It’s no secret, we like the Calgary Zoo! We’ve written about it a few times, each with new information, because the place is just plain awesome. My husband, kiddo and I headed to the zoo last week and spent 5 solid hours traversing one of Calgary’s most popular family destinations. We think there’s a million reasons why you would want to visit the zoo, but here’s my top must sees.
If you’re looking for festivals to attend in Alberta this summer, the Days of Yore festival definitely needs to be on your list. So dress up in your favourite period costume and mark your calendars.
Taking place August 3rd & 4th in Didsbury, AB (between Red Deer and Calgary) at Rosebud Park the Days of Yore festival is a family-friendly festival that takes you back in time to watch reenactments from:
Other activities at the festival include sing-a-longs, storytelling, live music, an Artisan Alley for you to shop for heritage arts and traditional crafts, as well as delicious food from the canteen.
You can also explore the Medieval Stick Pony Maze which is new to the festival this year and don’t forget the BIG CANNONS!
You can find the Days of Yore festival at Rosebud Park which is at the East end of Didsbury. The hours of operation are 11 am – 5 pm on both days and admission is $6 for 13+, $3 for 6-12 yrs and children 5 and under are free.
Some vendors at the festival will be able to take credit or debit however having cash on hand is always best. If you require a bank machine, there are several ATMs in Didsbury for you to access.
For more information about the Days of Yore festival visit www.mountainviewartssociety.ca/daysyore/
Both a Stay at Home mom and an entrepreneur mom running my business called Momentum Health & Wellness.
# of Kids? Ages?
I have 3 daughters: 6 year old and 4 year old twins! I’m not sure who’s going to need a holiday when they are teenagers … my husband or myself!
What movie makes you cry?
The Notebook makes me cry every time!
Tell us about a mom/dad who inspires you?
My mom inspired me.
She passed away from a brain tumour when I was 7 years old. I don’t have a lot of memories of her, but what I do remember is that she was a strong, kind and loving lady who fought till the bitter end for her life and still made time for her 5 children despite having cancer. So on the days where I feel like I’m failing or struggling, I think of her strength and realize life is too short to worry about the small things and to live each day to its fullest.
What’s the fondest memory you have of your life as a mom/dad so far? The biggest challenge?
My fondest memory of being a mom so far is watching my daughters grow. Watching them learn new skills, observing how they solve a problem on their own and listening to their giggles when they play a new game they made up!
My greatest challenge being a mom so far is parenting 3 children differently. No one warns you about this when you decide to have more than 1 child!!
Would you rather be able to see 10 minutes into your own future or 10 minutes into the future of anyone but yourself? Why?
I wouldn’t see 10 minutes into the future of myself or anyone else. I am trying to be more present with my life and live for right now, in this moment, and appreciate all the little things around me.
You and your oldest child switch bodies for an hour. What do they do? What do you do?
If my oldest daughter (6 year old) and I would switch bodies for an hour, she would make herself a hot chocolate with all the marshmallows she could fit in the cup, drive my vehicle to the nearest 7-11 and buy herself a slurpee, then she would would pick her own show to watch in my bedroom. (She was pretty happy to answer that question!
I would colour a picture, ask for a snack and take a nap!
Rachelle Howse is a mom to 3 young girls and owner of Momentum Health and Wellness in Edmonton, Alberta. She has a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and over 12 years of experience in the fitness industry working as a Certified Exercise Physiologist and Pre & Post Natal Fitness Specialist. She started her company to inspire and educate others about fitness and wellness. Her goal is to create a community of prenatal and postnatal women who support one another through their health and wellness journey as well as educating families on the importance of creating a healthy environment at home and being a positive role model for their children.
Visit Rachelle atwww.momentumhealthandwellness.ca, reach out to her at rachelle@momentumhealthandwellness.ca, and follow her on Facebook or Instagram for motivation and inspiration!
I enlisted the help of my kids for this one – they were more than happy to break out their electronics for this research! My daughter even suggested bringing her phone in the car to really put it through the paces. Smart cookie right? HA!
My daughter is 9, and my son is 7 so these apps are a few of their faves. They use them on long road trips and trust me, I don’t let allow them hours and hours of electronics – there is a whole wide world to look at as we drive by, but this certainly helps keep the fighting down to a minimum in that back seat.
I remember my Mom saying that no matter what kind of melt down the kids are having, water solves everything. In my 10 years of parenting (I know it’s not much yet but give me a bit of street cred. I’ve so far survived sleepless nights, potty training, teething, first days of school, and homework frustrations.) I have found this to be true.
If a child is grumpy give them bubbles or stick them in water. It is a no fail trick in our house.
It can be a lot of water such as a lake when we’re camping, a pool day, or a walk by the river. It can be a little bit of water like a bathtub, playing in the sink and “washing” all their toy cars, or running through a sprinkler.
No matter what the water is; a bit of water will help distract and calm anyone. It is where we have had our best conversations, it tires them out making bedtimes easier and more relaxing and there is just something tranquil and calming about being near it. It allows for quiet.
And then there are the bubbles.
Enough said. You don’t even need actual bubbles to calm down a child. You can just try to say it together. I promise after trying three times you will both be giggling again.
If you actually have bubbles on hand blowing the bubbles is a great way to take deep breaths. This is especially useful if you have younger kids. Trying to explain to them deep breaths is hard but if you tell a three year old to blow bubbles, chances are they will happily do it.
We’re always looking for more Parenting Hacks. What works for your family? Let us know OR become an Alberta Mama contributor here.
Deanne Ferguson is the owner of Box Social Event Planning. When she is not planning fun, family, friendly events she is finding the yummiest food for the Edmonton Home and Garden Show Food Stage. She loves her #cocktailsMonday dates with her husband and chasing around her two boys. You can find her at @DeanneFerguson on Instagram and @BoxSocialYEG on Twitter
