A Comfy Surprise--Two New Bravado Designs Nursing Bras

Thank you Bravado Designs!

Last week, when I got a little sentimental about retiring my very first nursing bra, I thought I'd post it on Instagram. The words kept coming as I was captioning the photo, so I decided to write a blog post. Bravado Designs, the maker of the simple leopard print bra that I've worn the heck out over for the past five & a half years, contacted me after they saw my posts. & the lovely ladies of Bravado Designs offered to give me a couple of new ones!

This was amazing because, A. who doesn't like to get a lovely new bra? & B. I'm still breastfeeding Bronte, but I've lost enough weight that my other go-to bras are a bit big--the Bravado Bliss Nursing Bra & the Allure Nursing Bra. They're both in great shape despite about four years of heavy use, by the way. I can't remember when exactly, but I know I bought both while I was still nursing Linnaeus.

Friday the bras arrived on my doorstep via courier: a new Original Nursing Bra, in leopard print, naturally, plus a Body Silk Seamless Yoga Bra in heather grey. I immediately tried on the Yoga Bra & I kid you not, the claim that it's the most comfortable nursing bra in the world is absolutely true. It's really soft & stretchy, with a slightly wider back that has three hooks. The straps are really adjustable & it has the signature one-handed clasps to open each side for breastfeeding. Another feature that I particularly like is that it's lightly padded (easily removable) for a nice smooth look under a t-shirt. Especially since losing over 20 pounds, I like a little extra in my bras. It's also kind of awesome on those days every month when my nipples get sore.

I could go on & on about how much I love Bravado bras. & it's not just because I'm excited to be gifted two: I've bought four of their nursing bras as well as a nursing tank, plus half a dozen pairs of their underwear too. They aren't the lowest priced nursing bras out there (the Original is $37, the Bliss, Yoga & Allure are $55-60 but that's a great deal for a comfortable, easy to use nursing bra that will last you from the sore-boobs-bra-wearing-24/7-last-trimester stage through newborn-growth-spurt-cluster-feeding-sore-nipple-madness, super-distractible-baby-where-lightning-reflexes-pop-those-nipples-back-in-quick, & crazy-toddler-gymnurstics phase.

Thanks again, Bravado Designs!

By the way, if you heart your Bravado bra too, & want to spread the love on social media, use the hashtags #BeComfortable & #BravadoYoga. :)



Disclaimer: Bravado Designs gave me two bras but I was not asked to write a review.

Follow Spokesmama here too:

Spokesmama Gift Guide: 5 DIY Gifts for Under $20

I'm sure there are a few people on your shopping list who like to make stuff, right? Most kids seem to need a creative outlet, whether it's building blanket forts, painting pictures, or creating their own jewellery. & I know so many adults who have taken up various crafting pursuits in the past few years. So I thought I'd put together a list of some creative gift ideas for you, all under $20.

Weavy Loops kit

There are several different types of kits with everything you need to make bracelets, or keychains, or headbands, or necklaces knotted & woven & braided out of colourful silky cord. The kits are designed for kids age six plus, & are great for developing fine motor control. We got to try one out recently & it was fun!

There are tons of different things you can do with the kits & many many video tutorials online--check out the official Weavy Loops YouTube channel to start with.

Weavy Loops kits start at $15, or $5 for cord refill kits.

Tula Pink Coloring Book

I'm sure you've heard of the recent colouring trend for adults, right? There are tons of different books out there, but the Tula Pink one has particularly gorgeous designs in it. Anyone with a quilting background will recognize the name Tula Pink, as she's an incredible textile designer. Wrap up a copy with a package of pencil crayons or markers, & this makes a wonderful gift.

I reviewed another book by the same publishers, the Stress Less Coloring Book here, if you'd like to read more about how much fun it is to colour.

The Tula Pink Coloring Book retails for about $13 & is available at tons of stores as well as online.

Holiday Crafts: 50 Projects for Year-Round Family Fun

Christmas time it seems the crafting hits a peak, but what can you do the rest of the year? As the title promises, Holiday Crafts is about ALL the holidays through the year, not just Christmas, so this book will still be relevant after December 25. This is a great starting point for making crafts with kids if yours are young or you are more of a beginner yourself.

Check out my review for more details on Holiday Crafts: 50 Projects for Year-Round Family Fun.

The paperback book is $20, but if you get the ebook edition of Holiday Crafts, you can also pick up a whole set of craft supplies (popsicle sticks, foam, eyes, paper, etc) from a dollar store near you to make everything in the book.

Brilliant Bee Crayons

For the youngest DIYer on your list, you could pick up a beautiful smelling set of non-toxic beeswax crayons & (I saw these on for $15 at Welk's General Store in my neighbourhood). They're also triangular which encourages the development of a proper pencil grip, but also doesn't roll off the table.

Add to the crayons a sketchbook like the simple paperback ones that fold nice & flat from Collage Collage, et voila, you have a great gift for a little artist. The sketchbooks start at $4.

