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In Calgary, Central Alberta, Edmonton, Events, From the Editors, Lifestyle, Northern Alberta, Parenting, Random Thoughts, Rocky Mountains, Rural Journeys, Southern Alberta, Working Mama

An 12 Year Olds Take On YouthWrite

Hi! My name is Hayden Reeve!

You might recognize my last name as I am the daughter of one of the Mamas! I am going to tell you about my experience at YouthWrite®. For a little introduction, it is a non-profit organization with camps for children who love to write. There is also a separate camp for adults who also enjoy writing! Today though, we are going to be discussing the camp for, well, youth! 

Something that I think is quite important and an absolutely excellent characteristic about YouthWrite is the fact that they have a figuratively speaking, bubble type of deal around them.

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In Lifestyle, Parenting, Working Mama

Rediscovering Myself (how I got out of an 8 year mom-life rut)

The day I received the phone call to come and sub at my children’s school it dawned on me I hadn’t been in a classroom for 8.5 years! I had gone in to do Islamophobia sessions and worked with my own children but hadn’t done a whole school day since before my eldest was born. 

I hadn’t planned to be a stay-at-home mom for that period of time. It just happened that way. I’m sure people wonder what kept me at home for so long. I was just so attached to my kids. I didn’t feel comfortable sending her to daycare. There is nothing wrong with daycare but I just couldn’t do it.

When I felt I was just about ready to get back to work and she was in school full time, we had our second. So I started that whole process all over again. 

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In Faith 101, Lifestyle, Working Mama

Tips for Being a Great Ally to Your Muslim Co-workers/Friends During Ramadan

The beauty of our great province of Alberta is most evident in the diversity and uniqueness of Albertans. Albertans come from all corners of the Earth. They come from different cultural and religious backgrounds.

At sundown on March 22, over 115,000 Muslim Albertans will begin observing the Holy Month of Ramadan. This is a month of heightened spirituality which includes prayer, reading Qur’an, fasting, and giving charity. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. This means Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, intimacy, and worldly desires during those hours. Also, Muslims are expected to control their tempers and behaviors.

If you want to be a good Ally, Ramadan is a great time to start. As you can imagine, fasting such long hours can take a toll on your co-workers. Although they will do their best to maintain their work, their energy, and their friendly personality they may need a little support from you.

How can you support your Muslim Coworkers? Here are some pointers to help you out.

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In Charity Spotlight, Edmonton, Events, Lifestyle, Parenting, Random Thoughts, Working Mama

Growing a baby (and a Festival) in a pandemic

In June 2020, I found myself pregnant with my second child. I rolled my eyes at becoming a part of the now famous “Covid-baby club.” It’s a popular club for a reason and I was now a happy member.

We had just recently and successfully hosted our 8th annual SkirtsAfire Festival in March, about a week before the lockdowns began. I remember enjoying the spring and the start of summer, feeling optimistic that in a month or two, things would return to normal and we would all get back to our festival city as planned. Then slowly but surely, things started getting postponed, then canceled, and our case numbers took a sharp turn for the worse.

Through it all, as I grew this baby mostly isolated to my home, we planned for SkirtsAfire 2021: a return to indoor in-person performances in a safe way.
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In Lifestyle, Random Thoughts, Working Mama

Hibernate and Chill

Hey Alberta, it’s flipping COLD! And with COVID there is no escaping the frigid temperatures so I need to come clean.

I’ve become a binger. There is nothing I like better than escaping into someone else’s made up, or in the case of reality TV, escalated DRAMA. I thought I would share with you what I have been enjoying and maybe, you’d like to share as well!

By myself mindless escape

Bridgerton – I’m a crazy fanatic for the age this is set in. With the music and the naughty bits, it’s just divine. I’ve heard people say it didn’t live up to their expectations – so, go into it with only escape in mind.

Selling Sunset – I might have a small girl crush on Chrishell. It’s like a mix of the best real estate shows you’ve watched with the drama of Housewives.

Emily In Paris – Again, not the most titillating of story twists, but hey, it’s in PARIS.

Bling Empire – Have you watched Crazy Rich Asians? This one is just fun!

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In Lifestyle, Parenting, Random Thoughts, Working Mama

Free Resource: Fueling Brains

Yesterday the team at Fueling Brains reached out to Alberta Mamas about the platform they’ve launched in Calgary. You can check it out at www.FuelingBrains.com.

