre’s 1st year anniversary!

Bring the family down to enjoy a BBQ, bouncy castles, face painting, ice cream and cake, loot bags, massages for the parents, live music by Chikoro Marimba, and other family fun activities. The fun goes from 10am to 2pm this Saturday, July 24 at 550-2945 Jacklin Road (by Superstore).

Contact Craig for more details - craig.pratt@cibc.com

Bobs and Lolo perform at the 2009 Vancouver Island Baby Fair in Victoria

I came across this article by Francois Marchand in the Vancouver Sun this week talking about how strongly British Columbia will be represented at the Juno Awards this year in the Children’s Album category. The Junos take place this weeekend – April 17-18 in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Three of the five acts nominated in the category are from B.C. – but the part we’re super happy about is that two of those three performed at the last Vancouver Island Baby Fair in Victoria! We featured both Bobs and Lolo and The Kerplunks at our 2009 event. Good luck to you both this weekend!

Here’s a quick snippet of the article:

There must be something in the water in British Columbia.

The Kerplunks perform at the 2009 Vancouver Island Baby Fair in Victoria

How else can you explain three of the five acts nominated in the Children’s album of the year category hailing from this province?

We’re not talking small fries, either.

All three — Norman Foote, Bobs & Lolo and the Kerplunks — are award-winning, internationally acclaimed, parent-approved blockbuster acts that have charmed kids of all ages all over North America.

So who has the better angle to walk away with the trophy?

Is it Foote and his Love My New Shirt? Bobs & Lolo’s Action Packed? Or the Kerplunks and Walk On?

For the full article read: B.C. acts dominate children’s album category, but who’s the toughest kid on the block?

Franklin the Turtle is coming to Vancouver Island for a series of live shows, and we’re going to give you a chance to win tickets to the shows in Victoria, Nanaimo and Campbell River!

The ticket giveaway will happen in our next e-Newsletter, going out on Wednesday, April 7 – if you don’t already receive the e-Newsletter, you can sign up using the form in the right-hand column of the blog.

Join Franklin on a quest to recover the lost “Golden Necklace” of Princess Harriet. Along the way, the gang must prove themselves worthy in an attempt to win the “Silver Shield” – the most treasured prize of knighthood.

On their crusade, they come upon all sorts of obstacles, including a fierce fire breathing dragon, 2 riddle loving Gargoyles, and a Wily Winged Beast!

Is Snail too small to be a hero? Will Beaver outwit the Gargoyles? Who will prove the mostworthy knight and win the treasured “Silver Shield”?

This musical adventure will have the whole family cheering and clapping to the original songs, music and dance as they join Franklin and his courageous friends and save the day!

Franklin The Turtle – The Adventures of the Noble Knights

Monday, April 19, 2010 – McPherson Theatre in Victoria
#3 Centennial Sq., Victoria, BC
Doors 3:00pm – Show 3:30pm
Tickets: $25.50 + s/c. Available at: McPherson Box Office, by phone: 250-386-6121 or online at www.rmts.bc.ca

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - Port Theatre in Nanaimo
125 Front St., Nanaimo, BC
Doors 3:00pm – Show 3:30pm
Tickets: $25.50 + s/c. Available at: Port Theatre Ticket Centre, by phone: 250-754-8550 or online at www.porttheatre.com

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 - Tidemark Theatre in Campbell River
1220 Shoppers Row, Campbell River, BC
Doors 3:00pm – Show 3:30pm
Tickets: $25.50 + s/c. Available at: Tidemark Theatre Ticket Centre, by phone: 250-287-7465 or online at www.tidemark-theatre.com

We were disappointing this week to learn the B.C. government decided to cancel funding for Success By 6 - an early childhood development initiative that the Vancouver Island Baby Fair has partnered with in the past. Luckily, public pressure appears to have gotten them to change their minds, so it looks like the program will still be around after all! News story here.

In 2008, Success By 6 was our charity partner, receiving a free exhibitor booth, exposure at the Vancouver Island Baby Fair and all the donations raised at the photo contest. The program is a partnership between the United Way, Credit Unions of B.C., local businesses like ours, and the provincial government. Their funding is being cut in half this year, and was to be eliminated in 2011. As of earlier this week, the government has said they’ll talk to Success By 6 and the United Way to find out just how much they need to make sure they don’t have to close down.

Not only does Success By 6 support hundreds of programs in areas like pregnancy and parenting support and early learning literacy and music programs, but they also provide an important bridge that enables the business community to become more involved in the community. Many businesses recognize the need to give back through community partnerships, but don’t always know how best to do that. Success By 6 helps to fill that gap.

We want to encourage you to write or email your MLA (look them up here) and urge them to make sure Success By 6 gets the funding they need. We haven’t seen any dollar figures or commitments for funding yet – just comments in a couple of news stories – so keep up the public pressure!