Cool Products and Stuff Blog for Canadian Moms

Kids Fitness is SO COOL!

This is one of those ideas that I heard about and thought, "why didn't I think of that?!" and it is definitely one that is long overdue. Holly Bond came up with the idea for Bulldog Interactive Fitness, a high-tech fitness club geared toward kids 8-17, when her own son started to gain weight. 

Startled by the staggering obesity statistics, Holly began to research this epidemic. Holly's research consisted of informal chats with her kids, their friends and parents about all aspects of their lives. What she began to realize was that there was nothing on the market that appealed to their interests - video games, movies, music - and that the majority of the communication surrounding obesity and exercise was directed at parents, not kids. 

Holly knew that these were smart kids and that the only way to motivate them was to speak their language and create an environment that was about them, not their parents.  Empower these kids with options that were relevant and working out may seem more appealing.

Bulldog Interactive Fitness uses the very same machines that society blames for making kids fat to help solve the problem. As Holly says, "Bulldog Interactive Fitness combines the best of their world, with the best of our world".  Bulldog sourced out exercise equipment that utilizes Sony PS2 and Microsoft Xbox to get kids moving. There is a rotating climbing wall, DDR dance machines, and a virtual reality training simulator. 

So cool you want to join? No such luck. Bulldog only accepts members between the ages of 8 and 17. Although Bulldog is Nova Scotia based they will be opening franchises across the country soon.

Urbanmoms.ca is excited to welcome Holly as our Kids Fitness Expert.  Holly will be a regular contributor to the Urban Parents section so keep your eyes open for information on keeping your kids fit and healthy!

Please comment below or email me with ideas for this section.

Jen

How Sweet it is!

This is not an advertisement. At urbanmoms.ca we like to tell you about cool products and stuff that our team or our members love! We will let you know if it is an ad.

Recently I stumbled upon a great online resource for urban dwellers called sweetspot.ca.  This website provides time-strapped members with daily emails, or Sweet Nothings, to keep us in-the-know.  The Sweet Nothings cover a variety of topics from the practical, like how to remove sweat stains from the armpits of your t-shirts (Sunlight Soap...who knew?!), to hot new local shops and clubs. The site and emails are targeted to urban dwellers in Toronto, Montreal, and now in Vancouver. I love getting the Sweet Nothing. I am surprised at how many of the topics are actually of interest to me. The messages are sound bites of information, no more than is needed but enough to get the facts.

Another interesting tid-bit about sweetspot.ca is that it was founded by a female entrepreneur.  Joanna Track launched the site in June of 2004 for Toronto, added Montreal in April 2005, and has just recently launched in the Vancouver market. After working in the urban Mecca of New York City, Joanna realized a gap in the Toronto market for trend focused emails. Being the go-to-gal for all of her pals, she knew that this was a great way to live out her entrepreneurial dream.

Joanna has lots of experience in business and marketing and it shows. Her emails are right on the money, full of information you can't get anywhere else and packaged in a way that feels more like a helpful note from a friend. The email subject lines peak your curiosity and usually give you a pretty good idea of what's inside. I think sweetspot.ca's Sweet Nothings are a must for any urban dweller, mom or not!

Please let me know what you think by clicking on the comments button below or send me an email.

Jen

Music for the Modern Mom

This is not an advertisement. At urbanmoms.ca we like to tell you about cool products and stuff that our team or our members love! We will let you know if it is an ad.

I recently received an email from Janelle, an urbanmoms.ca member from Toronto, singing the praises of this new band, Mother Inc. She described the music as "witty and satirical with true insight" and was convinced that "the music and the subject matter will resonate with any modern mom". 

This definitely peaked my interest so I started to do a little digging on Mother Inc. What I found was an album and a partnership that is the result of 20 years of friendship and life experience. Mother Inc. consists of two friends, 30-something New York moms Yvonne Force Villareal and Sandra Hamburg.

Mother, Inc. is both a nearly twenty-year-old project, and something brand new. Now in their late 30’s,Yvonne and Sandra draw on a huge range of life experience — from ambition and naivete, to aging and Motherhood — to create surprisingly deep, complex, and rich pop music. The topics range from plastic surgery, weight awareness, and post-partum depression. There is an edge to the music and lyrics which cuts through to create a message that is genuine and true.

In early February 2005 the group teamed with FENDI to present the debut performance of the new songs at an exclusive pre-Fashion Week show at New York's Marquee. The album has now been released and Mother Inc.'s schedule is jam packed with gigs across the U.S.

I am sure that any modern mother can find a tune on this album they can relate to. The humour softens the blow of some of these tough subjects but also forces the listener to step back and get perspective. Mother Inc.'s new CD is a must have in any urban mom's music repetoire.

Please share your comments below or send me an email.

Jen