Colibri Snack Bag

Reusable snack bags are a great way to do litterless lunches but for a Christmas gift? Well, Colibri makes a line of colour your own snack bags that would be awesome stocking stuffers. I spotted the fun space themed prints at Welk's recently. They were $8 for the larger size (perfect for a big sandwich in a lunch box). Pick up a set of & fabric markers to the little aliens & astronauts & you have a great gift for a boy or girl on your list.



Disclaimer: I received a Weavy Loops kit, the Tula Pink colouring book, & Holiday Crafts for free to facilitate these reviews. I was not compensated in any other way, & the opinions above are my own, as always! 

Follow Spokesmama here too:

Screen Diet

Using the smart board at school

I read an article lately which suggested that too much screen time can cause kids to have behaviour issues that look a lot like ADHD. I'm a bit skeptical, but it got me thinking. I have noticed that the days Linnaeus watches more videos, his behaviour is worse. Especially when we're trying to peel him away from the screen.

He wasn't watching a ton of shows--we don't have a TV, it was just a few 12-minute episodes of Chirp, Pingu, or whatever on the laptop. But it was usually every day. & some days, when I was more tired, it was several hours.

So I thought we'd try a month with no screen time for him at home. He does get a little at school--how much depends on if you could smart board use--but we've cut him off, cold turkey, from Youtube & the occasional app on my phone.

Our Top 15 Family Activities for the Holiday Season

It's a month away from Christmas! Time to make a list to remind me of the fun holiday activities--other than seeing family & friends--that I don't want to forget to do.

Here's what I'd like to get around to this holiday season:

Eastside Culture Crawl with Little Kids

We Culture Crawled! (L exempted himself from the family selfie)

This year, we finally made it to the Eastside Culture Crawl, after a few years' children-induced hiatus. If you haven't heard of it before, the Crawl is a four day celebration of East Vancouver art & artists. Hundreds of artists tidy up their studios & throw open their doors to the public every November. It's free & it's a great way to see some of the amazing art that's happening right here in our community, as well as a great chance to bring some home. & you don't need to be rich to buy art--prices start at $2!

We dragged our five-year-old & two-year-old, kicking & screaming at times, through the labyrinthine studios at 1000 Parker, a few in the Mergatroyd Building right after parking our bikes at the Bicycle Valet, & two in the Hamilton Bank Building.

Family Portraits with Images by Bethany

I'm so pleased with the results of our family portrait mini session with Bethany Schiedel. We got the images back last week & it took me a few days to decide which ones we wanted to print. Here are our favourite images:

Goodbye, Old Friend

Goodbye, old friend.

The last few times I've put on this bra, I keep noticing the holes along the elastic getting bigger. I've been meaning to repair it, but while doing a closet purge & really looking at it, I realize this bra's a little beyond that point now. It's time to say goodbye.

Why so nostalgic about an undergarment? Well...

Back in the summer of  2010, close to ready to pop

This Bravado nursing bra has been with me through the awkward nights of sleep during two pregnancies, two newborns worth of midnight feedings, low milk supply both times, countless breastfeeding clinic visits, nearly a year total of daily pumping, thrush infections, finally making enough to exclusively breastfeed, nursing in public the first time, tiny sharp toothed bites, toddler gymnurstics, mom & baby fitness classes, many tears of frustration, & more happy moments.

I'm sad the bra won't make it until I finish breastfeeding; Bronte is nowhere near ready to wean. Between her & Linnaeus, I've now breastfed over 55 months. Add to that the time I wore it to bed during my last trimesters & I've worn this comfy little bra (along with several others) for five & a half years.

So goodbye, my old friend. Or... maybe this is the sort of thing I should keep to show my grandchildren? Ha!

Follow Spokesmama here too:

O Christmas Tree Bike Ride

Photo: GoToVan on Flickr

Kick off the holiday season with a bike ride to the 2015 Vancouver Christmas Tree Lighting!

The Vancouver Christmas Tree Lighting is happening on Friday December 4th at Jack Poole Plaza. I don't know how I didn't know about this, as it's been going on for nine years. They'll be illuminating four magnificent trees--one is 50 feet tall!--with holiday lights. This is a family-friendly event featuring live entertainment, music, plus free cookies & hot chocolate, local food trucks & fun activities for kids. You'll have a chance to visit Santa there, & you can also stop by the Canada Post station to write a letter to him.

Wordless Wednesday

The wind blew the clouds away for our bike ride home from school

Follow Spokesmama here too:

Book Review: Wild Eats & Adorable Treats | Animal Inspired Meals & Snacks for Kids

I'm sure you've seen the gorgeous bento lunches & adorable snacks on Pinterest, where moms spend what must be ages making their kids' food into all sorts of fanciful creatures. I bet you, like me, have looked at those & scoffed, "Ain't NOBODY got time for that!"

But. In the few instances where I have spent a few seconds extra making banana slices into mice, or toast into bear faces, the kids really loved it. Maybe it's because my kids are generally served exactly what we're eating; they don't usually get any special meals. In any case, it is fun when you've got a bit of time on the weekend for a fun breakfast or you want to suprise them in their lunch box at school, to make their food cute. Inviting your kids into the kitchen to make the food critters can be even more fun, since they're more likely to actually eat something they've had a hand in making.

