Blog

Category: Parenting

Selective Learning and Goodbyes

by Brian
Board Books + Fiction + Graphica + Humour + Kids + Parenting + Picture Books + Vancouver / August 09, 2011

Sad news everyone — it's my last day at Raincoast (cue crying and wailing of Raincoast staff here) and I'm still having trouble coming to grips with having to leave all this behind. But mostly I'm having trouble leaving...

• My Star Wars themed desk
• Our warehouse full of books
• And getting to flip through all the awesome ARCs and Samples

Oh, and the people — they were great too.

Seeing as how this is my last day, I think it'll be a good idea to take a moment and reflect on all that I've learned here at Raincoast.

(I've also been watching a lot of late night talk shows)

The 10 Most Important Things I’ve Learned at Raincoast Books

#10 - You can put Zombies in anything

 

#9 - "Baby Rage” is real. And IS frightening.

#8 - Women really DO want to trade husbands for housekeepers

#7 – Taco in a Bag is delicious

#6 – "Moleskine" isn’t the same as “Vole Skin”

#5- Vegetables are the “New Meat”

     

#4- Hand puppets and books DO go hand-in-hand

#3- There’s no such thing as “too much Darcy.”

   

#2- It takes 1 determined intern, 2 weeks and 3 americanos a day to input sales data for 800 titles into an e-catalogue.

#1 Googling The Naked Roommate at work does not produce the best results.

*I had a great time and learned a lot this past year. Thanks for reading about all the quirky things that happen at Raincoast Books through the eyes of a 20-something and I hope you continue to read about all the awesome people here and their love for books.

Cheers,

Brian

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Baby Names!

by Liz
Parenting / May 12, 2011

Everyone loves talking about them. And when you are expecting it’s the second thing everyone asks about (right after “Do you know what it is?” my answer: “Yes, it’s a human” ha.)

Thank goodness I have absolute access to THE baby name book publisher — Sourcebooks!

I’ve been using the 2011 Baby Names Almanac for my research, but there are some many other options I think I need all of these!

Stay tuned for the upcoming Fall titles, they'll be revised to include even more possibilities, because anything goes in the baby-naming world!

These babies (ha ha.) fly off the shelves and are the perfect shower gift, so order yours now from an independent retailer, Amazon.ca, or Chapters-Indigo.ca

~ Liz

(Aside: Maybe Raincoast should run a contest to name my baby?)

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What to expect… When you are expecting at Raincoast

by Liz
Fashion & Textiles + Gift & Stationery + Health & Wellness + Humour + Kids + Parenting / April 28, 2011

When you are having a baby, and work in an office, you can expect a number of things:

- Doors will be held

- Food is always  being offered

- Co-workers will discuss upcoming business while simultaneously rubbing your belly

But when you are having a baby in an office that deals with the distribution of top publishers from every genre, you can expect the extra gift of 'how to' and 'how not to' manuals of pregnancy and parenting to pile up on your desk (it's like little stork-elves appear in the night and hide baby books around my work area)

This is what has been delivered so far:

Pregnancy Planner: Essential Advice for Moms-to-Be (Chronicle Books)

- This is a great weekly planner that gives you facts, tips and hints about what is going on every week of your pregnancy. This week's interesting tidbit: My baby's teeth are already growing!

I'd Trade My Husband for a Housekeeper: Loving Your Marriage After the Baby Carriage (Chronicle Books)

- While I'm not ready to trade my husband in yet (thank goodness he cooks AND cleans!) this is an excellent book to keep on the bookshelf for after the babe is born and I need reminding of why I got into this whole mess in the first place.

After the Stork: The Couple's Guide to Preventing and Overcoming Postpartum Depression (New Harbinger)

- I can't really predict what will happen when our kid arrives but I can try to prepare in advance for what I can only imagine is an incredible emotional and physical upheaval. This book provides powerful tools for dealing with all the many changes that will come our way.

My Mom, Style Icon (Chronicle Books)

- Based on the awesome blog, Piper Weiss reminds us that our moms were people—young, hip, fashionable people—before we came along to monopolize their time. This book is an excellent reminder that having a baby doesn't mean I have to change who I am.

