Welcome to motherhood. One day you’re slinging your purse over your shoulder to run and meet a friend at a moment’s notice. The next day you’re slogging 20 lbs of baby, carseat and stuff out the door – if you even get off the couch from cluster feedings.

This shift in lifestyle is the part that most people don’t talk about. And for those of us who love to be social and out-and-about it’s quite a shock.

Venturing out of the house the first few times as a new mom can be daunting. Trying to time naps, feedings and the inevitable poop-up-the-back. Be easy on yourself, but don’t let that stop you from getting out. Consider a one-hour outing a success. Heck, walking around the block is a win too.
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Being a mother is one of the most amazing things a woman can experience.

It doesn’t matter if you adopted or birthed your child…it doesn’t matter if you are a caregiver who sends the child home to mom every day. Those of us who are blessed and entrusted with the care and keeping of a child – well, we get to experience miracles every day. The miracles of those first steps, the discovery of snowflakes, of stories told, and memories made. There are the hugs filled with love, shrills of laughter as you push them on swings and the moments spent quietly watching them sleep. I wouldn’t give up this gig for the world.

But as we all know, there are two sides to every story.

Along with all the wonderful memories are a few that we’d like to forget.

As a mother of 3, stepmother to 1 and dayhome provider to many, many more – I have compiled quite the list of memories I’d rather not have.

So for all the would-be parents out there, or soon-to-be moms and dads…I’m going to tell you what no one else will. I don’t know why these things are unspoken of before someone has children…because it can’t be just me who has had these experiences.
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May’s NextGen Speaks Out! theme will be Motherhood

 
It’s May and Mother’s day has rolled around again. Mothers (of all varieties – Step-moms, Grand-moms, Bio-moms, Adopted Moms, etc included) have a large influence on us and our society. We want to take the opportunity to recognize and support the mothers in our lives and in our community by celebrating them not just on May 13th but all month long. This month we’ll be asking our bloggers (who are also all mothers themselves) to expand on the theme by sharing their stories and resources, and relating their experiences and opinons in a way that only a mother can.

Whether you are a parent, an expecting parent, or still savoring the child-free way of life, we hope our bloggers will provide an interesting, humourous, and enlightening (or perhaps eye-opening) peek into their lives. They might expose you to new information that you hadn’t heard about before, provide comfort in the knowledge that you aren’t alone, inspire you to make a small change to your own routine or encourage you to suggest resources to others.

We also want you to engage in discussion. Come on nextgener’s we know you have opinions and thoughts on these themes too. We’d love for you to comment, start a discussion, and share these posts with your networks.

Check back weekly as we will be adding new NextGen Speaks Out! posts regularly. We’re looking forward to it and hope you do too!

Disclaimer
NextGen Speaks Out, our guest blogging series, is envisioned as a hub for information and discussion. NextGen is a non-political, non-denominational organization focused on giving all nextgeners a voice. NextGen does not represent the opinions expressed by the individual columnists.

12 year old Alixx Tanner has been able to do what many of us aim to do: understand the larger environmental impacts of her daily decisions.

In a science fair project on penguins, the Grade 7 Nellie McClung student looked outside of her immediate world to see how her decisions affect the environment, specifically penguin habitats. The population of these adorable waddling birds are declining at an alarming rate.

This blog is a small peak into Alixx’s world and how she views it.

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Another Earth Day, another avalanche of press releases and sales flyers. Sometimes it feels like ‘green’ has become another hokey sales pitch for gadgets you don’t need, doesn’t it? However, Earth Day is more than just an opportunity to get a great deal on a rain barrel at the hardware store. It’s a chance to rethink how our everyday actions have an impact, not just on the planet, but closer to home.

Want to make your impact on the planet and your community a positive one? Try slowing your life down.

 
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Historically, the decision to purchase local was an easy one. You would never have to make a point to do so, and in fact would have to deliberately seek out an alternative. Unfortunately, in current market conditions it is often cheaper to buy goods produced afar despite the added cost of packaging, transportation, etc.. Despite this, support for locally owned businesses is growing as

more and more people are discovering the intrinsic value in spending their money somewhere besides the major chains.