It’s an online tool for educators and parents, meant to support early childhood learning of your kids. They’ve been working in the child care space for nearly a decade as Kids U and they’ve put together a toolbox of activities and parenting resources based on the work of their educators and researchers.

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In Calgary, Central Alberta, Edmonton, Lifestyle, Northern Alberta, Parenting, Random Thoughts, Rocky Mountains, Rural Journeys, Southern Alberta, Working Mama

COVID-19 : 7 Guidelines for Parents Sharing Custody

Author: Lorraine Mlambo is an Edmonton based Family Lawyer.

COVID-19: Guidelines For Parents Sharing Custody

Like a thief in the night, we never saw this coming. The Covid-19 pandemic is the unseen common enemy that has wreaked unprecedented havoc around the world, leaving a trail of disaster, deaths, uncertainty, and confusion. This pandemic will undoubtedly pose a challenge for parents who are already separated or going through a separation and sharing custody during COVID-19.  To help parents through these trying times, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) have issued the following helpful guidelines:

BE HEALTHY.

Comply with all CDC and local and state guidelines and model good behavior for your children with intensive hand washing, wiping down surfaces and other objects that are frequently touched, and maintaining social distancing. This also means BE INFORMED. Stay in touch with the most reliable media sources and avoid the rumor mill on social media.

 

BE MINDFUL.

Be honest about the seriousness of the pandemic but maintain a calm attitude and convey to your children your belief that everything will return to normal in time. Avoid making careless comments in front of the children and exposing them to endless media coverage intended for adults. Don’t leave the news on 24/7, for instance. But, at the same time, encourage your children to ask questions and express their concerns and answer them truthfully at a level that is age appropriate.

BE COMPLIANT WITH COURT ORDERS AND CUSTODY AGREEMENTS.

As much as possible, try to avoid reinventing the wheel despite the unusual circumstances. The custody agreement or court order exists to prevent endless haggling over the details of timesharing. In some jurisdictions there are even standing orders mandating that, if schools are closed, custody agreements should remain in force as though school were still in session.

BE CREATIVE.

At the same time, it would be foolish to expect that nothing will change when people are being advised not to fly and vacation attractions such as amusement parks, museums and entertainment venues are closing all over the US and the world. In addition, some parents will have to work extra hours to help deal with the crisis and other parents may be out of work or working reduced hours for a time. Plans will inevitably have to change. Encourage closeness with the parent who is not going to see the child through shared books, movies, games and FaceTime or Skype.

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In Parenting, Random Thoughts, Working Mama

This Is 40 Patina

I will be 40 this year.

I’ve have heard that some people have a “scary” age. One that they just don’t look forward to and I always thought mine was 40, but now that I’m here – not so much.

In my 20’s I was crazy.

Farm girl gone to the big city, that first taste of freedom and ALL the mistakes. I had no idea who I was, what I wanted to be and absolutely no self esteem. I hung out with the wrong people, and dated the wrong guys, but really, came out on the other side smarter for all of it. I think of these years as my “test drive”

In my 30’s, I was better?

Gone was most of the crazy, I was married for a bit by then, had my kids and life just kinda went on. I started to come into my worth. My friend circle got smaller, but much more valuable. Towards the end of this decade here, I can honestly say I like myself more than I have my whole life.

I work with the younger generation and I hear them lamenting about turning 23, or 27 or whatever it is and I just keep telling them that they’re coming up on the best years of their lives. I tell them, believe in yourself, love yourself, be kind to yourself, life keeps going and really we just get more awesome.

The way I look at it is, I’m a Classic.

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In Edmonton, Health, Parenting, Random Thoughts, Working Mama

Anxiety Strikes…..Again

My anxiety seemed to be managed and I was doing so well for a long time.

Well, you know how that goes. Life happens. Family issues pop up, especially around the holidays. I got busy and missed a few days of my medication and boom. The insecurities, the irrational thinking, the fear, all come on and it feels like I’m drowning again.

And you would THINK you would notice this in yourself but in my case I didn’t. I had to have a friend give a good swift kick and say – Ok, what’s up – you haven’t been like this in a long time. Then it dawns on me, and I remember missing days. And my Dr. has said that particularly stressful times will make my anxiety “flare up” but there is also the issue of time.

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