It’s back! Our most popular e-Newsletter giveaway ever is back this week… the Strider running bike from West Coast Strider Sales!

As always, this giveaway is exclusive to people who receive our e-Newsletter – a monthly inside scoop on the Vancouver Island Baby Fair –  you can be the first to know about Baby Fair announcements and we always have a giveaway to offer to subscribers only.

In recent issues, we’ve given away subscriptions to Chirp magazine and a $50 gift certificate to Abby Sprouts…

In our next e-Newsletter going out the morning of Friday, Sept. 10, we’re giving away one of these cool West Coast Strider Bikes! To sign up, fill out the form over in the right-hand column of the blog, or visit our e-Newsletter sign-up page.

Strider Running Bike

Skip the tricycle and the training wheels!
Strider running bikes are two wheeled bikes designed to allow your child to teach themselves to balance on two wheels, without the interference of pedals or chains. Weighing only 6.9 lbs and with a seat that lowers to just 11″ from the ground, children as young as 12 months up to 5 years (50 lbs) can easily handle the Strider running bike and gain the confidence they need to balance on two wheels. Stand back and watch as they teach themselves to balance. You will be amazed!  Strider running bikes come in six vibrant colors: Red, Blue, Green, Pink, Orange and Yellow.

Your preschooler can come try out a West Coast Strider bike in the Kids Corner at the upcoming Vancouver Island Baby Fair, September 25 & 26, 2010 at Pearkes Rec Centre in Victoria, but in the meantime, check out their website for full details on these great bikes!

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 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

Building Toys – The Perks

Guest post written by Carmen Markowski, Discovery Toys Team Leader

If we took a poll of everyone in North American age fifty years and younger, I wonder what percentage of people have played with Lego at some point in their life? I’m going to guess it’s somewhere between 85-95%. I think it’s safe to say, most of us have had some experience with building toys. My own brothers had a huge box of it and I can remember being around nine years old when, my little brother and I would sit for hours creating fantastic structures. It’s pretty easy to see the benefits a building toy can offer a child…fine motor skills, problem solving, creativity, cooperation (especially when you have to share the building pieces!). However, what does that mean in the day-to-day life of a child?

I feel like I understand so much more about the perks of building toys now that I’ve seen my own son go through his early years.  Luke had very busy hands as a toddler, so playing with building toys was a great release for him and a good break for me. It meant he wasn’t tearing my house apart! His first building toy was simple wooden blocks. Playing with the blocks meant he had to focus his attention for several minutes in order to complete the task of creating a structure. He was only two years old, but he definitely needed practice in this area! Building blocks were just the beginning to his career as a builder. I found he enjoyed many different building sets from ages 2-5 and spend a good portion of his play time building.

I must admit, I had a concern about Luke during those early years. Although he would sit and color once in awhile, I was hard pressed to get Luke to have an interest in writing words or printing letters. The school teacher side of me imagined my children having lots of experience in writing before entering school and unfortunately this just wasn’t the case for Luke.

Luke surprised me in his kindergarten year. His printing: neat, well-formed letters. Writing did not bring any stress to him because he found it easy! He was good at it and he enjoyed it. Coloring: he pressed hard and worked within the lines. Could it be, he was a natural in these areas? That’s always a possibility. The teacher side of me says, for a child to have some skill in writing and coloring upon entering school, they would have had lots of experience at home with writing and coloring OR doing some other activities which developed the child’s fine motor skills. Well, we know which route Luke took!

So building toys…yes, they develop fine motor skills, offer problem-solving experiences, opportunities for creativity and cooperation. They’ll also help a child focus their attention on an activity for an extended period. And should your preschooler be waiving off the pencils and crayons, it could help them develop the skills they need for printing/writing. A skill they will be expected to develop quickly upon entering our school system. Thank goodness for toys!

We would love to send out a BIG thank you to all the exhibitors, presenters, children’s performers-Will Stroet and Music With Marnie & the families who participated in the Vancouver Island Baby Fair this past weekend in Nanaimo, BC!

