San Francisco, How I Adore Thee

Last month, I took a trip down to California with San Francisco as my first stop. It'd been 10 years since I was last there and my circumstances had changed a lot. The first time I was a recent uni grad just itching to get away so I flew down to stay with my buddy Dan. At the time, he lived in the Mission, which sounds cool, and sort of is if you don't mind that it's also really ghetto. In fact, I still remember his strict instructions regarding taking the BART. "Make sure to get off at the second Mission stop. Fewer crackheads there." It was a week of taking in the sights (e.g., Alcatraz at night!), staying up late, frequenting bars and a lot of walking around and stumbling on uneven pavement.

Annabel at Alamo Square in front of the famous "Painted Ladies"

This time around, I went with my hubby and 18-month-old daughter Annabel. Needless to say, there were no late nights and no bars, but no crackheads either. We still did a lot of walking around, but this time with a stroller in tow. And my buddy Dan is now a married father of three so our reunion was hardly rowdy! Regardless, I still had a great time and this city by the bay remains one of my favourite places. Have a boo at my story in the Hip & Urban Girl's Guide.

Feeding Baby...Without Going Crazy

Annabel's first feeding; not sure if she's digging it!

I made the decision early on that I would at least try to make all of Annabel's baby food for nutritional and financial reasons. But that doesn't mean it was always easy especially since I'm not exactly Julia Child. Plus, Annabel is quickly becoming a bonafide Picky-Pants. Still, it was worth the effort. See my story in the May/June issue of City Palate, now on stands! (The story is on page 20, and be sure to use the zoom tool at the top of the screen.)

Baby Saver

Annabel, fresh outta the womb!

When I was pregnant, I continually fretted about the baby coming early. All any parent really wants is to have a healthy baby, and the earlier a baby arrives, the more health challenges tag along for the ride. A few of my friends have had preemie babies, and while the kids are all doing great now, thank goodness, I don't envy them the incredible stress and worry of having a tiny human, often struggling to survive. Lucky for me, Annabel arrived the day after her due date.

That's why I was so pleased I had the chance to interview Dr. Carolyn McGregor for a story for the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). Wow, talk about an inspiring lady! Her life's work will help to save the lives of many preterm babies with the amazing software she has developed in partnership with IBM. Check it on the CFI's newly redesigned site. (Actually, the site is not yet completely finalized so please forgive any hiccups you may find.)

Also, have a look-see at the IBM commercial inspired by McGregor's research.

Follow @setoc on Twitter

Image from tweepi.com

Yes, I have finally joined the Twitterverse! Please follow me @setoc and share your thoughts and opinions too! Love to hear from my peeps, I mean, Tweeps.

Spring has sprung! Sort of...

The first day of spring  has come and gone, but Old Man Winter is still clinging on. Despite the recent dump of snow we've had, I'm still keen to get Annabel outdoors. Going for a family walk with the pup is one of our favourite activities, and frankly, one of the main reasons we moved to the country. We love the fresh air, and it's fun pointing out all the trees and wildlife (or neighbourhood dogs) to Annabel.

Annabel out for her first sled ride.

Plus, there are so many other benefits to getting to your kids outside. Have a read in my latest Canadian Living story. And then, go outside!

U of C Memories

Image from ucalgary.ca

The year was 1999. I was in my final year of communications studies at the University of Calgary when I had the good fortune of landing an internship with what was then called arch, the U of C's alumni magazine, with then-editor Charlene Rooke. The mag didn't have an official internship; I just emailed Charlene and asked her to put me to work. And thankfully, she did. I learned a lot about writing from Charlene--one of Canada's best magazine writers and editors. I'm still grateful to her to this day. It was during that time that I fully realized my passion for the written word and that I could actually make a living as a writer. Plus I loved seeing my name in print. Hundreds, if not thousands, of bylines later, it's still not old.

This is just one of many fond memories I have of my alma mater. So it felt good to write for arch's latest incarnation, U magazine, and profile a few fellow alumni: Adam Legge, Christine Klassen and Deborah Herringer Kiss, who are also carrying out their life's work here in Cowtown. Check out U's Winter 2012 issue.

Make-Believe: Not Just Child's Play

Do you remember playing make-believe as a child? I sure do. Some days I was a daring superhero; others a fairytale princess; still others a famous superstar. Little did I know then that all that play was in fact preparing me for my adult life. Okay, maybe the superstar days don't have that much application, but make-believe play is actually critical to developing important life skills. And they don't just stop at childhood. We continue to use make-believe as adults when we mentally play out various scenarios. I explore this topic for Canadian Living and it was quite an eye-opener. So when Annabel starts dressing up and playing with imaginary friends, I'll know that it's all good.