Review: Ring It! by Blue Orange Games

Ring It! fun with Papa

The weather is getting cooler, wetter & we're heading to the park a bit less often these days. With more indoor play, the puzzles, building toys, & board games are seeing more action at our house. We've recently added a new one to our collection: Ring It! by Blue Orange Games.

Ring It! is a fairly simple game with a set of 90 round cards & a bell. Game play is a bit like War or Snap: you need to match cards with other players, either the numbers on the cards, or the colour.

What makes Ring It! different, & a little more fun, is that you need to do an action (clapping, or you can come up with something else like oinking) before ringing the bell. The game works with two to nine people, age five & up, though I think younger kids who know their numbers could do it too.

The Velocipede Races: Back a YA Novel on Kickstarter

I recently heard about a Kickstarter project that piqued my interest: The Velocipede Races. Emily June Street has penned a feminist steampunk novel, in which an 18 year old is forbidden from bicycle racing. Elly Blue, a feminist bike zine publisher extraordinaire, is spearheading the project, using Kickstarter to fund the printing of the novel.



I've backed Pedal Zombies, a hilarious speculative fiction anthology edited by Elly Blue recently, as well as reviewed the fabulous how-to book she wrote, Everyday Bicycling: How to Ride a Bike for Transportation (Whatever Your Lifestyle). So when I heard about this novel, I needed to add it to my collection & immediately forked over my $15 to back it. The novel was fully funded within a week, so it's a sure thing at this point. You can still back it to get a copy of the book, as well as an assortment of other goodies like signed copies, other books by Emily June Street.

Hiking with Arthritis: Urban Poling Nordic Poles Review

My first urban test of the Activator poles

When I went to my OASIS clinic assessment with a physiotherapist, she recommended I try Nordic pole walking so that I could take some of the weight off my arthritic hip. I was a bit skeptical at first, but I tested some out at the clinic & noticed a big difference, even when just using them in a short hallway. I registered for the OASIS pole walking class to get more information & have a chance to try them out for a more extended period of time.

If you're not familiar with Nordic poles--they're also called trekking poles or exerstriding poles--they're much like cross country ski poles, but with rubber tips that fit over the metal points so they can be used on pavement in the city too. Using two poles, rather than one cane, means better posture & balance. Putting some weight on my arms takes enough pressure off my hip (apparently about 30%) that I can walk without pain.

4 Ways You Can Help Syrian Refugees in Vancouver

Today is Remembrance Day, a time to remember those lives lost to war. We wear poppies, we drop some coins in the veterans' jars, we attend ceremonies, but I think we can do more. What better way to honour the dead than to sit down & figure out what you can do to help the victims of war today? Specifically the Syrian refugees that are coming to Canada in the next two months.

The Syrian Refugee Crisis has dominated the headlines in Canada & there's been a lot of debate out there because of the short timeline: bringing 25,000 people to Canada by January 1st is ambitious. But we've done it before: Canada brought in 50,000 Vietnamese refugees in 1979 & 1980, many of them in a very short time frame.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

It's likely that a large number of the Syrian refugees will come here to Vancouver, which is going to require major community support to make it work. That means you, me, our family, neighbours, & friends need to help. 

So what can we do?
The Immigrant Services Society of BC is a great place to start. ISS provides a variety of support services for both immigrants & refugees to help them get settled, find careers & learn all they need to know about starting their new lives in Canada. Through their dedicated staff, volunteers & community partners (like the Mount Pleasant Family Centre Society's Circles of Care & Connection Early Years Refugee program), they provide settlement, education & employment services for over 25,000 clients every year.

ISSofBC is the largest agency of its kind in Western Canada, with targeted programs for refugees, women, children, & youth, plus support services in over 45 languages. Their programs & services are available throughout Metro Vancouver, Squamish & the Okanagan.

Here are four concrete things you can do:

1. Volunteer with ISS. If you live in the areas mentioned above, & you have at least two hours a week to spare, you can volunteer. Lead a conversation circle, help out with admin work, be a settlement helper for individuals & families, provide crisis counselling if you're trained--there are lots of jobs.
2. Offer housing. If you have a spare room, a rental suite downstairs, or even a whole house available, add yourself to the list of potential rental housing here. Refugees do receive a (small) housing allowance to cover rent.
3. Provide employment opportunities. If you own or manage a business, consider hiring a newcomer. 
4. Give money. You can donate to the ISS refugee sponsorship fund or the ISS Welcome House facility. This amazing facility will combine many of the services & programs, as well as short term housing for newcomers to Canada, all in one place in East Vancouver. (you may have seen the construction site at East 10th Ave & Victoria Drive--that's it!)

If you have any questions about volunteering, offering housing, employment, or donations to ISS, you can contact them via email, phone, or in person at their offices.

Follow Spokesmama here too: