Vancouver: The Savvy Guide to February

Feb gets a bad rap but let’s look closer.

We’ve got a lot of love this month with Family Day and Valentine’s Day. And if you’re in BC and you don’t have Family Day, you’ve got the Olympics to be proud of. So here’s to February and all that it’s got goin’ on.

DO
Watch the CBC documentary on Thursday, February 4 at 9 pm entitled ‘Hyper Parents & Coddled Kids’.
Why? Because you can learn from experts who weigh in on the effect that hyper-parenting (Who, us?) will have on our kids and their generation.

GO
To one of the free, family-oriented Olympic events happening in your ’hood.
Why? It’s a great way to share the Olympic spirit with your kids, and with everything from Live City in Downtown Vancouver and Yaletown, to the O-Zone in Richmond, West Vancouver’s Spirit Square to the many country, regional and provincial pavilions and celebration venues in New Westminster, Surrey and Abbotsford, you are sure to find an event near you.

GET
A plan for Valentine’s Day. Now. We mean the treats, cards and the class list. Start getting Jack and Jill to fill out those notes.
Why? Because otherwise you’ll be sitting up late at night writing out all the kids’ names yourself.

PLAY
With puppets.
Why? Because it’s fun and oh-so-easy to set up a theatre at home.

READ
Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam.
Why? Because Vincent Lam is a Toronto emergency doc (and he wrote this Giller Prize-winning novel in all his spare time). It’s a seriously good read about young medical students and doctors and you should enjoy it in print first before you check out the HBO Canada series of the same name (which is airing now).

SURF
gettingkidsreading.blogspot.com
Why? It’s written by Joyce Grant, a mom and a writer whose passion it is to help parents to get their kids reading more. She shares tips and fun activities, games, toys and books to inspire kids to read. 

GREEN IT
Gather up those old, broken crayons and recycle them into colourful (and practical) valentines. Place the broken bits in a heart-shaped cookie tin and bake at 250°F for 10 – 15 minutes, then let them cool.
Why? Because they make fun (and affordable!) gifts for the kids or their friends.

HELP
Nevermind cow bells to cheer on your fave Olympic athletes, buy a bell with some BC roots instead—a North Shore Spirit Bear Bell. 
Why? Not only do the three bells on each ring represent the three municipalities on the North Shore as well as its three mountains—Seymour, Grouse and Cypress—but a portion of the proceeds will be going to assist the North Shore Black Bear Society. Quantities are limited, so hurry before they sell out.

DEAL IT
Get 15% off the entire collection of Nearly Nude seamless shapewear at Goneshopping.ca until February 28. Enter code savvynn at checkout for your SavvyDeal of the month.
Why? Because we think it’s a great deal on one of our favourite mom shape savers.