When talking about the environment, it’s easy to get caught up on green initiatives. While these are certainly important, now more than ever, we wanted to focus on the urban environment, the city we live in, and ways in which we can develop and improve it.
 
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April’s NextGen Speaks Out! theme will be environment

 
April is traditionally when we start seeing the grass start greening and life starting to poke out of the ground. April also touts national events such as Earth Hour (technically held March 31st but close enough) and Earth Day (April 22). Local events start gearing up and the city starts their Capital City Clean-up Programs.

There is a perception that you have to live in the cold and the dark to be green but in reality environmental issues and solutions aren’t just about being green and don’t have to require a hardcore committment. Caring about our environment can really mean simple and small changes to your day to day behaviour. This means a little something different to each of us and that is okay because the collaborative effort is what makes a difference. The simple changes you could consider could mean taking transit, recycling, installing a compost area or solar panels, shopping at a farmer’s market or a local establishment, planting a garden, participating in clean-up events and much much more.

This month we’ll be bringing your posts that expand on those options. They might expose you to new information that you hadn’t heard about before or inspire you to make a small change to your own routine or encourage you to suggest solutions to others.

We also want you to engage in discussion. Come on nextgener’s we know you have opinions and thoughts on these themes too. We’d love for you to comment, start a discussion, and share these posts with your networks.

Check back weekly as we will be adding new NextGen Speaks Out! posts regularly. We’re looking forward to it and hope you do too!

Disclaimer
NextGen Speaks Out, our guest blogging series, is envisioned as a hub for information and discussion. NextGen is a non-political, non-denominational organization focused on giving all nextgeners a voice. NextGen does not represent the opinions expressed by the individual columnists.

When I was asked by NextGen’s Jacqui Fraser to contribute an guest post on the theme of “community”, I asked, “which one?” NextGen’s guest bloggers are selected on the basis of what each of them might bring to the topic at hand, whatever that might be. I started to wonder why I might have been selected. It’s strange, because I’m usually defined (by myself or others) by the ways I don’t fit in, rather than the ways that I am a part of the group. So here goes:
 

I am first and foremost a member of my family. Three, actually: mine, my partner’s, and my sister’s in-laws. My parents are quite active in the Japanese-Canadian community, so occasionally that comes into play. I am also a friend, moving within several different circles. Some of my friend groups intersect, some have no idea the others exist. I am a writer, so I have colleagues who are also writers, as well as clients from many different industries. I’m implicated in the arts community as a board member in two organizations as well as a nearly-emergent creative writer. I used to play in a couple of bands, so there’s that too. I hover in the margins of the foodie scene. I’m a member of my community league as well as a contributor to a number of projects in the Alberta Avenue area generally. I’m on a few online social networks. I volunteer. I have a great dog, and yes, there is a dog community as well.
 

So. Which one? Where do I fit?

 
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It’s difficult for me to imagine a world without communities. Perhaps because it’s human nature to find like minded people to collaborate with, the process of forming a community is quite natural.

I’ve seen the amazing things communities can accomplish with my own eyes.

From an assembly of just a few neighbours, to a group of thousands, communities can accomplish things that an individual can dream about, but that take many to actualize.

The diversity of Edmonton’s communities is as great as the diversity of its citizens
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March’s NextGen Speaks Out! theme will be community.

Community is such a large part of our lives. We are all part of many smaller and intersecting communities. We gather together based on region (like our nieghbourhood or city), around a shared interest (like sports, religion, or comic books), or for other reasons (like work or cultural). Sometimes you will be active in your communities and other times you’ll just be a member of that community. What can you learn from others in your community circles? What can you contributeThis month we’ll be bringing you posts focused around this idea and hope you look forward to reading and sharing your thoughts on the ideas presented by our guest bloggers.

We also want you to engage in discussion. Come on nextgener’s we know you have opinions and thoughts on these themes too. We’d love for you to comment, start a discussion, and share these posts with your networks.

Check back weekly as we will be adding new NextGen Speaks Out! posts regularly. We’re looking forward to it and hope you do too!

Disclaimer
NextGen Speaks Out, our guest blogging series, is envisioned as a hub for information and discussion. NextGen is a non-political, non-denominational organization focused on giving all nextgeners a voice. NextGen does not represent the opinions expressed by the individual columnists.