A huge congratulations go to Tara Smith from Campbell River BC, winner of the Expecting Parent Grand Prize and also Congrats to Maureen Luney, a soon to be grandma from Victoria, BC who won the New Parent Grand Prize! Each prize was valued over $1300 with contributions from several of our exhibitors.

Check back for info on the Photo Contest! Winners will be announced in early July!

If you missed the fair please take a look at our exhibitor list or mark the date in your calendar of our next Vancouver Island Baby Fair which takes place September 25 & 26 at Pearkes Arena in Victoria BC.

Every person who attends this weekend’s Vancouver Island Baby Fair at Beban Park in Nanaimo will have a chance to enter for free into one of two grand prize draws, plus there are great prizes to be won for participating in the Photo Contest and Baby Races!

Grand Prize #1: Expecting Parent Package – Value $1323

• Abby Sprouts – $50 Gift Certificate
• Arbonne International- $50 Gift Certificate
• Creative Memories - $100 Gift Certificate
• Etheridge Photographic - Photo Session- includes $50 print credit (Value $200)
• Gary Anaka - Book: Your magical brain: How it learns best
• Hard Candy Baby Boutique - $100 Gift Certificate
• Huckleberry Baby Shop - $50 Gift Certificate
• Hudson & Saige - $50 Gift Certificate
• Nicole Williams Photography - “1-2-3” Photography Package: Maternity, newborn & 6-12 month portrait sitting plus 8×10 enlargement & online album (Value $199)
• Organic Family Natural Home – “I am Organic” Onezie, All Natural Baby Bliss Salve, Monster Away Spray & Sun Bliss Sunscreen  (Value $57)
• Sacred Baby - Sacred Baby Pouch Sling (Value $65)
• SeaSide Studios - Portrait session, 11×14 enlargement & 10 5×7 digital prints (Value $300)
• Tokyo Baby - Leg warmers & 2 Kids Monkey Pants (Value $58)

Grand Prize #2: New Parent Package – Value $1396

• Abby Sprouts - $50 Gift Certificate
• Apples to Oranges Consulting - Selection of gluten-free, dairy-free snacks & goodies (Value $50)
• Arbonne International - $50 Gift Certificate
• Bellies In Bloom Maternity - See Kai Run Adelaide Boots (Value $54)
• Core Essentials Personal Training & Rehabilitation – One month (8 sessions) Baby Stroller Bootcamp Classes (Value $95)
• Hard Candy Baby Boutique - $50 Gift Certificate
• Mabel’s Labels - Big Combo label package (Value $55)
• Hudson & Saige - $50 Gift Certificate
• Maman Bidule - $65 Gift Certificate
• Nicole Williams Photography - Family portrait sitting, 12×18, 2 8×10 & 4 5×7 prints (Value $395)
• Oma Gosh! Designs - $50 Gift Certificate
• SeaSide Studios - Portrait session, 11×14 enlargement & 10 5×7 digital prints (Value $300)
• U-Weight Loss Clinic - U Weight Loss protein powder: Whey Vanilla Flavour (Value $60)
• West Coast Strider Sales – 1x 750ml stainless steel water bottle, 1x 250ml stainless steel water bottle and a childs size WestCoast Strider T-shirt plus $20 gift certificate (Value $50)

Baby Races Grand Prize (Saturday, June 5) – Value $285

• Arbonne International - $50 Gift Certificate
• Bellies In Bloom Maternity - See Kai Run booties- Ainsley Sandal size- 12-18 months (Value $39)
• Gary Anaka - Book: Your magical brain: How it learns best
• Mabel’s Labels – Camp/School label package (Value $34)
• Peekinz Baby - Footed playsuit with Peekinz pocket (Value $30)
• Tupperware - Divided feeding dish, sippy cup, Ideal bowl and snack cup (Value $30)
• Water’s Edge Organics - Natural wood teether & organic cotton onesie 6-12 months (Value $50)
• West Coast Strider Sales – Gift bag with Strider t-shirt, kids water bottle, adult water bottle & frisbee (Value $30)

