momcafe event – Agents for Change in the Corporate World

Featured Speakers
Rebecca Clapperton, Manager of Diversity at BC Hydro
Sarah Fowles, co-founder of ConnectMoms and President of White Crow Communications Inc.
Michelle Tice, Owner of Vitality Marketing, writer for savvymom.ca and recent VP at Intrawest

Moderated by Lisa Martin, a transformational speaker, leadership coach and best-selling author of Briefcase Moms: 10 Proven Practices to Balance

Friday, April 30th, 2010 9:00am – 11:00am
The Granville Island Hotel 1253 Johnston Street, Vancouver

Join professionally minded Moms to hear the story of how these Change Agents are shifting the corporate landscape to create new career opportunities through education and awareness.

This is a session you will not want to miss whether you are self-employed, work for an employer or are staying at home to raise your family. The discussion will address a HOT topic head on!

For more information and to register for this event, go to www.momcafenetwork.com

Ticket price: $37 + GST (non-members)
$31 + GST (members)
Includes a light breakfast and a latte.
Limited childcare available.

The Power of Online Travel Planning – TELUS Currents by Sarah Fowles, Connect Moms co-founder

We all know travelling with our families is a wonderful experience and creates cherished memories and if you are anything like me I am always looking for ways to enhance our family travel experiences. Take a read of the recently published travel tips article in the TELUS Currents Newsletter by Connect Moms co-founder, Sarah Fowles – The Power of Online Travel Planning.

Tips for the “Final Four” by Jane Richards – Family First Coaching

The 2010 Olympic Games here in Vancouver, Canada are over. The Games were an
incredibly exciting and emotional experience for the athletes and their families, for
the citizens of Vancouver, for Canadians and for people all over the world!
When I watched those fresh-faced, ultra fit, passionate participants hurl
themselves down a mountain at 130 km/hr or race around an oval of ice performing
the backbreaking, thigh burning feat of speed skating or twist and turn at great
heights with snowboards strapped to their feet, I couldn’t help but wonder what
words of encouragement their parents and mentors offered them along the way.
What did they say to them to support them in becoming the athletes and the
people they are today? The world’s best athletes were here and each one of them
has reached a level of mental and physical fitness that has launched them to the
top of their chosen sport and it is clear they did not get here without one hundred
percent backing from significant people.

You might not be a parent of an Olympian right now, but if you are Canadian and
you have hockey players in your house, there is a good chance that you are smack
in the middle of hockey play-offs. All across Canada, there are minor hockey
players, their parents and their coaches striving for their own thrill of victory.
Minor hockey in Canada is intense. It is competitive and controversial. It is
absolutely emotionally charged.

We have a Peewee AAA hockey player in our house and he is playing games night
after night in our “Final Four” play-offs. Tonight if we win we’re in but if we lose,
we could be out. Hockey could be over for this winter season. Let’s face it … these
kids are under a great deal of pressure. I have been preparing for a night like
tonight – a night when my son might need some solid, carefully chosen, words of
encouragement. I’ve decided that this is what I am going to tell my athlete to
support him as best I can:
Honor Yourself – Self – rejection is not an option! There will be no negative
thoughts and no negative self-talk.
Commit Yourself – Commit to doing your very best, not for the reward and not to
please others, but because you love to play hockey!
Be Present – Focus on what is happening in the moment. Don’t worry about your
last shift or about a mistake you may have made or even what might be happening
next, just think about the here and the now.
Respect – Respect your teammates, your opponents and your coaches but reject
any negativity that might arise during the game.

When you watch Olympians, who have both won and lost, you can’t help but clearly
see that they are proud, they are confident and they exude intense positive energy.
These athletes seem so grateful for having been given the opportunity to give it
their all doing something they love to do.

At the end of our game tonight, with the right support, I trust that our athlete
will feel proud and satisfied for having done his very best, playing a game he loves
to play – Win or Lose!
(Copyright-Jane Richards-Family First Coaching, Feb. 2010)

Progressive Employers of Canada List Seeks 2010 Nominations from across Canada

Do you work for, or know of, an employer that is List-Worthy?
Let us know by April 15, 2010.

We had an overwhelming response last year to our call for nominations and recognized close to 30 Canadian companies for their progressive practices, including BC Hydro, Habernos, Nurse Next Door, Please Mum, RBC, TELUS, and webnames.ca.

These companies were selected for their ability to offer flexibility, supportive leadership and many other progressive practices.

Recommend an organization creating innovative opportunities for employees to the list…it’s simple and easy. Just send an email to info@progressiveemployers.com with your nomination. For more details, visit the Progressive Employers website.

Presented by Connect Moms, Lisa Martin International, and momcafé.

PS – Don’t forget you can find qualified, professional women when you post your job opportunities on http://connectmoms.com/, get great tips on further engaging your employees by visiting http://www.coachlisamartin.com/, and be sure to check out upcoming momcafe events in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver on http://www.momcafenetwork.com.

Family Friendly Getaway to Toronto

A weekend trip to Toronto can be exciting for the entire family. I had forgotten how fun it is to wake up in a hotel in a big city, go down for a swim and then take off for the day on a walking trip that will present all kinds of surprises and wonders for your children. Being in a city can be extremely family friendly if you plan strategically. Staying in a hotel that is centrally located is a must. The Fairmont Royal York is located perfectly for exploring the CN Tower, St. Lawrence Market, the shops of Queen Street and the ROM – Royal Ontario Museum. A clever feature offered through their in-room dining is a picnic lunch provided in a re-usable backpack they will provide you and your family with sandwiches, fruit, vegetables, drinks and water for you day outing.

We decided we wanted to walk in order to take full advantage of stopping along the way to explore and discover the unexpected. With map in hand we set out for the day heading towards Queen Street to poke around the shops before making our way to the ROM. The ROM is a wonderful museum and something I greatly appreciate bringing up a young family in a city without a proper museum. From the dinosaurs and ancient Egyptian exhibits to the featured exhibition – Dead Sea Scrolls – our boys loved the displays and interactivity at Canada’s largest museum of world cultures and natural history. The ROM has an excellent website that can greatly assist with your planning both at the museum and around the city, including information about Toronto, dining information and a comprehensive list of accommodation options.

Before heading to the museum we had discovered that there are Toronto City Passes that you can be purchased. For $59 for adults and $39 for children you receive a pass for 5 attractions in the city which include the CN Tower, Casa Loma, Royal Ontario Museum, Ontario Science Centre and the Toronto Zoo. Our boys were excited to go up the CN Tower and even though we were floating in the clouds it was a lot of fun…for them any way. Standing on the glass floor is not for the faint of heart. From there we experienced the Toronto street cars and made our way to Casa Loma. The legacy of Sir Henry Mill Pellatt, a prominent Canadian financier, Casa Loma is an impressive mansion worth a visit. The wonderful view experienced from climbing the turreted towers and exploring the tunnel connecting the castle to the stables are a few of the features that make this a great place for kids to explore.

The only problem we had on our excursion to Toronto was a lack of time. We really needed a few more days to explore the other attractions and to further enjoy Canada’s largest city. We will be back!

To plan your family friendly trip to Toronto, it can be helpful to visit the Tourism Toronto website located at SeeTorontoNow.com