We’ve heard it all before – you don’t have to like the people you work with, but you do need to be professional and respectful in your work relationships. But why?

What if you just don’t like someone you work with and never will?  Can’t you just avoid them instead?

Given the amount of time that most of us spend at work, having professional and respectful relationships will lead to a more positive work environment.  Some of you may have (or do) work in a situation where you have to drag yourself into work every day because of the nature of the relationships at work.  How did/does that make you feel?  Were you able to do your best work in that environment?  Most people are not able to.

Here’s a common situation:
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Often, people come to see me because they are in immediate crisis or because they are going through some significant transitions in their lives. In the course of conversation, we will often talk about what I sometimes refer to as their support network – those people who are ‘there’ for them, who love them without condition, who care deeply about them, who challenge them, who stand by them and walk with them.

Most times, people will share with me a list of people on whom they can rely and they speak fondly of them – spouses or partners who are doing all they can to help, parents who are doing their best to understand, siblings who keep in regular touch even though their own lives may be stressed to the max, friends who drop everything and show up to help out. Some talk about how praying and believing in a Power greater than their own is also a source of support and comfort.

Not infrequently, however, people in crisis or major transition, will share stories of how they have been surprised both positively and negatively by some of those with whom they are in relationship.
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Ah Valentine’s Day, that day of the year set aside for lovers and romance. Visions of Cupid in his cute little diaper with heart-shaped arrows flitting around making people’s soul mate dreams come true. Wait…what? A diaper? Who thought of that?! As a Mother, I assure you, there is NOTHING romantic about diapers… Anyway… I digress.

Valentine’s Day, the day of overpriced flowers, expensive chocolate and feathery lingerie. Thankfully, I am not stressed. No significant other means no searching through rows of ridiculously expensive cards to find one that expresses the right amount of “love” for a person I do not. So rather than concentrate on the whole V-Day hoopla, Andrea and I have put together our list of most hated “being single on Valentine’s Day drivel” for your entertainment.
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I’m working with a lovely couple who are having the same problems many couples have. Wilma doesn’t feel like she get her needs met and gets hurt, angry and critical. Her husband, Fred feeling criticized and attacked, gets defensive and either withdraws or lashes out angrily – both of which do nothing but add fuel to the fire.

Fred and Wilma came in for a few sessions and after a while they both agreed that they felt like they were “hamsters running around the same old treadmill, over and over again, blaming each other.” I told them that it’s worse than that. They aren’t just cute hamsters running along side one other, getting themselves tired and then ready for bed after a long hamster day together. They have become…

ZOMBIE HAMSTERS!

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February’s NextGen Speaks Out! theme will be relationships.

Relationships are more than just couples in love. They really come down to all sorts of connections we make each day. Some of those connections represent our inner circle. These are people who are close to our heart such as a parent and child, siblings, or the closest of our friends. Other connections fall into our outer circle. These connections are our acquaintances or friends such as coworkers or friends who aren’t “best” friends. Often we forget about that our relationships have greater reach than even that, think about your more ambiguous relationships. People also have an extended network that includes friends of friends or your social media “friends”. This group could also include people you’ve never met and for some people extends to their faith. This month we will be looking at relationships in the broader sense. We hope that you will find some humor and gain some insight through the blog posts. We may even inspire you to reflect on your own relationships to make positive changes.

We also want you to engage in discussion. Come on nextgener’s we know you have opinions and thoughts on these themes too. We’d love for you to comment, start a discussion, and share these posts with your networks.

Check back weekly as we will be adding new NextGen Speaks Out! posts regularly. We’re looking forward to it and hope you do too!

Disclaimer
NextGen Speaks Out, our guest blogging series, is envisioned as a hub for information and discussion. NextGen is a non-political, non-denominational organization focused on giving all nextgeners a voice. NextGen does not represent the opinions expressed by the individual columnists.

The tough get going; at least that is how the saying goes. Getting healthy and fit is not always an easy road to travel on. Even though I am a Leadership Coach and natural bodybuilder, I still find ‘being tough‘ isn’t always enough. I need motivation in my life to keep me energized, focused, and on the path of success.

I need to be inspired.