Mama's Big Book of Little Lifesavers: 398 Ways to Save Your Time, Money, and Sanity (Chronicle Books)

- As a first time parent any advice is appreciated. This book is full of hints and tips to help parents keep their sanity. Such as always carrying wipes, and if our child is messy eater don't let it stop us from eating out—just tip well! (as a former waitress I really like this one)

Fortune-Telling Book for Moms-to-Be (Chronicle Books)

- This is a fun little gift book full of ancient wisdom and old wives tales to decode everything from your baby's gender to their post-natal temperament. So far things I have learned are that tying knots during pregnancy can make labour difficult (note to self: give up macramé asap), and that I should eat avocados for a healthy and beautiful baby (but that a beautiful baby will make a homely adult... oh the dilemma...)

And I can't even get started on the baby name books we have. I'll save those for another post.

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Favourite Books 2010: Heather Camlot, MySweetBaby

by Dan
Kids + News + Parenting / December 28, 2010

Create Your Own Planet
Todd Parr
Chronicle Books ISBN 9780811871464
$16.99

Trying to explain the world beyond the window to young children such as my own is tough, but this fun “doodle and draw” book makes them to think about life around them, from whether caterpillars wear shoes to what makes people happy.

 

Shadow
Suzy Lee
Chronicle Books ISBN 9780811872805
$17.99

Imaginative play at its best — while the young girl in Shadow creates her own world with simple items found in the attic, young readers create their own story to the simple, striking images in the wordless book. 

 

Every Day's A Holiday: Year-Round Crafting with Kids
Heidi Kenney
Chronicle Books ISBN 9780811871440
$26.95

I can’t get enough of craft books — they are without hesitation my favourite reads. I love this one for the range of techniques and materials, from fruit-stamping onto fabric to constructing a garden basket out of mini fencing, as well as for the list of unusual holidays — World Origami Days, who knew?

 

Heather Camlot is the editor of MySweetBaby.

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Our Top 10 Picks for Father’s Day Gifts

by Siobhan
Art & Photography + Film + Food & Drink + Gift & Stationery + History + Humour + Music + Parenting / June 02, 2010

Sure, you could get him a tie.

But if you're looking for something a little more exciting, here are our top 10 picks for Father's Day gifts...

Handy Dad: 25 Awesome Projects for Dads and Kids


The Complete Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Man Skills


Dear Dad


Memento: An Autobiography Journal


2048: Humanity's Agreement to Live Together


Bee


Cartographies of Time: A History of the Timeline

 

Moleskine Passions: Book Journal / Film Journal / Music Journal / Recipe Journal / Wellness Journal / Wine Journal

Old Man Drinks: Recipes, Advice, and Barstool Wisdom


Ribs, Chops, Steaks & Wings

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5 Things Vancouver: Annemarie Tempelman-Kluit

by Dan
Kids + Parenting + Travel + Vancouver / February 24, 2010

Annemarie is the founder and editor-in-chief of yoyomama.ca and yoyobelly.ca.

She’s also the author of Healthy Mum, Happy Baby: How To Feed Yourself When You're Breastfeeding Your Baby which was published by Random House in 2007.

She’s an email marketing expert with a background in web strategy and usability.

 

How long have you lived in Vancouver?
I’m one of those rare people who was born here.

Where do you look for books in Vancouver?
Now I’ve had kids I can indulge my children’s lit fetish with no shame at Vancouver Kidsbooks.

What’s your favourite restaurant for a romantic dinner?
Les Faux Bourgeois.

What is the best thing to do with kids in Vancouver?
The beach. Any time of year and in any weather. At the beach kids can build sand castles and mud pies and explore tide pools. They can draw in the sand with a stick and get chased by waves and commune with the seagulls. They can get dirty and sandy and wet and no one minds, not like at home or at a restaurant. And of course you can get fries or a popsicle from the concession when you’re done to top off your trip.

What’s your favourite free thing to do in Vancouver?
We love walking the new seawall by the Olympic athletes village – when it’s open of course. There’s lots to explore and see and on good days we make it all the way from Science World to Granville Island.

Thanks Annemarie!

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Whale Done Parenting

by Dan
Parenting / November 16, 2009

Q: What do raising children and training killer whales have in common?

A: Chuck Tompkins, Sea World whale trainer and author of WHALE DONE PARENTING!

Chuck and his son Cody were on Fox & Friends this morning chatting about the subject:

 

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Pregnancy A-Z

by Crystal
Excerpts + Gift & Stationery + Parenting / November 05, 2009

Are you pregnant or do you know someone who is pregnant? THE PREGNANCY JOURNAL: A DAY-TO-DAY GUIDE TO A HEALTHY AND HAPPY PREGNANCY—is back! Fully revised with the latest medical information on both mom’s health and baby’s development, this best-selling journal is packed with daily entries that feature tips, advice, and plenty of room for personal reflection… and it makes the perfect gift for yourself and your unborn baby or for the pregnant loved one on your gift list.