Baby Races Grand Prize (Sunday, June 6) – Value $344

• Arbonne International - $50 Gift Certificate
• Discovery Toys - “My blankie” book & yellow fleece blanket & $10 Gift Certificate (Value $45)
• Gary Anaka - Book: Your magical brain: How it learns best
• Kit n’ Caboodle Quality Children’s Consignment - $30 Gift Certificate
• Nicole Williams Photography - Portrait sitting & 8×10 enlargement (Value $105)
• Playpants - Playpants Original Bloomers in “Sail” & “Cocoon” (Value $32)
• Tupperware - Divided feeding dish, sippy cup, Ideal bowl and snack cup (Value $30)
• West Coast Strider Sales – Gift bag with Strider t-shirt, kids water bottle, adult water bottle & frisbee (Value $30)

Plus the winner of each Baby Race heat will get a $10 Gift Certificate to Hard Candy Baby Boutique!

Photo Contest prizes

A winner will be chosen in each of two categories: 0-24 months and 2-6 years old. Winner in each category receives a $300 Portrait Package including a portrait session, 11×14 enlargement & 10 5×7 digital negatives from SeaSide Studios – our official Photo Contest photographer!

Footage shot at the 2009 Vancouver Island Baby Fair in Victoria, BC.

Many thanks to Gerry Reimer Productions for shooting and editing the video!

We are very excited to announce our upcoming giveaway in the next issue of our monthly e-newsletter going out May 5th!

Skip the tricycle and the training wheels!
Strider running bikes are two wheeled bikes designed to allow your child to teach themselves to balance on two wheels, without the interference of pedals or chains. Weighing only 6.9 lbs and with a seat that lowers to just 11″ from the ground, children as young as 12 months up to 5 years (50 lbs) can easily handle the Strider running bike and gain the confidence they need to balance on two wheels. Stand back and watch as they teach themselves to balance. You will be amazed!  Strider running bikes come in six vibrant colors: Red, Blue, Green, Pink, Orange and Yellow.

Your preschooler can come try out a West Coast Strider bike in the Kids Corner at the upcoming Vancouver Island Baby Fair, June 5 & 6 in Nanaimo but in the meantime, check out their website for full details on these great bikes!

Just in time for summer, we will be giving away one West Coast Strider bike in the colour of the winner’s choice in the May issue of our e-newsletter, “Inside the Pea Pod” so subscribe today (right hand side of our blog) for your chance to win!

We recently did some giveaways in our e-newsletter “Inside the Pea Pod” and would like to send out a BIG Congrats to:

Jennifer B. from Gold River, BC who won the Milkie’s Milk Saver from Bellies In Bloom Maternity

Leslie D. from Victoria, Chrissy W. from Duncan and Julia W. from Campbell River- Each won a pair of tickets from our recent Franklin the Turtle giveaway!

There are still tickets available at each of the upcoming Franklin shows in Victoria, Nanaimo & Campbell River! Check here for details!

In our May issue of “Inside the Pea Pod” we are giving away an awesome bike from West Coast Strider Sales. Sign up on the right hand side of our blog to receive our monthly e-newsletter & to be eligible for our exclusive prize giveaways!

I’d like to let small business owners know about a teleclass I am guest speaking at Tuesday April 13th at 1pm PST.
It is about exhibiting at events- How to choose the right one so that you are making the most of your time & advertising dollars and how to have success at the event.

Participating in a well run event can provide unique and extensive exposure for your business with a vast array of benefits

Here are some of the reasons businesses exhibit:

• To sell product

• Promote your business to your target demographic

• Collect contacts of qualified potential customers to follow up with after the fair

• Network with other business owners & exhibitors

• Reach your potential customers face to face, in real life.

• Survey & get feedback from those you are trying to reach

• Participate in any variety of pre or post fair opportunities

• Participate in any non-booth fair related opportunities for exposure

• Keep up with your competition

• Recruit reps for your business

• Benefit from the extensive marketing campaign of the event producer

• And the list goes on…

It can be a very cost effective way to spend your advertising dollars!

Once you have chosen a show that is right for your business, well advertised, well attended & organized- what do YOU need to do to achieve success for your business?
Join the teleclass to find out!

Sign up now with host Kim Page Gluckie of Mindset Marketing & Money!

I look forward to chatting with some of you!

Warmly,

Shirley Broback, Producer
Vancouver Island Baby Fair