Inspiration brings light to my path when I find myself in the midst of a dark and lonely stretch in the journey. When obstacles, self loathing, and perceived lack of progress crowd in, I light the lamp of inspiration to see where I am going and remind myself that it can be done.

What are my inspirations and motivations?

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It’s too far away… I just do not have the time…. I really do not have the appropriate equipment to do it at home. Each one of those is a common excuse to either; not working out at the gym, or not working out at home. But if you could choose one or the other, which method is better: Going to the gym, or staying and working out at home? Each one has their own merits; it all depends on what you are looking for.
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Our bodies are meant to move, it feels good and keeps us healthy. Think back to when you were a kid, thrilled at the chance to run and play at recess. That feeling of freedom, getting to stretch your muscles, to chase after a ball or a friend….. Exercise makes your body healthy; your brain releases endorphins (chemicals that are reported to decrease pain and stress), your muscles get stronger, it just feels good.

There are many more benefits to moving around than there are for staying still.

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It’s the second week of January and for many, the excitement of their January resolution has already worn off. Perhaps you never started or it was more difficult than you thought or you actually didn’t even know where to begin! You’re not alone – 80% of people make at least one resolution come January 1^st and a whopping 88% of those people don’t make that resolution a reality!!

It doesn’t need to be that way though (and even though it’s not January 1^st, you could start again, no one has to be the wiser). Let’s look at the top 3 reasons people are unsuccessful and how you can be one of the 12% fulfilling your goal this 2012.
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Edmonton’s NextGen is a hub for connecting people, places, community and ideas together. We want to host conversations that empower our community by providing a platform for different voices that will spark interesting discussions based on ideas and opinions from various thought leaders in Edmonton. Our city is filled with talented, energetic and a community-oriented individuals who actively work to make Edmonton a better place to be for now and generations to come. 

We are getting our peers to help us out. We are happy to introduce our new guest blogging series “NextGen Speaks Out” . With a different theme each month, this feature will showcase a variety of Edmontonians who are influencers or “experts” on that month’s theme. The series is named NextGen Speaks Out because speaking out is defined as the ability to talk freely and fearlessly, about a public issue. With each new post we not only encourage our community to read and share the ideas and opinions brought forward by the guest blogger but also to also engage in conversation and discussion in the comment section or in other social realms.

January’s Next Gen Speaks Out theme is Health and Fitness.  Especially at this time of year, Health and Fitness is a theme on the forefront of people’s minds, whether as a result of a resolution to get healthy, becoming more fit, losing weight or because of a looming winter vacation to somewhere tropical. We anticipate that you will get informed, pick up tips, share your successes or setbacks, and maybe even look at it from a different point for view.

Check back weekly as we will be adding new NextGen Speaks Out posts regularly. We’re looking forward to it and hope you do too!

Disclaimer
NextGen Speaks Out, our guest blogging series, is envisioned as a hub for information and discussion. NextGen is a non-political, non-denominational organization focused on giving all nextgeners a voice. NextGen does not represent the opinions expressed by the individual columnists.

The latest from Transforming Edmonton!

The Edmonton Valley Zoo is moving forward with bold new plans to create a vibrant and engaging place that inspires love and learning of animals and nature. As a part of this new vision, the establishment of the new tagline “Get Closer,” along with the development of all new logos representing a variety of the animals living at the zoo have been officially announced.

Intimate. Inspiring.

The Edmonton Valley Zoo is home to over 350 animals, with a full range of species from different climates and habitats — all here for you to discover, learn about and appreciate. Get closer to them like never before. At the Edmonton Valley Zoo, learning is encouraged through inspiring, engaging, and fun activities.

Nurturing. Natural.

Edmonton Valley Zoo will be a leading example of how a small zoo can make a big difference in our world through its focus on conservation, education and stewardship.

The Edmonton Valley Zoo team is passionate about the natural world and promoting environmental responsibility. The zoo models green strategies in all it does to promote environment responsibility and reduce its own environmental footprint.

Cool.

Watch this cool video on Edmonton Valley Zoo’s new vision and future development.

Enter the “Get Closer” Facebook contest to win a free family pass.

Visit the official Edmonton Valley Zoo website to explore even more.

By Mack D. Male · May 9, 2011 at 2:30pm