Want a sneak peak of what it’s all about? This A to Z guide was pulled together from information in the journal to give expectant parents a glimpse into what happens during this amazing time of life.

Appetite
Day 57: You may find your appetite increasing now that some of the nausea and discomfort has stabilized. If food isn’t your friend yet, look for some relief by week 17.

Backache
Day 116: Most pregnancy backaches consist of low back pain, because the narrowest part of your back has to balance your growing uterus and because the normally stable joints in your pelvis have loosened somewhat.

Cheeks
Day 22: Between Week 4 and Week 8, the development of your baby’s facial features takes place.

Digestive System
Day 69: Your baby’s intestines are now in the abdomen. Over the next two days, the muscles in the walls of your baby’s digestive tract will become functional.

Eyes
Day 165: Over the next four days, brain wave activity will begin for your baby’s visual and auditory systems.

Fatigue
Day 234: You’ll notice more fluctuations in your energy level this month. Use your energy bursts wisely doing things you absolutely need to do and preparing for the birth.

Glucose
Day 40: The metabolism of glucose may play a role in morning sickness. To make sure their glucose level doesn’t fall too low by morning, pregnant women are advised to eat a light snack before going to bed (milk, toast, etc.).

Hair
Day 86: Over the next three days, the baby’s scalp hair pattern will be determined.

Iron
Day 69: Pregnant women need at least 30 mg of iron each day to support the extra volume of blood and increases in red blood cell production.

Jaws
Day 35: The upper and lower jaws are present in your baby.

Kidneys
Day 103: Sometime this week, your baby’s kidneys will reach their final mature position. This ascent took nearly 10 weeks to complete.

Lunar Months
Baby development is measured in lunar months, not calendar months. Each lunar month consists of 28 days organized into four weeks of seven days each.

Movement
Day 176: Your baby’s muscle tone is gradually improving. Its hands can grip with some strength now.

Nausea
Day 13: If you need to settle your stomach, snack on dry crackers or dry cereal. Ginger, lemon, peppermint and licorice are flavors that can help with nausea.

Orienting Response
Day 242: Your baby will now automatically turn toward a source of light. This permits your baby to practice being more aware of its environment.

Protein
Day 139: Protein must be provided for the growth of the baby, placenta, uterus, breasts, and to permit necessary increases in blood volume.

Quickening
Day 143: The first movements you feel your baby make will be caused by arm and leg activity. These first motions are called quickening.

Reflexes
Day 67: Now when your baby’s face is touched, it will open its mouth. This is called the rooting reflex and helps babies find the food source.

Skin
Day 188: By today, the surface of your baby’s skin is smoother and whiter as body fat accumulates under its surface.

Teeth
Day 82: Baby’s tooth buds are present under the gums.

Ultra Sound
Diagnostic test that uses high-intensity, inaudible sound waves to project a visual image, or sonogram.

Vocal Cords
Day 74: Over the next few days, the vocal cords will form in your baby’s larynx.

Weight Gain
Day 265: Your weight gain has probably slowed or even reversed itself in the past two weeks or so.

X-Rays
Day 53: X-ray exposure should be avoided since the radiation can penetrate your uterus.

Yogurt
Day 172: Yogurt is a good source of protein. Some women who are lactose intolerant can tolerate yogurt.

Zinc
Day 83: Zinc is a trace element that forms part of the structure of bone and helps protect the development of the brain and nervous system. The recommended daily intake during pregnancy is 15 mg.

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DadLabs Guide to Fatherhood Video

by Dan
Humour + Parenting / May 25, 2009

Since 2007 more than 2 million fathers have turned to DadLabs.com for advice on modern fatherhood, parenting, and children.

DadLabs provides resources for expecting, new and veteran fathers with wisdom, honesty, and self-deprecating (and sometimes slightly off-colour) humour, and now they've compiled the best of their advice into a book: DADLABS GUIDE TO FATHERHOOD: Pregnancy and Year One (published by Quirk Books).

And if you'd like a sample of fatherhood through guy-tinted classes, here's a couple of videos introducing DadLabs' guy-friendly advice:

DADLABS Book Trailer:

DADLABS Deliver! A Book!:

DADLABS GUIDE TO FATHERHOOD is available now--just in time for (new) Father's Day!

Click here for the DadLabs website

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